Meet Tip Dunn | DJ and Non-Profit Founder/Director

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

Hi Tip, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I worked for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for six years after I graduated undergrad. I was buying custom fabricated parts that ended up in rovers on Mars and satellites orbiting above Earth. Dream job right? For some, maybe, but it just wasn’t my passion. I loved the mission and people but just couldn’t connect with the day to day tasks. Staring at the computer all day was taking a massive toll on my mental health and after my Mom unexpectedly passed away in 2021, I followed her guidance and decided to take a leap to try and find something that really connected with my passions. That led me to quit in early 2022. I started DJing professionally as a fulltime job shortly after as well as running a non-profit I founded in 2018 called Give Skate. Give Skate works to support skateboarders around the world by giving them skateboards free of charge and helping them to develop important life skills that skateboarding teaches. For those that are unaware, skateboarding helps to cultivate incredible skills like perseverance, creativity, hard work, and resilience just to name a few. It also is amazing at helping the youth to build community and friendship. We mainly support skateboarders in India but have also helped skaters in places like Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, Nicaragua, and multiple Native American reservations across the Western United States. There was a lot of fear and uncertainty with the decision to leave my job at NASA but I now know it was absolutely the right move and I needed to take a chance.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am not and never was one of those people who knew at age six that they would be a lawyer, doctor, astronaut, or whatever. They then would go to school to study that profession, graduate and get that job staying with it for the rest of their life. I have always been interested in trying out as many things as possible and am constantly learning. The world just fascinates me. This is reflected in all the hobbies and interests I have. I took one of those personality tests a few years back and it was dead on. I want to fly the helicopter, while watercoloring, while repairing the engine, while writing a book and while trying to learn Japanese. I am a classic case of someone who is mediocre at a lot of different things but truly great at nothing. For a large part of my life I saw this as a weakness and thought that if I would just concentrate on getting really good at one thing I would be more successful and thus happier. It took me many years to realize this isn’t a weakness but a strength. That so much of what I am into builds on and compliments each other. Especially the creative stuff. It makes me who I am and again I love experiencing so many different things that this is what makes me truly happy.

I studied international business during undergrad but after working a number of years professionally in a formal business setting I knew I wanted and needed more. I ended up enrolling in a design centric graduate program at USC founded by Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine. This was an incredible experience to build out businesses with very talented classmates every semester and where I really developed my non-profit Give Skate. Studying design really helped me to creatively grow the last few years and I’m grateful to now be able to blend my passions of business and design.

I’ve never really known what my “purpose” is in life and still don’t to some degree but I am learning to just enjoy the journey of it all and take it one step at a time. A few years ago I hit a period of my life where it seemed like I couldn’t catch a break. Massive tragedies and turmoil had become a regular occurence. I was in a deep state of depression and it was the hardest period of my life thus far. But coming out the other side, I now know those experiences, while not easy, were monumental for my growth, both in my personal and professional lives. One day during the thick of it I was talking to a great friend, Frank Morales. I was telling him about all this terrible stuff that was happening and that if I could just get to this date in the near future I had in mind that things would be so much better as some of the issues would then be naturally alleviated. He said a few incredible words that changed my life. “Just get through today”. It’s so simple but also so easy to forget. I now carry that with me in almost all aspects of my life. It’s all just one step at a time.

What I am doing now I don’t expect to fully be doing in a couple years. I want to keep growing, keep experimenting, and keep pushing myself to create and do more for my community, friends, and the world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well this is a bit of a fresh topic as my 18 year old niece just visited LA from Tennessee last week!

For eating I would definitely take them to Pijja Palace in Silverlake as it’s food that I am sure they would have never experienced in their life. Avish and the team there have created something incredible. I love the food, design of the space, and service at this popular spot that is just a couple blocks from my house. Masa in Echo Park is another favorite. Their deep dish pizzas are nothing less than outstanding.

While I didn’t take my niece to any bars since she isn’t of age, these are some of my favorite spots to take friends visiting who want a drink. Gold Line in Highland Park is my favorite bar in LA. Peanut Butter Wolf’s massive personal collection of records are housed in the bar and DJs are only allowed to pull from the shelves when they spin there. I had the pleasure of spinning there a couple years back and it was epic. As someone who travels to Japan frequently and is obsessed with Japanese culture, I love how they took inspiration from Japanese listening bars but gave it their own touch and gave it an approachable and welcoming neighborly feel. Shoutout to my man Darron behind the bar! Another favorite spot to grab a drink is at Button Mash in Echo Park. An awesome barcade with great games and a lively atmosphere. You can find me there trying to get the high score on Tapper or Tron!

As far as activites go… if it’s the summer we are definitely going to try and catch a show at the Hollywood Bowl. It is a staple activity that my wife and I love experiencing. It’s a magical venue steeped with history and it always feels like you are witnessing something special when you walk in those gates. As my Dad has said before “they don’t just let anyone up on that stage!” The stunning Huntington Gardens is also a favorite of mine to soak up some natural beauty while also enjoying the incredible pieces they have on display in the museum. This is LA and we have some top notch museums so I often like to take friends to both the Peterson Auto Museum and The Broad. I am an automotive geek so the Peterson is always entertaining to me but I have found that even people who aren’t into cars get a kick out of it. It’s just so well put together and curated. Besides the fact that the permanent pieces on display at the Broad are world class, it’s also great that the museum is free to enter and easy to jump into.

Last activity is for my friends who are into music and record collecting. My favorite record shop in the city hands down is Record Safari in Los Feliz. Alex and his team do an amazing job of getting in so many great records and their prices are fair and reasonable. Highland Park is a great destination for record shopping these days with Arroyo, On Maritime, and Gimme Gimme all being shops I love to frequent.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout is easy. There is no question that my Dad is my biggest inspiration and my biggest hero. He is a professional drummer and has toured the world playing everything from seedy lounges to sold out stadiums with some of the biggest names in music. I’ve seen his ups and downs living a life as an artist and everything that comes with it. It isn’t always easy and often is incredibly difficult. He actually quit the music business when I was born because of all the hardships like being away from family for extended periods and the not so great influences that are omnipresent on the road. This also includes the financial insecurity that being an artist often entails. At times money is flowing freely and other times… it’s a struggle. Feast or famine! But as he has said before, there is nothing like looking someone dead in the eye when they ask you what you do for a living and you can tell them that you play music. He has provided me with unrelenting support and is my biggest cheerleader. I owe everything to him. Not only in terms of music but also with teaching me how to be a good human being. He is the kindest, most friendly person I have ever met. Thanks for all the sacrifices you’ve made for me and all the love you have given to me Dad!

Website: tenspeedspins.com & giveskate.org

Instagram: @tenspeedspins & @give_skate

Image Credits
Josh Deangelis took the skateboarding photo.