Meet Kendrick Dunn | Marketing Professional

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kendrick Dunn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kendrick, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Colorwaave came from observation and my personal experiences. I noticed that there weren’t many safe spaces for queer creatives like me and my friends that have an eclectic vibe an aesthetic environment. After looking further into it, I also noticed how many queer people I knew that were doing dope things out here in the community but there was nothing really highlighting them. That’s when I knew I wanted to start creating spaces where queer creatives can vibe, network, and support each other.

What should our readers know about your business?
As a marketing professional, I believe my gift is to act as a megaphone for artists and organizations that are built to serve the people.

With COLORWAAVE, I want to be able to provide safe and eclectic spaces that embody music, fashion, art, and community. COLORWAAVE will become a source where creatives in the LGBTQ+ community can have fun, network, and be recognized for their greatness.

Representation matters, so I want to continue to be a megaphone for queer voices in hopes that the next generation knows there is a place for them in this ever-changing world.

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?
If my friends were here for a week, they would need to be energized and ready to be outside! Haha we would do a little bit of everything, everywhere.

If we want more of a chill, laid-back vibe, I would take them to the “Dallas Contemporary Art Museum,” then some of the boutique/thrift stores in Dallas. Of course, when it comes to food, we have to go “Gus’s Fried Chicken,” and for a nice cocktail, “Whisky’s,” a black-owned bar that sells only whisky-crafted cocktails, is definitely my go-to.

Now, if the energy is up! First, we’re going to go to all the spots in the gay-borhood, then we will go to Virgin Hotel and might check out Deep Ellum too. After that, we would be headed to the after-after party lol

Then rest, wake up, brunch, and repeat with a whole new adventure ahead of us.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I couldn’t have gotten to where I am today on my own, so I want to shout out my mom, dad, brother, and grandma, who have always encouraged me to dream big and go after what I want in life

I want to shout out all the artists who were a part of COLORWAAVE: #0001; the vision wouldn’t have been able to come together without their true gifts.

I want to shout out to all the friends I have gained along my life journey. There are so many I could name, but I know they know who they are, and I want to thank them so much for the boundless love and support over the years.

I also want to give a special shoutout to the HOUSE OF REMFU; I appreciate their love and support during this moment.

The HOUSE OF REMFU is named after my best friend, Manaliki Wilson, also known as REM (short for REMFU). The HOUSE OF REMFU is, first and foremost, a family – we are also a collective of powerful, beautiful, creative, free, and talented people– just like how Manaliki was. Manaliki was a Kansas City native but a Dallas legend. His personality, style, and genuine love for the people around him allowed him to build a chosen family away from home. Unfortunately, his life was tragically taken by a drunk driver on March 17, 2022. Rem introduced me to many of the people who I now call family, and they showed up and showed out at COLORWAAVE: #0001.

I dedicated my first COLORWAAVE event to him because he was one of the first people I told about it, one of the first to support the vision, and I knew he would have wanted to be there! When planning the event, I always envisioned him being there, dancing and having a good time; he actually helped me choose one of the DJs– DJ AMARJI. So when I got the news of his passing, it broke my heart and left me with so many different thoughts and emotions. There were times when I contemplated not doing COLORWAAVE at all, but something told me to push through for REM, and I did.

Putting on an event of that size is not easy by any means but things that seemed impossible ended up coming together seamlessly, so I believe he was watching over me through this whole process so he could be there to celebrate in spirit.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmaxxe/

Other: COLORWAAVE instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colorwaave/

Image Credits
Ally Drum; Jessica Taylor