About Management:
The Collective was created out of the vision of Heather Mandelkorn, President and Events/Bookings Coordinator. She is a trained cultural anthropologist, educator, author, community organizer and event planner. She has been involved in the Hip Hop arts as a dancer and through her cultural antrhopological studies. Besides her studies, she simply has lived a life of Hip Hop. Having grown up with many individuals who later became well known on the music scene, such as producers of The Neptunes and Pharrell Williams, she realized her place in the culture and its transforming importance in our communities. And then later meeting and getting involved with the early 80's Hip Hop pioneer, Gucci Man who was known for his production work with Dana Dane and his involvement with the infamous Zulu Nation, as well as meeting many more Hip Hop notables through this connection, she learned the ropes of the music business and saw a lot of behind the scenes of the culture in the home of Hip Hop itself, the Bronx, NY. Once part of this family, she learned about and met many more Hip Hop Greats. As a Hip Hop dancer and anthropologist, she always took the time to appreciate the greatness around her.
Later in her life's adventures, she completed two years in AmeriCorps, in the Washington DC area serving the Washington DC youth working in a youth development organization focused on creative writing and the game of soccer. She was also trained in organizational development, community development, art as a social change, and so much more during this time. After these experiences and trainings, she decided her love for community organizing should be followed, and she became a trained and certified community organizer through the Center for Third World Organizing. She also attended George Washington University receiving training and education in Event Coordination and Planning; leading her to start her own event planning company, called Karma Enterprise. Since 2006, she has successfully created and helped produced multiple events in the Washington DC area.
In addition to being a small business owner and an event planner, she became an English as a Second Language educator, working with people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures. During her time as an educator, she began to see the power of music in her own classroom and among the teenage culture itself, as well as how it can transform the lives of these young people. In realizing this power, she sought out the people she knew in the DC Hip Hop community who also wanted to use their art and music to transform the lives of these young people and their communities. The Collective came to be. It is here to create a new narrative for our communities. Though having begun in Washington D.C., it has now grown throughout the United States and welcomes artists from all areas worldwide.
She believes it is one that can show the masses the true art of Hip Hop in a traditional, conscious and positive manner. She believes in the artists she works with and wholeheartedly works to make every situation a win-win for all involved. The Collective comes from the streets but will bud into a new life; it is a Collective with a conscious and holistic manner of Hip Hop that will reach the youth and change their lives & understanding of the Hip Hop culture.
The Collective was created out of the vision of Heather Mandelkorn, President and Events/Bookings Coordinator. She is a trained cultural anthropologist, educator, author, community organizer and event planner. She has been involved in the Hip Hop arts as a dancer and through her cultural antrhopological studies. Besides her studies, she simply has lived a life of Hip Hop. Having grown up with many individuals who later became well known on the music scene, such as producers of The Neptunes and Pharrell Williams, she realized her place in the culture and its transforming importance in our communities. And then later meeting and getting involved with the early 80's Hip Hop pioneer, Gucci Man who was known for his production work with Dana Dane and his involvement with the infamous Zulu Nation, as well as meeting many more Hip Hop notables through this connection, she learned the ropes of the music business and saw a lot of behind the scenes of the culture in the home of Hip Hop itself, the Bronx, NY. Once part of this family, she learned about and met many more Hip Hop Greats. As a Hip Hop dancer and anthropologist, she always took the time to appreciate the greatness around her.
Later in her life's adventures, she completed two years in AmeriCorps, in the Washington DC area serving the Washington DC youth working in a youth development organization focused on creative writing and the game of soccer. She was also trained in organizational development, community development, art as a social change, and so much more during this time. After these experiences and trainings, she decided her love for community organizing should be followed, and she became a trained and certified community organizer through the Center for Third World Organizing. She also attended George Washington University receiving training and education in Event Coordination and Planning; leading her to start her own event planning company, called Karma Enterprise. Since 2006, she has successfully created and helped produced multiple events in the Washington DC area.
In addition to being a small business owner and an event planner, she became an English as a Second Language educator, working with people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures. During her time as an educator, she began to see the power of music in her own classroom and among the teenage culture itself, as well as how it can transform the lives of these young people. In realizing this power, she sought out the people she knew in the DC Hip Hop community who also wanted to use their art and music to transform the lives of these young people and their communities. The Collective came to be. It is here to create a new narrative for our communities. Though having begun in Washington D.C., it has now grown throughout the United States and welcomes artists from all areas worldwide.
She believes it is one that can show the masses the true art of Hip Hop in a traditional, conscious and positive manner. She believes in the artists she works with and wholeheartedly works to make every situation a win-win for all involved. The Collective comes from the streets but will bud into a new life; it is a Collective with a conscious and holistic manner of Hip Hop that will reach the youth and change their lives & understanding of the Hip Hop culture.