“Creativity takes courage”
DOMA reflects the dream and daring of founder and CEO, Seth Watson. Born in New York City, Seth spent his childhood in New York and Florida. At the University of Florida, he helped fund his education with a series of odd (sometimes really odd!) jobs that paid the bills, but also helped Seth learn more about himself and his strengths.
Seth has always been a big thinker who never shies away from the hard work of turning ideas into action. Confronted with a situation he believes can be improved, Seth moves forward with confidence. In that spirit, he once turned a college summer camp job into a professional opportunity by revolutionizing the hiring of counselors. Based on a proposal Seth presented, the camp created a position for him. The approach he pioneered helped the camp solve a longstanding staffing challenge.
During high school and college, Seth worked part time for a special events company. In 2002, he leveraged that experience when he and a partner launched Track Seven Events in Atlanta. It soon became one of the city’s leading event producers, providing concept through execution (lighting, theme, décor, AV, music, set design, etc.) for nearly 400 events per year. After a highly successful 15-year run, Seth sold the business to pursue new ventures.
“I’d rather be someone’s shot of whiskey than everyone’s cup of tea.”
A longtime aficionado of fine whiskey, in 2017 Seth began work on a creative enterprise that would link his event production and operational skills with his passion for the history, chemistry and artistry of making spirits. Seth embarked on a several-year study of distilling, spending time in Kentucky and studying with some of the country’s leading distillers. He assembled a team of industry and legal experts specializing in distilled spirits. In 2018 he identified and acquired the Chamblee property, overcoming significant zoning hurdles, and restrictive laws.
Like the making of a fine whiskey, the path to DOMA was focused and deliberate. Over several years, Seth obtained the required state and federal permits and transformed his vision into a solid business plan that attracted the attention of a number of investors. The concept of an art-inspired distillery and event space in one of the city’s most exciting neighborhoods began to take hold.