ABOUT
DR. DINA ANDREWS
Dr. Dina Ruth Andrews
Entertainment Strategist | Global Empowerment Leader
Empowering Women & Girls in Media, Music, Lifestyle, Faith & Public Service
Wisdom-Rooted – Purpose-Driven – Trusted – HistoryMaker in Entertainment
Introduction
Dina Ruth Andrews is a trailblazing American music executive, entrepreneur, ministry leader, and community advocate with a career spanning decades in the entertainment industry. She is the Founder and President of Dina Andrews Management, Inc., and the visionary force behind Ballast Women Enterprises, a new division focused on empowering women and girls globally by producing media that reflects real-life challenges and fosters healing, resilience, and truth.
Her aspirations for philanthropic work are reflected in Ballast Women Enterprises, which seeks to partner with entertainment entities and nonprofits that are empathetic and understanding of how music and art can serve as powerful tools for healing and transformation. The division focuses on addressing real-world issues such as human trafficking and domestic violence, while creating space for underrepresented voices to be seen, heard, and empowered.
Early Career and Influential Management
Dina began her professional journey at SOLAR Records in the late 1970s under the mentorship of legendary music executive Dick Griffey. She honed her expertise behind the scenes in administrative, A&R, copyright protection, production, and international roles, contributing to the success of artists like The Whispers, Shalamar, Lakeside, Midnight Star, and The Deele (featuring LA Reid & Babyface).
In 1982, she launched Dina Andrews Management, Inc., becoming one of the first African-American women to manage top-tier songwriting and production talent. Most notably, she helped launch the legendary careers of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, securing projects with artists including Klymaxx, The S.O.S. Band, and Cheryl Lynn, and laying the groundwork for their game-changing collaborations with Janet Jackson.
Expanding Into Diverse Collaborations
Andrews' roster extended to industry talents like Derek Bramble, Jon Nettlesbey & Terry Coffey, and Vincent Brantley. She also worked with small boutique companies such as PT Entertainment (owned by recording artist Pebbles), serving as General Manager for girl group TLC, and Cole Classic Management, which represented artists like Atlantic Starr, Paul Jackson, Jr., Surface/Pic Conley, Mac Band, and Sue Ann.
In addition to working with nearly every major record label—including CBS/Sony, Capitol, EMI, Atlantic, Arista, and MCA—she also secured direct production deals with Capitol Records and Tabu Records/CBS, helping to shape the R&B and pop landscape through strategic partnerships and powerful dealmaking.
Contributions to Gospel and Faith-Based Music
In the 1990s, Dina expanded her leadership into gospel music, managing faith-based and gospel artists such as Leon Patillo, Percy Bady, and Virtue. She successfully negotiated production deals for her clients to work with iconic artists like Yolanda Adams, Hezekiah Walker, Smokie Norful, Bishop Paul Morton, and Marvin Sapp, among others.
She also served as a consultant to churches nationwide in building Christian entertainment entities, including her work with New Covenant Christian Church (now Jubilee) in Boston, where she helped establish Axiom Entertainment, the church’s in-house record label. Today, the ministry's musical voice is led by Worship Leader Phil Thompson, known globally for his inspiring worship anthems.
In 2019, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Theology from New Dimension Bible University in recognition of her impactful work in ministry and her unwavering dedication to combining faith and leadership.
Community Advocacy and Political Involvement
Today, Andrews is also a respected public servant and advocate, serving as a former City Council staffer and currently as a Neighborhood Empowerment Advocate for the City of Los Angeles, where she supports communities throughout greater Los Angeles. In this role, she promotes initiatives that advance the voice and desires of the people in each respective community she works with, in a non-partisan capacity.
Her goal is to ensure constituents and stakeholders are heard on vital issues such as public safety, homelessness, public works, planning and land use, youth empowerment, and civic engagement. She bridges her transferable skills in arts and entertainment with meaningful policy work, advocating for real solutions that reflect the needs of the community.
Literary Contributions and Media Presence
Dina is also a published contributor, sharing her professional insights and personal journey in books such as the Women of Color Devotional Bible and Music Powers That Be. Her writing reflects a dedication to transparency, mentorship, and purpose-driven storytelling, especially for women and BIPOC professionals aspiring to enter the industry.
Andrews can also be seen in the acclaimed Netflix documentary The Black Godfather and the TVOne special Unsung: SOLAR Records/Dick Griffey, where her pioneering contributions to the music industry are further recognized.
Ballast Women Global: A Mission to Empower
Through Ballast Women Enterprises, Andrews now leads a global effort to amplify the voices and experiences of women and girls, producing media content that is rich in truth, faith, and transformation. The company serves as both a creative and philanthropic hub, partnering with mission-aligned organizations to inspire systemic change.
As a single, middle-aged Black woman and seasoned executive, Andrews brings lived wisdom and unshakeable faith to her work, advocating for others to rise in purpose and power—especially across the global diaspora from America to Africa.
Recognition and Ongoing Impact
A recognized HistoryMaker in Entertainment by The HistoryMakers, Andrews remains a respected voice across industries. She is a voting member of the Recording Academy (NARAS) and continues to work at the intersection of entertainment, ministry, and social justice—shaping culture and building legacies that endure.
Qualifications and Certificates
BS in Organizational Leadership
Honorary Doctorate Degree in Theology
Certificate from LAAAWPPI (Los Angeles African-American Women's Public Policy Institute).
Certificate of completion from AABLI (African-American Board Leadership Institute).
Completion of LACI Founders Business Incubator
BRANDS
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Solar Records/Dick Griffey Productions is the trajectory for Ms. Andrews career path, and even some of her unbelievable personal life experiences. Ms. Andrews is responsible for making the first 2.5 years of introductions and production deals for clients Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and taking them into her home and providing transportation for them to get back and forth to meetings and the studio when they got kicked out to The Time. She also set up their production company Flyte Tyme Productions that lead to their Clarence Avant and Janet Jackson fame. She managed British songwriter/producer Derek Bramble; Vincent Brantley; and was Associate Manager for Cole Classic Management. She created and executed the Business Plan for start-up Axiom Entertainment owned by Jubilee Christian Center under Bishop Gilbert Thompson with now recording artist “Ashmont Hill.” She was the General Manager for girl group “TLC” under PT Entertainment/Pebbitone, Inc. with hits “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”, and “Baby, Baby, Baby”. She managed and negotiated multiple deals for Mix Engineer Alvin Speights, and her songwriter/producer clients Percy Bady for placements with recording artists Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp, Bishop Paul Morton....Wokie Stewart, and countless others. Ms. Andrews has executive produced several projects, and also worked for Motown Production in television.
RECOGNITION
She has been recognized with several Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum Awards; managed multi-million dollar record/production companies & recording budgets. Managed production on 50+ album projects, and placed over 100 original songs with major record companies, many of which obtained gold (500K), platinum (1million), and/or multi-platinum status.
- History Maker in Music
- BS in Organizational Leadership/Azusa Pacific University
- Honorary Doctorate Degree in Theology
- LAAAWPI Program Graduate
- AABLI (African-American Board Leadership Institute Graduate
PRESENT DAY
Currently Ms. Andrews
Ms. Andrews is dedicated to serving a global community with excellence and purpose. She currently partners with select clients across the United States and Africa and is preparing to expand her work to Dubai and Australia. Based in Los Angeles, California—the second-largest city in the United States—she brings over 10 years of public-sector leadership experience, supporting government teams, neighborhood councils, and community stakeholders across the city.
As an Executive Producer, she is developing her first television series while simultaneously completing multiple books and intellectual properties rooted in the music industry and ministry.
Drawing on decades of leadership, industry expertise, and spiritual grounding, Ms. Andrews is a sought-after inspirational speaker, mentor to youth and young adults, and a trusted consultant across the arts, entertainment, ministry, and public-service sectors. Her journey also includes service as a consultant for the Urban League of Atlanta’s Entrepreneurship Center and as a Job Coach supporting individuals with disabilities.
Committed to writing, teaching, and mentoring women ages 18 to 40, Ms. Andrews uses her knowledge to uplift underserved communities while advancing a wide range of entrepreneurial and philanthropic initiatives around the world.
