Meet Dara Collins and Donna Kassman | co-owner of ModernMahjong.com, Facebook.com/groups/MahjongCommunity
We had the good fortune of connecting with Dara Collins and Donna Kassman and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Dara Collins and Donna Kassman, we’d love to hear more about how you both thought about starting your own business?
We are two friends, Dara Collins and Donna Miller Kassman, that started playing mahjong together over ten years ago. Soon, we were interested in finding vintage mahjong sets. We noticed that the mahjong tiles, racks, and cases were works of art but the dice were very small and not as beautiful as the tiles. As the saying goes “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Mahjong Dice™ was born. Several players compare owning several mahjong sets to collecting works of art and are excited to have specific pairs of dice to complement their favorite sets. Dara explains how dice are used in mahjong games: “According to the NMJL rules, dice play a part in the beginning of each game. That is where our saying, Begin with a beautiful roll, originated.”
In addition to creating new designs and styles of Mahjong Dice™, Dara and Donna soon expanded to include other Mah Jongg gifts and accessories, clothing, tableware, and jewelry that are exclusively sold through their website https://ModernMahjong.com.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The National Mah Jongg League’s foundation is friendship and charity. We completely incorporate these ideas into our women-owned business since we started. During the pandemic, we focused on giving back and building and growing our Facebook group, MahjongCommunity. On our group, we share rule and strategy posts, photos, links, contests, articles, and all topics related to the game. Our interactive discussions helps players feel connected. We invite players to post where they are looking for games at home or on vacation. Several in-person groups have formed because they met online in our Facebook group.
We recognized that players relied on their Mah Jongg games as an important part of their socialization. Then, overnight this was taken away from us in March, 2020. We knew we needed to keep our players connected by hosting online Zoom Talks and Events and ModernMahjong.com Tournaments.
In addition to connecting with players live, they can watch replays of our Zoom talks (on our YouTube.com/ModernMahjong channel) including our 2023 Card Review with Barney Gallassio and our Zoom Panels on Strategy and Tournament play.
For each tournament, we selected a charity each month to donate.
Additionally, each year we take pre-orders for the next year’s annual National Mah Jongg League Card. From 2019 through 2022, we raised over $31,000. Then, this year alone, we raised over $54,000 from pre-orders of the 2023 Card. It was a lot of time consuming work getting the word out and entering all of the orders, answering calls and depositing payments, however, we are thrilled with being able to raise funds for this disease. As part of the national Mah Jongg for Memories Committee for the Alzheimer’s Association, we are always looking for ways to shine a light on this dark disease.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We started resuming in-person events that we called Meet, Eat, Play, Repeat in South Florida and look forward to hosting events throughout the US. Additionally, we hosted our first tournament in Ft. Lauderdale. On April 23, 2023, we are hosting a Luncheon with Michele Frizzell of #MahjLife at the Ft. Lauderdale Bridge Club. Our event will begin with Michele’s presentation “2023 NMJL Card Deep Dive and Tips for a Smooth Transition” followed by a delicious lunch and social Mah Jongg games! We expect to announce more information about other upcoming events soon! Players can stay connected by registering for our emails on ModernMahjong.com and join us on social media.
Modern Mahjong in the Media
Featured in Fiftyish: https://www.fiftyish.com/
Trailblazers in the Sun Sentinel:
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/
Kveller is obsessed:
https://www.kveller.com/this-
YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/
Social Media:
Facebook Group: Facebook.com/groups/
Facebook Page: @ModernMahjong
Instagram: @ModernMahjong
Upcoming Modern Mahjong Luncheon with Michele Frizzell:
Ft. Lauderdale Bridge Club 620 NE 8th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
$60 includes a presentation on “2023 NMJL Card Deep Dive and Tips for a Smooth Transition” by Michele Frizzell of Mahj Life followed by a delicious lunch and social Mah Jongg games! For more info, contact us at ModernMahjong@gmail.com or (305) 918-2511. Seating is limited. RSVP by April 16, 2023 online at ModernMahjong.com or check payable to Mahjong Dice, 3389 Sheridan St #425, Hollywood, FL 33021 Payment must be received to reserve your space.
Registration 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Activities from 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Upcoming Virtual Events:
Modern Mahjong Virtual Vintage with Theresa Bounassi, Shirley Hanick, Karen Robertson, Toby Salk, Gregg Swain and Tony Watson Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 7 p.m. EST Register on bit.ly/VirtualVintageMay
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We are thankful and appreciative for our wonderful Mahjong Community. Players, teachers, collectors and authors inspire us daily to create new designs and products and to host Modern Mahjong Zoom Talks and Events.
Players are also interested in the game Canasta. We heard their requests for our small business to include Canasta gifts and accessories. Additionally, Dara has co-written with Donna Miller-Small (another Donna!) Modern American Canasta: The Complete Guide. We invite you to find out more on ModernAmericanCanasta.com, Facebook.com/groups/
Canasta is undergoing a resurgence in the US. Amazingly, until now, there has been no authoritative guide for this fun and exciting game. Finally, there is a book to fill this need. Called Modern American Canasta: The Complete Guide, for beginners and seasoned players alike, it presents the only reliable resource for standard rules, offers clear explanations, and gives helpful tips on all aspects of the game, from setup to strategies. Players looking to learn or improve their game can visit https://modernmahjong.com/
Website: ModernMahjong.com
Instagram: @modernmahjong
Linkedin: Dara J. Collins and Donna Miller Kassman
Twitter: @ModernMahjong
Facebook: Facebook.com/groups/MahjongCommunity and @ModernMahjong
Youtube: YouTube.com/ModernMahjong
Image Credits
@ModernMahjong on Instagram. Dara is holding the black umbrella, Donna is holding the red umbrella. Please let us know if these work!
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