When we caught up with Ivy Awino, known to thousands of fans as DJ Poizon Ivy, she was lounging in a fluffy white robe, enjoying a leisurely breakfast in a hotel room in Austin. “I’m taking some time away from the crazy grind to just be,” she said with a long exhale.
And grind she does. Awino was in Austin for two weekend DJing gigs, then heading home to Dallas to host the Mavericks and Golden State Warriors game in front of 20,000 spectators and get back to her main job—mom.
Born in Kenya, Awino moved to Dallas when she was 9 years old. Her lifelong love of music led to her career as a DJ, and in 2016 she became the Dallas Mavericks’ first female team DJ in franchise history. She’s only the second female DJ in the NBA, and the first-ever Black woman.
For six seasons she provided the soundtrack to games at the American Airlines Center. Now she serves as the Mavs’ in-arena host—the face and voice of the team—often with her 10-year-old daughter, Kyani, by her side.
About Ivy Awino
Title DJ, media personality, Dallas Mavs’ in-arena host
Age 32
Lives in Dallas
Hails from Nairobi, Kenya
Children Daughter Kyani, age 10
Alma mater Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She earned a degree in corporate communications
Fun fact “I can actually sing!”
Where to connect @ivyawino on Instagram
Interview with Ivy Awino
DFWChild: Tell us about your background in music and how that led to DJing?
Ivy Awino: As a people and culture, East Africans celebrate life a lot and music has always been an integral part of most things we do. It’s been part of my life as long as I can remember. When I was 5, my grandmother bought me a 12-key baby grand piano and that was my introduction to theory and playing music.
I was in orchestra in middle school and played a lot of instruments. In high school, I explored a lot of music and was in gospel choir. I picked up DJing in college when I had a show for the college radio station. I wanted to integrate music, and I wanted to mix it and talk in between it, so I had to learn how to DJ. The turntables were just another instrument for me to master.
DFWChild: What brought you to the Mavericks?
IA: Basketball is also rooted in my childhood. My uncles were really big NBA fans, so I grew up watching the game. But when I say watching the game, I mean VHS tapes that they brought back from Europe when they traveled.
I became a Dallas Mavericks ball kid when I was 12. I spent 6 years in that building wiping floors, rebounding balls and doing all the various tasks assigned to ball kids until I moved away for college.
After college, I connected with [WNBA star] Skylar Diggins-Smith. She ran a basketball camp and was gracious enough to let me be her tour DJ. I always tell this story because I say my opportunities were given to me by a woman who allowed me to stand on her shoulders. That led to DJing for the Dallas Wings, and then I reached out to the Mavs to see if there were any opportunities to grow there. At the time they did have a DJ but said if anything came up, they’d let me know. And lo and behold that position did open, and I was top of mind.
DFWChild: What does it mean to be a team DJ?
IA: Essentially you are the soundtrack to the game, playing all the sound effects you hear—the defense chants, the beats in the background. I was in charge of all the sonic cues from the time the doors opened to the time you left. From pre-game music to in-game sounds, everything you heard I curated and triggered. It’s huge; if you take away the sonic element from sports, what do you have? Those are the people that make sure you have a lot of fun when you’re at a game.
DFWChild: Does Kyani go to games with you?
IA: She does a lot. She’s grown up in that space and she’s quite the helper. She knows how to get my script and mic me up. It feels good to have an employer that is receptive to me mothering at work. I understand there are some spaces you can’t, but I’m really open to the concept of more places allowing mothers to do that. I don’t see why the two need to be mutually exclusive. I think for some of us, our parents going to work was such a mystery. Work was this place that kids didn’t go. So, I’m really grateful that I can take her and she can see me in action.
“I hope that it is normal for her to pursue her passions no matter what they are, even if they haven’t been done before.”
DFWChild: You’ve shattered so many glass ceilings. What do you hope Kyani takes away from that?
IA: I hope that my life is normal to her. And I hope that her generation will continue to eradicate all these firsts because, don’t get me wrong, they’re an honor, but they’re also an indicator that we’re behind. They’re an indicator that there’s still a lot of work to be done, so I hope she commits to the cause.
I fear that sometimes people impose the parent’s life and story on their children, and I never want her to feel like she has to be me. But I hope sees the passion and dedication that I give, and that it is normal for her to pursue her passions no matter what they are, even if they haven’t been done before. More than anything, I want her to love what she does, because I do.
DFWChild: What’s your parenting philosophy?
IA: I encourage her to respectfully challenge me and tell me how she feels, though obviously time, space and tone are important. I think sometimes as a parent you get frustrated and you’re like ‘just because I said so!’ I try to minimize those moments because I think that’s when you slowly chip and diminish their self-advocacy muscle. You’re teaching them to be complacent and just do as their told.
And I don’t hide her away from my hard days. If she happens to be in the path of a bad day, I bring her in and I say, ‘this is what’s going on. Mommy’s a little frustrated and earlier when I said this or that it wasn’t you, it was me.” I apologize to my kid when I need to. I think that’s the best way to teach accountability.
DFWChild: What’s the best part of being a mom?
IA: It’s the purest form of love one will ever experience; loving something so fiercely and so selflessly. I love how selfless motherhood makes me feel. It’s a true representation of what I think life is about, which is living for others.
Ivy Awino’s Top Picks
The DJs healthy habits, top local spots, and pick for mom-and-me time with daughter, Kyani.
Pre-Game Ritual
I’m naturally a routine-oriented person; a creature of habit. So, I always walk the same trajectory before a Mavs’ game. I say hi to the same people, do all the same things. There’s no crazy ritual, but on a day that I wouldn’t follow my normal habits, something would be wrong.
Always By My Bedside
I’m very much into my holistic wellness journey and always have an essential oil diffuser going. I even have a travel one. They bring me down at night and wake me up in the morning—lavender oil to sleep, peppermint oil and orange oil to wake up. Lately I’m into Aura Cacia oils, which I get at Whole Foods.
Mother-Daughter Date
Kyani and I do everything together, but we especially love our trips to the nail shop. She can’t have colored nail polish for school, so she gets hers buffed and shined. We like MiniLuxe because it’s women-owned and they focus on clean products and services. I love their whole mantra of the “mini moment.”
Sweet Tooth Satisfaction
When you have a kid who’s a picky eater and you find something they like, you stick with it. One of the things I discovered Kyani loves is cheesecake, and Val’s Cheesecakes in Dallas is her spot spot.
Fave Springtime Locale
I love the Dallas Arboretum in the spring. It’s just serenity. It’s a reminder of how the Earth replenishes itself, and it’s sort of symbolic to me. I also love Trinity Groves and the Bishop Arts District, which are really being developed as family spaces. Finding things for kids to do at a reasonable cost is key and I’m grateful that the city of Dallas is putting an effort into creating and curating safe, fun things for families in these areas.
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Top two photos courtesy of Ivy Awino
