Getting to Know: Natenale Mulugeta

Founder of Dreams to Reality

Although music has served as a communicative language since the beginning of time, as technology and social media continues to advance, opportunities to directly connect with fans and other artists have increased exponentially. “My company ‘Dreams to Reality’ is the middle man for musicians to showcase their music on a platform. A lot of artists have issues promoting their music, so Dreams to Reality is a stepping stool for artists to make their art more accessible to their fans,” Natenale Mulugeta says of his social enterprise.

“I was a part of a business program for the winter of 2015, and one of my projects was to host a Black History Month event for my community. When the event was finished a couple of artists from my neighbourhood had asked me to put them on stage so they can perform and I wasn’t able to put them on stage due to timing issues,” he continues. Despite not having the platform in that moment, ‘Dreams to Reality’ combats these issues, and offers a safe space for artists to perform. “I then organized a show later on in the summer and saw how great of a profit I made and saw how happy the artists were to be on stage to perform their music. From that day on, I knew that planning events was my passion.”

After working under several people, Natenale decided to pursue his own career, even when it meant starting from the bottom. “I know I’m capable to run a business just like a boss, so why would I make their pockets fatter while I’m working really hard for a small wage,” he expresses. “Running a business without a team is extremely hard because you’re doing everything else while balancing school, work, and your social life. Also, not having enough capital can set you back from a lot of your goals. For example, if I want to have a big artist to perform for my event and I don’t have enough capital for it, this sets me back from potential success,” Natenale continues.

Although deciding to become your own boss isn’t easy, Natenale concludes by saying, “Never give up, always keep going. I will also say the importance of saving and having a good credit line is a major factor with yourself and your future businesses. I always wished someone told me how important your credit score is. Those 3 things is what I would tell an entrepreneur.”

If you want to learn more about Dreams To Reality, you can follow them on social media or email Natenale directly (dtreality@gmail.com).

Twitter: www.twitter.com/dtreality
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dtreality

Story Written by Erin Ashley

Natenale is a participant in the Hook It Up program delivered by Socent7. Hook It Up is a support program for young social entrepreneurs in Ontario. Learn more at www.hookitup.ca.

*END OF PROGRAM UPDATE* On July 6th, Natenale was able to host an event for 400 people showcasing artists of primarily East African heritage and is preparing for another big event this Fall to celebrate Dreams to Reality’s first anniversary. His top tip for other young entrepreneurs “there is always opportunities out there for you to accomplish your goals. Nothing is given to you, you have to work hard for it and the opportunity will present itself. If you want to start your venture, you have to go get it. No one is going to make sure that you’re successful other than yourself.”