Luz Maria Mack, a deputy director at a legal services organization, didn’t plan to become a solopreneur, much less a children’s author. But in 2015, when her 3-year-old daughter Chloe asked if she could dye her hair blonde, the question was a heartbreaking revelation.
Chloe is half Dominican, half African American. “Most women [who] want to be blonde [do so] at an older age — at 3, it was just too tender for me,” Mack said. “I wanted to know what was going on that she asked for that.”
That moment became a catalyst. When Mack searched for books that would mirror Chloe’s life, culture, and identity, she came up empty-handed. She discovered that less than 3% of children’s books at the time featured characters of color. And when she began researching media featuring Black and Latino kids, she noticed a glaring problem: The creators of iconic children’s TV shows like “Dora the Explorer” and “Doc McStuffins” weren’t people from the cultures their characters were supposed to represent.
The stories Chloe consumed weren’t coming from authentic voices. So Mack decided to craft those stories herself, starting with family memories. Mack’s first book featured Maria, a little girl with wild curly hair and caramel skin, sitting in a mango tree.
“We don’t have mango trees in the Bronx, and … if we can’t have that, then we show it, because for a lot of us Caribbeans, we’re thinking about that nostalgic moment about our childhood,” Mack said. “And I wanted to bring a little piece of what was nostalgic for me for my child.”
That small act of storytelling ultimately led to Inclusive Arts Media. The company pairs 2D animations, bilingual storytelling, and online interactive games with books, creating an immersive learning experience for children.
Building inclusive arts media
What began as a personal bedtime story project for Chloe quickly evolved into something bigger.
“The more I shared [the story], the more I saw other kids and families relating to it,” Mack says. “They didn’t need to come from a Dominican or African American lens. They came from a wide array of families.”
The story became an educational resource and was featured on PBS. Soon, Mack started getting opportunities to read her books at schools and create curriculum guides and lesson plans. She started adding online games for kids to make the learning more interactive.
“It took a while to perfect that formulation, but what I noticed is that we have a variety of learners in the classroom and there’s no one way to reach them,” Mack said.
The demand for these learning opportunities told Mack it could be a business. In 2017, Mack started Inclusive Arts Media to continue amplifying diverse stories in children’s literature and media.
Overcoming challenges in solopreneurship
Running the business as a solopreneur hasn’t been easy for Mack. From learning how to format books and hire illustrators to managing business finances, she had to develop a wide array of skills on the go.
“The business side really kills you … the paperwork and keeping the business organized is just as important as the creation process,” Mack said.
So is relationship building, she added: “If you don’t know how to conduct yourself in a meeting, you will lose an opportunity to engage an audience.”
Another major challenge? Funding. Setting up a business can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 just for the paperwork, she says. “Some of us from our communities are coming at a deficit, so you have to start small … and define what are the services you’re going to give before you start investing.”
Even so, Mack has persevered, learning to embrace constructive criticism and adapt her pitch to reach wider audiences. A lot of the people that receive her books are not Black and Latino, and she needs to help them identify with her work as well. “We’re trying to teach people that we’re all in community with one another and we can all learn from each other,” she said.
An intergenerational legacy
Mack’s work has received praise from both adults and children for books such as “The Secret of the Plátano,” where they saw the plantain as a symbol of their own roots.
“What brings me joy is when a kid says ‘my gosh, this image reminds me of — and they name a parent or a family member.’” That intergenerational connection also exists in Mack’s collaborations with her kids. Her daughter Chloe wrote and illustrated “A Cheesy Story” at 9 years old, which sold out at her family’s pizzeria.
“It was the silliest story ever,” Mack said, of the superhero slice of pizza. “It was really inspired by things that intrigued her.”
Mack’s son, Tony, inspired by a stuffed animal, co-created the “Santo and Sheepy” series at just 7 years old. She worked with her son on it during the pandemic. It has become especially popular, garnering over 70,000 views on kweliTV, a platform for Black creators. The series follows a Black Dominican boy and his mischievous sheep in the South Bronx, where Mack says children’s stories aren’t typically set.
The series tackles relatable themes like friendship, resilience, and even the struggles of finding a job, as in “Sheepy’s New Job.” Mack says this book is particularly touching because of how her children saw her face similar struggles from one job to the next.
“I found my calling in writing books,” she said. “Everyone loves a hero story, and we’re all our own heroes.”
The larger mission
Mack sees Inclusive Arts Media as more than just a business — it’s a platform to address the systemic literacy gap that disproportionately affects Black and Latino children. For instance, many of these kids in New York City are three to four years behind their grade level in literacy.
Representation is a huge part of getting them excited about reading, she says. If they see themselves in books, they’re more likely to engage.
Mack’s ultimate goal is to expand her platform, partner with the Department of Education, and roll out her stories and games to classrooms nationwide.
“A lot of times it’s hard to afford books in many of our communities — having books is a luxury,” she said. Her resources help bridge this gap.
As Mack looks ahead, she dreams of telling more stories from diverse voices and ensuring that every child feels represented in the books they read.
“Bringing people to be part of the mission and vision is just as important … as making money,” Mack said. “It’s about helping kids see themselves and also learn something from it so they can gain literacy skills.”
Follow on Instagram at @luzmackofficial
Email at luzmmack@gmail.com
Book speaking or author visit requests here.
Mack’s work is also available on her website, luzmack.com, Amazon, and at select local bookstores like Word Up in Washington Heights. Her books and online games are free to access on YouTube.
Epicenter NYC is experimenting with using AI as a way of increasing the ways we are able to help our community. This interview was done by a member of the editorial team. We then used AI to generate a written story. The story was then edited by another member of our editorial team.
