ONCE UPON A TIME, Mei Kwok WAS LIKE many RECENT GRADS IN NEW YORK CITY:

HUSTLING TO PAY THE RENT.

What started as bartending to supplement an entry-level fashion PR salary eventually led her behind the turntables and onto some of the most exclusive stages in the city. Now, as co-founder of DUNE Suncare, Kwok is channeling that same relentless work ethic into building a beauty brand with global ambitions. With a major retail launch on the horizon and a wedding in the works, she opens up about trusting her instincts, embracing the hustle, and why she’s determined to prove you don’t have to pick just one dream.

Read about Mei Kwok’s journey in her C&C 100 interview below.

When did you decide you wanted to build your own brand as a DJ instead of going the traditional 9-5 route?

Honestly, it was never really a choice. I was always working. I got my first job at like 14 or 15 years old. That was just how I grew up. Fashion was the dream from the beginning. I grew up in hand-me-downs, and there was something about not being able to have the things I wanted that made me obsessed with that world. Like, I need to be in this. So I went to FIT, got a fashion PR job, which paid $28,000 a year. In New York. In fashion. So yeah, I had to bartend on the side to make ends meet. Kind of ironic in hindsight—I wanted to be in fashion because I couldn't afford the clothes, and then the industry paid me like I still couldn't!

Then eventually I started DJing at the bar I was working at. I wasn't trying to become a DJ. I was just trying to pay rent. And then suddenly... that was the thing. It just blew up and I started DJing at the hottest NY nightlife/fashion/social parties and transitioned into a lot of private and luxury events. It was never a grand plan. It was hustle on top of hustle, and one of those layers ended up becoming my whole career.

We see you as a rising star who has accomplished so much in a short time—what hard work and sacrifices have you made over the last year that really paid off?

Rising star is generous. I feel like I've been grinding for 20+ years… But I'll take it!

The last year specifically? It was everything at once. I was working full time on DUNE Suncare, my co-founded suncare brand - sleep, money, energy, all of it. DJ bookings on top of that, pouring everything back into both businesses simultaneously. Personal time went out the window. The one thing I always come back to is exercise and surfing. That's non-negotiable for me. That's how I reset and get back to my core.

I will say I reached a level of the luxury and celebrity market that I had been working toward for a long time. And when that happened, I understood why the sacrifice was worth it. You don't get in those rooms by accident. You get there because you did the unglamorous work for years before anyone was paying attention.

Going after what you deserve in life takes confidence and guts. What has helped you build trust in your own instincts as more opportunities come your way?

Confidence is something I've had to build deliberately—it didn't come naturally, and I think anyone who says it did isn't being fully honest. A big part of it came from recognizing that my taste is my skill. Your instincts about music, about a room, about what a moment needs, that's not something you can fake or outsource. After 16 years, I started trusting that my eye and my ear are actually my differentiator.

But the deeper work has been personal. Getting closer to who I actually am.. not who either industry wants me to be, that's where real confidence comes from. The instincts get sharper the more you invest in yourself.

What’s been your “I can’t believe this is my life” moment lately?

Honestly? This whole year. I'm about to get married in November to the most incredible person, and we're building our dream wedding together!

When you’re feeling insecure, afraid, or just not up to the task at hand, what gives you strength to push through anyway?

I go back to where I came from. I grew up with nothing, started working at 14, and had to figure it out at every stage. When I'm doubting myself I just think—I've already done harder things than this. That usually shuts the noise up pretty quickly!!

What’s currently on your vision board (literally or mentally)?

I want to do it all! More travel, more stages, more stamps in the passport.. Wink wink. A thriving business (Hint: DUNE has a big retail launch coming that I genuinely cannot talk about yet but trust me, it's happening!!). A happy team, a happy marriage, my animals, and honestly? A big house overlooking the ocean.

Where do you hope to be five years from now?

DUNE as a globally recognized brand, DJ-ing on international stages! I want to be the person who figured out how to do multiple things really well - not pick one.