Meet Dreka
“Love is the bridge between you and everything” - Rumi
Choosing happiness over conformity
Leading with love is exactly how Dreka Gates approaches life. Raised in a Southern Baptist family, Dreka said goodbye to the church at the age of 13 against her parents’ wishes. It was a pivotal moment in her young life and paved a path for her own spiritual journey. Her newfound independence, along with an innate instinct to help people, Dreka discovered a talent for building commerce with holistic healing at the forefront. The multi-hyphenate mother, wife and entrepreneur encourages people to reach higher levels of consciousness and awareness by simply BEing better BEings.
Paving a path in the music industry
Dreka first made a mark in the music industry in 2006 managing and developing multi-platinum selling artist and her husband, Kevin Gates. In 2010, the couple created BWA (Bread Winners’ Association). As co-founder and CEO, Dreka led the touring and merchandise departments to multi-million dollar success and expanded the label into a lifestyle brand. In 2022, Dreka retired as Kevin's manager to focus on other business endeavors.
Sharing her passion for wellness
Dreka unearthed a passion for health and found her true calling. Strategically, she’s built an empire of businesses, each with the intention of human betterment through a deeper connection to self. Her wellness line, DREKA, provides products to promote balance of the mind, body, and spirit, through the healing power of nature. Skin and hair care, candles, notebooks and crystals are among the many items consciously created with cleaner and more natural ingredients. With whole body wellness in mind, the collection is committed to being kind to yourself and the earth. DREKA is learning to love.
Integrating cannabis into wellness
“BE bold. BE free. BE you.” is the motto behind BE Cultivation and Provisions - the cannabis and dispensary brand with Dreka as lead partner. One of the few women in a male-dominated industry, Dreka’s grassroots approach has her involved in all processes from growth to sales. She’s even tossed products that didn’t meet their high standards, “It’s a welcomed journey because without the mistakes, we wouldn’t have the drive and motivation to make sure that everything that we do is done with precision and love.”
Dreka has received many cannabis awards including the Hapeville Hemp Festival Chakra award for bringing positivity to the industry, Cannabis Woman of the Year from Qonkur Media, and multiple recognitions in the state of Georgia. She received a proclamation from Fulton County for her cannabis industry contributions, and a resolution from Georgia State House of Representatives District 58 and 60 for many exceptional accomplishments including Dreka’s mission to nurture a positive experience with cannabis.
Educating consumers of the holistic capabilities of various cannabis plants has led to the development of Jungle Healing (CBD) and Jungle Love (THC). The CBD line consists of tinctures, balms, gummies, bath soaks, and pop rocks while the flower/weed is available in the Michigan-based dispensary and wholesale to other storefronts.
Building her cannabis dispensary
Dreka’s vision to bring cannabis care to her homebase in Mississippi has come to fruition. Fully owned by Dreka, Love’s Harvest (opening Spring 2024) is a boutique, medical cannabis dispensary that prioritizes education. Clients will have safe access to the healing power of cannabis and other plant therapies. The sanctuary-like dispensary is truly a magical experience, providing an element of love unheard of in traditional medical facilities. Love’s Harvest is serving love. Furthering human health with every aspect of holistic medicine and earth remedies is Dreka’s life purpose.
Establishing her family farm
She also practices the lifestyle she preaches - on the Gates Family Farm in Mississippi. For her and her family, the blueberry farm is therapeutic, a place to release and refill their bodies with nourishment. Fostering a place of love and retreat, Dreka’s dream is to eventually be fully self-sustainable, producing all food and water for her family and community. Immediate plans for the farm include selling their blueberries and other garden goods like flowering seeds along with a variety of agricultural products, hosting children’s events, and eventually wellness retreats to educate the public. Through her journey, Dreka hopes others will see the extraordinary healing powers of nature, “When you love on the land, the land provides all that you need. She gives you nothing but love in return.” Gates Family Farm is harvesting love.
Her evolution as a doula and love advocate
A healer at heart, Dreka is a certified Birth Doula CD(DONA) and HypnoBirthing® Childbirth Educator, “I want to help women remove their fear surrounding birth. It’s a natural process that our bodies are fully capable of doing.” During her studies, Dreka discovered 1 in 3 people have experienced sexual trauma. Determined to help women and their partners completely heal, she was motivated to become a certified sex and love coach which she is currently working on. Dreka guides people through recovery while encouraging re-connection to their bodies. Through her own life experiences, Dreka believes honoring one’s body allows people to tap into an internal power that can heal old wounds. Sexual energy translates to creative energy, which not only creates babies, but also creates a rewarding life filled with love.
With the belief that the best healers teach others to heal themselves, Dreka has come full circle and created a diverse set of tools necessary for success. This strong, savvy and fierce woman will continue to shape how people approach self care and wants everyone to remember, “In any given situation, always choose love. The result will surprise you. You can tame an enraged lion with love.”
