Meet Queen Dina of Stumble Media Group in Philadelphia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Queen Dina.

Queen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am the Chief Executive Officer of Stumble Media Group and Co-Founder. We are a multifaceted media company that specializes in the development and marketing of independent artists. Stumble was the brainchild of myself (Medina Oyefusi, aka Queen Dina) and my partner Aaron Robinson. For me, about two years ago, I started working as an Event Coordinator for Green Soul which is a black-owned restaurant in Philadelphia. They were looking to appeal to the millennial crowd through independent musical acts and a creative menu, so i started doing artist booking there for an event of my creation, “The Green Light Series”. Through event coordination, I was able to meet close with many amazing acts a talents based in Philadelphia but the one thing I realized was a lot of them had no plan, no representation, and weren’t sure how to make a living profit through their art. I began to think ‘what if there was a company that would operate as a management team for independent artists without garnishing a percent of their wages? What would they look like, how could that work?’ After many discussions with my now business partner, Stumble Media Group was born.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road but the struggles have been worth it. As a construction/engineering student, plus working part-time, trying to launch a business and stepping into CEO position, it all can be a little overwhelming at times, but when you believe in something, the stress is somewhat comforting. Stress is a reminder that you’re putting in work to make your dreams come true.

In February, we launched out first major event, “I BUY BLACK TOO,” which to date is the largest black-owned business and bar crawl to have been held in Philadelphia. Gaining attention from Fox News, Travel Noir, Philadelphia Inquirer and more, this event highlighted six-black-own businesses, three of which hosted live performances from over 20 independent artists. Thanks to our entertainment sponsors: Joie Kathos, NoSpace Productions, and 98.5 FM Uptown Radio we were able to put on a dynamic event that really embodied our mission.

We used this event to demonstrate the power the community has to raise each other up and support homegrown talent and entrepreneurs. “I Buy Black Too” showed me what I was capable of. From an idea I had in December to a full-blown record-breaking experience two months later sounds insane, but I did it, and then to be hit with a pandemic immediately after. Like wow. The entire launch/first year of my business has been a struggle. I’ve cried, I’ve had anxiety attacks, and I’ve felt like giving up but every time I get to that point or the wall, five doors open up showing me that I’m on the right path.

Please tell us about Stumble Media Group.
The mission of our business is to give independent musical acts tools to market and develop a entrepreneurial plan for their work, as well as provide them with access to paid opportunities and exposure through multiple media platforms and outlets.What we do is, listen to what the artists want and what they need, help them execute their dreams in a way that either grows their internet footprint/fan-based or provides them with monetary compensation. We are event planners, photographers, videographers, a marketing team, consultants, youtubers, collaborators, talent bookers, creatives. We do press releases, event coverage, event curating, social marketing and much more. What we are not is a record label.

This year, we thought Covid-19 would the end of us and of our beginning but as CEO it was my job to figure out how to make the best of a terrible ordeal. We turned ourselves inward to really figure out what we were trying to build and how we could service the community. In that pursuit, this summer we were able to conduct four summer internships for college students remotely. Through their work and efforts we launched an online digital magazine featuring new music releases from multiple genres and independent artists, we started a YouTube series called Stumble Spotlight, gave some of the interns mobile app and web development experience, and provided ten independent artists the opportunity to perform live on FM radio in Philadelphia.

As Stumble moves into the fall, we are now looking for new interns, continuously building a web app to further help artists connect and get opportunities in a more streamlined fashion, and we are also getting ready to launch our own weekly pre-recorded FM radio show with the DJs of THURSDAYNIGHTGROOVE on 98.5 WJYN Uptown Radio. Our show “Chatterbox with Queen Dina” will feature entrepreneurs, creatives, social justice leaders and of course independent musical acts. Through all our efforts we couldn’t have done any of it without the support and trust the community has shown us. Our commitment is to servicing all independent artists without taking money out of their pockets. To this day, we have made our money through sponsors, at times ticket sales, and companies that hire us for work but have never charged an artist a dime. Not for a feature, or radio time, nothing, because that’s not we’re about. That’s not our “brand.” So I am very thankful to everyone that has helped make my dream come true by supporting Stumble.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think Philadelphia has shown great opportunity and we love being housed there but we are looking to expand to Atlanta and then LA because as far as independent music goes, those two cities are booming. I think ATL might be the best move for a company like Stumble right now but we definitely need to get a more sturdy footing where we are first. Philly we ain’t done with you yet.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1220 N Broad St
  Apt. 308 Philadelphia, PA
• Phone: 570-656-0173
• Email: contactus@stumblemusic.net
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/stumblemusic?igshid=pz7zi6n6fqm
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/StumbleMedia
• Other: https://linktr.ee/stumblemusic

Image Credit:
Fox News – News Story Image
PJ Compagnino – Personal Photos
Aaron Robinson – all other photos

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