Meet Donna DMACK” McKissack | CEO/Owner DMACK Enterprises”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donna “DMACK” McKissack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donna “DMACK”, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
We believe in paying it forward. Which is why we are dedicated to the independent creative in all areas of Entertainment (e.g. TV/Film, Music, Fashion and Sports) and formulated the 2023 Entertainment Summit, an event that brings together leading entertainment and industry professionals, hosted by “Indie We Stand” (IWS) my non-profit organization providing a meeting place for the people building tomorrow…

This trailblazing, bodacious, all-inclusive, entertainment summit will give independents and small business owners across many spectrums a chance at success by giving them a platform to showcase their talents and small business owners will be able to take their businesses to the next level. Entertainment Summit attendees will enjoy power-packed networking, followed by panel discussions, workshops, and valuable investor pitch sessions, industry consulting, and so much more. DMACK Enterprises and IWS will host an elegant black tie VIP cocktail hour and Dinner with a Hollywood theme, to include the “International Independents Award” ceremony honoring those independents dedicated to the entertainment industry, while celebrating emerging entertainment artists and creatives.

This networking concentrated event would bring the creatives together with those in their areas of entertainment who could support and/or help them take their projects/products to the next level. We look forward to our Inaugural Summit in 2023. If not for an event of this magnitude, the doors may never be opened to the independent creative and the world would likely never be blessed with their gifts of song, film, fashion or sports.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started my education and career on the medical/nursing track. Working as a civil servant in military medical facilities, traveling with my husband from military base-to-base. Unfortunately, sometime in the late 80’s early 90’s HIV/AIDs entered the landscape and the military was not prepared for the “unknown etiology” of the disease. At which time, I made a change to Public Health in an attempt to help support the cause. While working for the CDC, I began creating content for awareness campaigns and later while working for Lockheed Martin, I continued content creation (e.g. videos, commercials, training systems etc.) for user awareness and that is how I got bit by the Production/Content creation bug. I was already working “Part-time” with my Company from a creative perspective for years and now my career and “hobby” began to line-up. Once leaving Corp America, I decided to pour into my Company full-time, creating screen plays, music demos, documentaries, and developing several subsidiaries in support of  DMACK Enterprises and a partnership with a TV Network on Roku for client distribution of indie content. Indie We Stand (IWS) our non-profit working with independent creatives helps with funding these projects through sponsorships. The Enterprise is designed to be a one-stop shop for our independent creative clients.

This mission focus became even more important to me while recovering from Chemo treatments for breast cancer. While in this state, I had ample opportunity to spend a lot of time watching TV/Movies or listening to the radio. I was appalled at what I was seeing/hearing, the content was so offensive, vulgar and at times obscene; I “clutched my pearls”! I meditated on this issue and clearly heard God say in my spirit “BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE”.  This is when I created the “1st Inaugural Entertainment Summit”, to foster an environment at a select venue, bringing together Entertainment Heavy Hitters, Professionals, Celebrities and Venture Capitalist with Independent Creatives who have projects needing support to allow them to let their gifts make room for them to get to the next level. I got a “revelation” to rally these independent creatives I work with to prepare their positive, uplifting, family-friendly (even faith-based) content together to start a campaign for infiltrating the mainstream media and provide more options for selecting content to watch with their families.  Too many times, the doors are closed to those independents who are extremely gifted in their genre with positive, uplifting, family friendly and even faith-based content to be seen and heard in the mainstream media. This summit is my first attempt at bridging that gap and providing the needed resources to make this a reality for the creatives. It is my belief that this “positive” content should be available on all the same platforms as other mainstream content to provide more “options” for our viewing and listening audiences.

Today, my Team and I along with my strategic partners, are forging a way to synergize processes and optimize our resources as a cohesive conglomerate.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First, the “Battery Atlanta” – Smyrna’s newest 365-day entertainment experience, featuring old favorites and new one-of-a kind concepts in Atlanta restaurants. Attending an Atlanta Braves game in the state-of-the-art stadium. Spending the day enjoying premiere events from bowling to bull-riding, karaoke to concerts at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theater, all within steps of each other

Second – “Centennial Olympic Park” downtown Atlanta, perhaps taking the trolley car for sightseeing all the happenings around the park. Touring the Coca Cola factory and visiting the Aquarium, then at night fall, taking a ride on the famous Ferris Wheel and finalizing our night at Margaritaville Club and Bar across the street from the park

Not to be forgotten, a shopping trip to “Buckhead Village District” enjoying all the famous designer shops and latest in fashion. To continue the shopping experience, a visit to “Phipps Plaza” would top-off the full experience of designer offerings. We would grab a late lunch at the “Whitely” for Mimosas and Jazz. We would visit the “Miami Circle Design District”, to take-in the designer galleries and boutiques. Stopping by the “Painted Pin” bowling alley for a refreshing drink and appetizers for a little adult fun. For Dinner we would make our way to “Hals Steakhouse” and then the after party at “Johnny’s Hide-Away” for dancing.

No trip to Atlanta would be complete if we didn’t tour the now famous 330-acre lot of “Tyler Perry Studios”. The major motion picture studio showcases forty buildings on the National Register of Historic Places (Fort McPherson), seeing the 12 sound stages and diverse backlots is a sight to see!

Finally, perhaps taking in a show at the famous ROXY Theater and enjoying dinner and dancing at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint for southern soul food / creole restaurant for an after party

If time permits, a Kennesaw mountain hike would be a beautiful and serene way to end a busy week visit…

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have always been a part of the Entertainment Industry, partly due to my Mother who believed me and my sisters were a talented bunch. To keep us out of “trouble”, she created a garage band and singing group that kept us pretty busy for a good part of my growing up. Unfortunately for her, most of us went completely different directions from her aspirations as we grew up. Until, I got bit by the bug while living on a remote military installation, those early experiences came flooding back to me. I noticed there was no opportunity for diversity in the entertainment space for people of color. I eventually created an Entertainment Company and partnered with the base to provide entertainment to the troops until I moved to Atlanta. Years later, I got a chance assignment on my job to develop a campaign for user awareness, that got my creative juices flowing once again and I began producing training videos. At the same time I felt led to go into the studio to begin recording some of the songs I had been writing for the past few years. I was also led to write a screenplay and here I am today, founder of DMACK Enterprises, providing “everything entertainment”! DMACK Films. DMACK Productions (music producing), DMACK Records (Label), DMACK Mgt Group (A&R), DMACK Publishing (licensing) and the Entertainment Exchange of America (EEA) a company that manages the Business-side of the enterprise. After partnering with a TV Network and streaming company to provide my clients with distribution opportunities, it made DMACK Enterprises a one-stop-shop. Truly providing everything entertainment. So to answer your question, yeah I guess I owe my Mother a BIG shoutout for getting me started…but all the credit really belongs to my God for providing the revelations and prompting that pushed me in the right direction to help others.

Website: AEGTV

Instagram: i_am_dmack

Linkedin: DMACK Enterprises

Twitter: DMACK Films

Facebook: DMACK Films

Image Credits
DMACK Enterprises Logo Armani Entertainment Group (AEG) TV Network Logo Kool Kats – 1971 (Singing/Dancing Group) Soul Feminique – 1980 (Singing/Dancing Group)