Cambridge, Massachusetts, native Kira Domonique fills several roles in the Bloomington community. She is the first Black woman to own a therapeutic horsemanship foundation, CET Posse, in the state of Indiana. She also owns her own production company, Kira D. Productions LLC., and works as an independent spiritual advisor.
“I’ve been an entrepreneur all my life, since I was 10 years old,” Dominique said. “I was selling roses door to door as a kid to buy me and my kid sister lunches and breakfast.”
The goal of Domonique’s work is to encourage healing — both for herself and for others. Her work allows her to express her interests in film, equine therapy and mental health.
Her multi-media production company, Kira D. Productions, collaborates with freelance photographers and filmmakers to capture events and create films. It is currently working on an epic film, “The Truth We Hide From,” that explores the idea of slavery and racism from its beginning 5,000 years ago to today’s resurgence of the civil rights movement, Domonique said.
“It’s a piece that is going to be a time capsule, also educational but also healing,” Domonique said.
Domonique comes from a family of business owners, musicians, actors, singers and athletes. She said she has been a medical corpsman in the Navy, a model, actor, dancer and an artists and repertoire representative.
“Entertainment has always been close to my heart, and expressing myself through art,” Domonique said. “It’s woven in the fabric of my life. That’ll always be an element of what I bring to the table in any way that I present myself.”
Domonique attended film school and after graduating, founded Kira D. Productions. The production company has produced promotional films for businesses and films centered around healing. Domonique met Nathan Bechtold, who runs the Indiana Filmmakers’ Network, through being the interim contact for the Bloomington area.
“I’ve seen some of her past stuff and I know that she’s capable and knows what she’s talking about, so I’m not ever going to dispute that,” Bechtold said.
The two have worked together on the release of several film projects, beginning with a promotional film for Domonique’s horsemanship foundation. Their collaboration has provided Bechtold to become better acquainted with the Bloomington network of filmmakers.
Domonique has also helped run mini-workshops through the Indiana Filmmakers’ Network.
Domonique said she picked up her love of horses from her aunt, who is from Australia. She was later introduced to equine therapy on a family retreat through the military.
“Everywhere that we moved from then on, being a military family together, I always found a home stable,” Dominique said.
She started the CET Posse Horsemanship Foundation after finding out that a stable in Bloomington was at risk of closing down. The foundation was created to help raise funds to donate to the stable. Now, the foundation is hoping to purchase an ambassador horse to train and use for events and a recreational center to host therapeutic events without borrowing one from a stable.
Through the foundation, Domonique offers Safe and Sacred spaces, Zen Zones and wellness events to fundraise for the foundation and offer therapeutic services to the community. Safe and Sacred spaces are events for attendees to destress through events that focus on spiritual, mental and physical wellness, Domonique said. Zen Zones work similarly, but are done in partnership with other local businesses. Her target audience is the Black community, due to the lack of accessible mental health care, and to break the stigma surrounding mental illness within the community.
Domonique said while there is a large deficit in mental health professionals and programs world wide, she feels Indiana has the largest gap between the two.
“In a state where the numbers are already high across the board for every gender and race, then you know the disparities are high within minorities,” Domonique said.
Outside her businesses, Domonique is available for spiritual advising and runs virtual creative think tanks for acquiring skills for running a business — and pajama parties.
“Sometimes I don’t always know what I’m gonna do next, or how I’m gonna do it. But I’m OK with that. I have gotten to a place where I’m in love with the mystery. I appreciate the failures and the triumphs. I don’t see them as the end of the world.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Domonique traveled to Australia.
