Cat Collins, Rhythmic CHR Brand Manager and Program Director of KYLD-FM and Hot Adult Contemporary KIOI-FM San Francisco Clear Channel Media + Entertainment

Tamara Conniff, Founder, TheComet.com

Russ Crupnick, Senior Vice President, Industry Analysis, NPD

Chuck D Founder, Public Enemy, Entrepreneur, Advocate

Ebro Darden, Program Director for WQHT Hot 97 New York, Emmis Communications

Axel Dauchez, CEO, Deezer

David J. Del Beccaro, President, CEO & Founder, Music Choice

Josh Deutsch, CEO & Chairman, Downtown Records

Marty Diamond, Head of East Coast Music, Paradigm

Skip Dillard, Operations Manager WBLS/WLIB New York, Inner City Broadcasting Corporation

Michael Doernberg, CEO & Founder, ReverbNation

Spencer Drate & Judith Salavetz, Author, “Five Hundred 45s: A Graphic History of the Seven-Inch Record”

Mathieu Drouin, Co-Founder, Crystal Math Management

Luke Ebbin, Producer & Songwriter

Peter Edge, President & CEO, RCA Records

Ron Fair, Ron Fair Music/Irving Azoff/Frontline Management

William Feinstein, President & Co-Owner, Planet Honda in Union, NJ

Jason Flom, President, Lava Records

Jay Frank, Founder & CEO, DigSin

Josh Friedlander, VP Strategic Data Analysis, Recording Industry Association of America

Andy Gadiel, CEO & Founder, Jambase

Rick Gillette, Program Director, WXRK-FM (92.3 Now) New York, CBS Radio

Rick Goetz, Owner, Musiciancoaching.com & Music Consultant

Eyal Goldwerger, CEO, TargetSpot

David Goodman, CBS Interactive Music Group, CBS Radio

Steve Gottlieb, Founder & CEO, Shindig

Tyler Gray, Editorial Director, Fast Company

Michael Green, Founder, The Collective

Steve Greenberg, Founder/CEO, S-Curve Records

Benjy Grinberg, President, Rostrum Music

Brett Gurewitz, Founder & CEO, Epitaph Records

Noah Guthrie, Singer/Songwriter

Robin Hall, SVP Macy’s Parade & Entertainment Group

Kurt Hanson, AccuRadio, CEO

Brad Hardin, SVP of Programming and Rock and Alternative Brand Manager, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment

Rusty Hodge, Founder & General Manager, SomaFM.com

Bruce Houghton, Owner, Hypebot

Laurent Hubert, President, Creative and Marketing-North America, BMG Chrysalis

Angela Hunte, Songwriter

Michael J. Huppe, President, SoundExchange

Doug Hutcheson, CEO & President, Cricket Communications

Ariel Hyatt, CEO & Founder Ariel Publicity

Jon Irwin, CEO, Rhapsody

John Ivey, SVP of Programming CHR Brand Manager and Program Director KIIS-FM and KHHT-FM Los Angeles, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment

Tom Jackson, Owner, Tom Jackson Productions, On Stage Success

Wyclef Jean, Singer/Songwriter/Producer/Entrepreneur

Eric Johnson, Executive Producer of Music & Creative Integration, DDB Chicago

Kyambo “Hip Hop” Joshua, CEO, Hip Hop Since 1978

David Kahne, Producer, Composer, Arranger & Engineer

Justin Kalifowitz, President, Downtown Music Publishing & Co-Founder, President / Songtrust

Craig Kallman, Chairman and CEO, Atlantic Records Group

Chris Kaskie, Pitchfork, President

Mark Kates, Founder, Fenway Recordings

Claude Kelly, Songwriter

Adam Klein, President & CEO, eMusic

Dennis Kooker, President, Global Digital Business and US Sales, Sony Music Entertainment

Allen Kovac, CEO, Tenth Street Entertainment / The Eleven Seven Music Group

Kristopher Krajewski, President & Owner, Bond Music Group

Steven Kritzman, Senior Vice President Advertising Sales, Pandora

Dan Kruchkow, Head of Marketing/Digital Strategy, Crush Management

Michael Kurtz, Co-founder, Record Store Day

Liz Leahy, CEO & Founder, Section 101

Vivien Lewit, Director of Content Partnerships, YouTube

Chris Lighty, CEO, Violator Management

Avery Lipman, Co-President & COO, Republic Records

Monte Lipman, Chairman & CEO, Republic Records

Linda Lorence Critelli, Writer/Publisher Relations, SESAC

Dave Lory, Executive Director & Producer, New Music Seminar & Founder/President, DJL Artist Services

Rico Love, Producer

Bob Ludwig, Mastering Engineer & President, Gateway Mastering

Jacob Luttrell, Songwriter

Chris MacDonald, Founder & CEO, HugeFan

Ammar Malik, Songwriter

Joie Manda, President, Def Jam Recordings

Billy Mann, Songwriter, Producer, Music Executive

Stephen Marcone Ed.D, Professor of Music, Director, Music and Entertainment Management Programs, William Paterson University

Jodi Marr, Songwriter/Producer

Hartwig Masuch, CEO, BMG Rights Management

Doc McGhee, CEO, McGhee Entertainment

Gregory Mead, Co-Founder, Musicmetric

Lawrence Mestel, Partner & CEO, Primary Wave Music Publishing

Rob Miller, Mainstream AC Format Brand Coordinator and Program Director of WKTU-FM New York, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment

Martin Mills, Founder & Chairman, Beggars Group

Julien Mitelberg, CEO, Bandsintown & COO and co-founder of Cellfish

Patrick Moxey, President / CEO / Owner Ultra Music

Christopher Muratore, VP Merchant Services and Emerging Growth, Neilsen Entertainment

Vickie Nauman, President, 7digital North America

Dominic Pandiscia, Executive Vice President Commercial and Revenue Development, EMI Music North America

Sean O’Connell, Founder & CEO, Creative Allies

Sean Parker, Executive General Partner, Founders Fund

Matthew Perpetua, Founder, Fluxblog

Philippe Perreaux, CEO, rightclearing

Julie Perry, VP, Social Media Director, BLASTmedia

Daniel Petruzzi, President, Okayplayer

Julie Pilat, Program Director, KYSR and Musical Director of KIIS Los Angeles, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment

Bob Pittman, CEO, Clear Channel

Ash Pournouri, Artist Manager & Executive Producer, At Night Management

Tommy Ramone, Artist

Adam Ritholtz, Founding Partner, Ritholz Levy Sanders Chidekel & Fields LLP

Ian Rogers, CEO & Founder, Top Spin Media

Carl J. Rohling, Esq, TuneIn Radio, Vice President, Sales & Business Development

Dave Rosner, Executive Vice President, Director, Innovations, Initiative U.S

Sean Ross, Executive Editor, Music & Programming, Radio-Info.com, in3media, inc.

Steve Savoca, Head of Content, Spotify

Gerrit Schumann, CEO, Simfy

Nikhil Seetharam, Songwriter

Dave Shapiro, Agent, The Agency Group

J Sider, CEO, RootMusic

Tom Silverman, Executive Director, New Music Seminar and Founder/President, Tommy Boy Entertainment

Ralph Simon, CEO & Founder, Mobilium Global and Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Mobile Entertainment Forum America

Yancey Strickler, Co-founder, Kickstarter

Richard Stumpf, President, Imagem Music

John Sykes, President, Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises

Robin Taylor, Owner, Inland Empire

Kristin Thomson, Co-Director, Artist Revenue Streams Project

Mike Tompkins, Artist

Ritu Trivedi, Senior Vice President, Director of Digital Strategy & Partnerships, MediaVest USA

Bob Tulipan, Author, “Rockin in the New World”

Amaechi Uzoigwe, Head of Content & Business Affairs, Official.fm

Darius Van Arman, Founder, Jagjaguwar and Co-Owner, Dead Oceans, Secretly Canadian, SC Distribution & Fort William Artist Management

Jon Vanhala, SVP Digital & New Business, Island Def Jam Motown / Universal Republic – Universal Music Group

Tony van Veen, CEO Disc Makers/CD Baby

Sandy Vee, Songwriter & Producer

Tanzina Vega, Reporter, The New York Times

Michèle Vice-Maslin, Producer & Songwriter

Anthony Volodkin, CEO, Hypemachine

Jordan Walker, US Label & Artist Relations, Spotify

Andy Wallace, Producer Mixer, Andy Wallace Productions

Tyler Ward, Artist & Owner Tyler Ward Music, Records & Studios

Jeremy Welt, Head of Marketing, Maker Studios

Bill Werde, Editorial Director, Billboard

Ryan West, Mixing Recording Engineer

Tim Westergren, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Pandora

Alex White, Co-Founder & CEO, Next Big Sound

Buck Williams, Owner, PGA

Andrew WK, Artist

Ian Wolfson, Owner Rex Arrow Films

Doc Wynter, Urban Brand Manager and VP of Urban Programming, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment

Matthew Adell
CEO
Beatport
Starting as a teen-ager working in a record store in suburban Chicago, Matthew Adell now has more than 25 years experience in music. Prior to joining Beatport as CEO, he was VP of Music Services at Napster and at MusicNow.com, along with senior positions at Amazon and Motorola’s Radiowave.com. Before his career in digital music, Adell was VP of Wax Trax! Records, where he signed The KLF, KMFDM and others. He later started Organico, his own house music label and original home to Derrick Carter and Dubtribe Sound System.

Hoodie Allen
Rapper/Singer-Songwriter
www.HoodieAllen.com
After his 2010 summertime single “You Are Not A Robot” reached No. 1 on Hypem and No. 2 on Billboard’s Uncharted Territory, it was clear rapper Hoodie Allen was onto something. In 2010, he dropped “Pep Rally,” which fostered more than 300,000 downloads, and went on to tour nationwide. Mix tape “Leap Year” followed, which prompted a sold-out 25-city U.S. headlining tour for Hoodie Allen. His subsequent self-released “All American” EP in April features two hit singles, “No Interruption” and “No Faith In Brooklyn,” and hit No. 1 on iTunes by 7 a.m. the morning of its release, while launching at No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard 200, No. 16 in Canada and No. 64 in the U.K.—all without the backing of a record label. Single “No Interruption,” meanwhile, garnered 1 million views in its first 10 days on YouTube, and has now totaled more than 2 million views.

Mike Agovino
COO
Triton Media
Mike Agovino co-founded Triton in 2006, following more than 20 years of executive-level experience in the radio industry. Previously, he was COO of Clear Channel Radio Sales; and spent 18 years at Katz Media, rising to President of Katz Radio and Katz Interactive. Agovino has operated at the intersection of radio and new media for more than a decade and is a recognized leader in the industry for sales and marketing expertise in on-air/online integration.

Ime Archibong
Business Development and Strategic Partnerships Manager
Facebook
Ime Archibong is a business development and strategic partnerships manager at Facebook, who oversees Facebook’s platform relationships with global music and video companies, like Spotify, iHeartRadio and VEVO. Prior to joining Facebook, he was an Advanced Technology Business Development professional at IBM. Archibong started his career there as a software engineer before shifting to corporate strategy, and eventually settling in business development. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Yale University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Peter Asher
Musician & Producer
Renowned industry veteran Peter Asher began in the music business in 1964, as one half of hit-making duo Peter & Gordon, which amassed nine top 20 records. In 1968, he became head of A&R for the Beatles’ record company, Apple Records, where he found, signed and produced James Taylor. Three years later, Asher launched Peter Asher Management, representing James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Randy Newman and more. In all, he has produced 12 Grammy-winning recordings, and in 1977 and 1989 won the Grammy for Producer of the Year. He also served as Vice President of Sony Music for eight years and remains active as an independent producer and consultant for Songmasters, Dreamworks, Walt Disney, Hans Zimmer, The Academy Awards and many more. Asher is a member of Mensa and SAG, the AFM and AFTRA, and was recently elected as a trustee for the L.A. Chapter of the Recording Academy.

Martin Atkins
Author
“Tour:Smart”
CEO
Invisible Records
In his more than three decades in the music business, Martin Atkins spans genres, borders and industries. He was a member of Public Image Ltd and Killing Joke; founded industrial supergroup Pigface, The Damage Manual and Murder Inc.; has contributed to Nine Inch Nails and Ministry; and is the owner of Invisible Records and Mattress Factory Recording Studios (established in 1988). His 2007 book “Tour:Smart” is a distillation of 30 years in the music business, containing insight into his methods, as well as a candid discussion of mistakes and failures, routing strategies, strategies to sustain, sponsorships, geography, guerrilla marketing and entrepreneurial activity in the music industry. In addition, Atkins is a producer, drummer, documentary filmmaker and DJ.

Moses Avalon
Producer, Engineer & Author
Moses Avalon
Moses Avalon began his career as a New York recording engineer for several Grammy-winning recording artists. Today he is a court-recognized music business expert and author of five industry references, including “Confessions Of A Record Producer,” which is recommended reading in 50+ schools, including UCLA, USC, Loyola and NYU. He has also acted in an advisory capacity to the Senate Judiciary Committee (California) in its investigations of the music business. His blog Moses Supposes reaches 50,000+ readers via syndication. He has appeared on Court TV, MSNBC, CNN Money Line, Bill O’Reilly and other national TV shows.

Reggie Barriero
Founder of The Artist Brand
The Artist Brand
Reggie Barriero is a managing partner and founder of The Artist Brand. His marketing experience in the entertainment industry—including campaigns for the likes of Ludacris, Jay-Z, Britney Spears and Little Wayne—has led him to pioneer new solutions for artist branding within the music business. Barriero is a strong believer in the power of the brand, and his skills help each artist in communicating, organizing and prioritizing brand-building strategies to create exponential financial growth and brand longevity.

Eric Bazilian
Songwriter & Artist
As a founding member of Philadelphia’s Hooters, Eric Bazilian co-wrote, sang and played a plethora of instruments on a string of albums that enjoyed both critical and commercial success throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He is perhaps best known as the writer of Joan Osborne’s provocative “One of Us,” as well as a principal instrumentalist and arranger of Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 album “She’s So Unusual.” Bazilian has also collaborated with a long list of musical notables across many genres, including Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Patty Smyth, Ricky Martin, Robbie Williams, Jonatha Brooke, Desmond Child and Willie Nile. He received a Latin Grammy Nomination in 2011 for Ricky Martin’s “Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tu” (“The Best Thing About Me Is You”). Bazilian is currently preparing for the release of an album in partnership with Mats Wester, a legendary figure in the world of Swedish folk rock.

Boche Billions
President
The Billions Corporation
David Viecelli (a.k.a. Boche Billions) founded independent booking agency The Billions Corp. in Chicago in 1989. Relying upon the American stereotype of Canadians as polite and neighborly for cover, the cantankerous and curmudgeonly Viecelli aggressively built a minuscule company into a tiny one over the course of two decades. Among those he has snared are The Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Bon Iver, Death Cab For Cutie, Vampire Weekend, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Neko Case, The Swell Season, Sufjan Stevens and Fleet Foxes. As well, he founded the Billions Australia agency partnership in 1999, and Lever and Beam, a New York-based artist management partnership in 2009.

Benny Blanco
Producer
Benjamin Levin, better known as Benny Blanco, is a 24-year-old songwriter and producer based in New York. He first received acclaim producing a collaborative EP with Spank Rock, and has now worked with such artists as Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Bruno Mars, 3OH3!, Flo Rida, and Trey Songz. Recently, Blanco produced the Maroon 5 single “Payphone,” and co-produced the upcoming Wiz Khalifa single “Work Hard” with Stargate.

Just Blaze
Producer, DJ & Songwriter
Multiple Grammy nominee Justin “Just Blaze” Smith has been producing for the likes of Jay-Z, Eminem, Mariah Carey, Drake and a long list of artists for the past 14 years. He also serves as host of BET’s “Master of the Mix” DJ competition/reality TV show. Music-minded and community-driven, Blaze has also donated countless hours to mentoring young people from all walks of life in the pursuit of achieving their goals.

Steve Boom
VP, Digital Music
Amazon
Steve Boom is an Internet and mobile industry veteran with 15+ years of experience in building global businesses and teams. Specialties include product management, engineering, sales, business development, marketing and operations. He joined Amazon in January 2012 as VP of Digital Music, after serving as President of computer software firm Loopt. Previous positions have also included Chairman of entertainment industry company mig33 and notably, senior management positions at Yahoo! Inc., from 1998 to 2008. There, Boom had global responsibility for its mobile business, and launched such award-winning mobile products as Yahoo! Go and oneSearch with Voice, which established Yahoo! as an early leader in mobile Internet. He is also a corporate attorney, where he worked on business development for Internet and software start-ups.

Hank Bordowitz
Author
“Dirty Little Secrets of the Record Business”
With 30 years in the music business, Hank Bordowitz has worked as a radio and recording studio engineer, producer, musician, record retailer and distributor, recording artist, trade journalist, record promoter, publicist, A&R consultant, radio programmer, director at an early online music company, and editor of many music publications, including Creem Special Issues, Sheet Music Magazine and Rock Scene. His work has appeared in 100+ magazines, and in the liner notes of dozens of CDs, including the reissue of “Blood Sweat and Tears 2.” Bordowitz has taught music and music business at numerous colleges and universities, and written nine critically acclaimed books, including “Bad Moon Rising, The Unauthorized History of Creedence Clearwater Revival,” “Dirty Little Secrets of the Record Business: Why So Much Music You Hear Sucks” and “Every Little Thing Gonna Be Alright: The Bob Marley Reader.”

Bassy Bob Brockmann
Producer / Founder
MUZAPPS
“Bassy” Bob Brockmann is a veteran of the “bizz” and has mixed 2,000+ singles, while his works have sold in excess of 100 million units worldwide. His work is recognizable for a “naturalistic” approach to mixing, where the lead vocal is king. Bassy has overseen records for Christina Aguilera, Biggie Smalls, Diddy, Babyface, Brian McKnight, Herbie Hancock, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, the Fugees, Santana, TLC and Sting. He is currently building an online and mobile network that will feature documentary format music shows and other content. In addition, he launched an iPhone web-app company called MUZAPPS and new Asian Soft power venture I Am Mongolia.

Heidi Browning
Senior Vice President of Strategic Solutions
Pandora
Heidi Browning serves as Senior Vice President of Strategic Solutions for Pandora, bringing more than two decades experience to her team with a 360-degree view of client, agency and media-owner perspectives. Browning oversees the advertising strategic solutions department, which supports the company’s sales organization through ad products, research and sales marketing. Her team also focuses on programs that connect bands, brands and fans. She previously served as EVP and Global Digital Officer for Universal McCann, where Browning launched Rally@UM, its dedicated social media unit; and as SVP of Client Solutions for Fox InteractiveMedia.

Stephen Bryan
Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy & Business Development, Recorded Music
Warner Music Group
As Executive Vice President for Digital Strategy & Business Development for Recorded Music at Warner Music Group, Stephen Bryan is responsible for overseeing WMG’s worldwide digital strategy, forging new business models and building strategic relationships with emerging and established players. The seasoned executive joined WMG in 1997 and has been at the forefront of each iteration of the industry’s digital evolution. Bryan’s career also includes involvement in such landmark deals as YouTube’s first agreement with a music major, licenses for its first subscription services and innovative distribution partnerships with ISPs. He holds an MBA degree from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

Zena Burns
VP Digital Programming Platforms
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
As Vice President of Digital Programming Platforms for Clear Channel Media + Entertainment, Zena Burns oversees national digital programming content and social content integration, including editorial, artist interviews, syndicated features, artist integration programs and exclusive iHeartRadio Music Festival content. Since 2006, she served Clear Channel Radio New York as Online Program Director, responsible for content, social and digital development for CHR WHTZ, classic rock WAXQ, rhythmic WKTU, AC WLTW and urban WWPR. Prior to joining CC, Burns was Entertainment Director for Teen People and Managing Editor of TeenPeople.com at Time Inc. She is based in New York.

Susan Butler
Executive Editor
Music Confidential
Susan Butler is Executive Editor and Publisher of Music Confidential, referred to by many CEOs and government officials as “the most influential commentator on music matters in our industry” and “a vital source of information, which is fast becoming ‘the’ point of reference.” The weekly reports are written primarily for senior executives and government officials/advisors, and focus on business and pricing models, licensing issues, legal challenges and government activities related to intellectual property. Launched in 2008, Music Confidential has paid subscribers in 32 countries. Butler formerly practiced law internationally in the entertainment/tech industries for 25 years and was a reporter, writer and columnist at Billboard magazine.
Jim Cady
CEO
Slacker
As President & CEO of Slacker, Jim Cady has been instrumental in driving its team internally and securing numerous core strategic relationships. The majority of his career was spent as President of Rio Digital Audio, a digital music industry pioneering company whose pivotal technology has been recognized among the 100 Most Important Developments by the Consumer Electronics Association. While at Rio, Cady grew sales from zero to $150+ million in a three-year period. His honors include a Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America and more than 150 Best Product Awards globally.
Charles Caldas
CEO
Merlin
With extensive experience in the music and digital media industries, Charles Caldas launched Merlin in 2007. Representing a commercially significant collective of music rights outside those held by major labels, Merlin’s mandate is to help its member companies ensure that they are equipped to compete in the ever-changing world of emerging technology and distribution in the healthiest, fairest and strongest manner possible. He believes the creation of Merlin presents a significantly efficient solution for both its members and the services that utilize the company’s wares.
Bryan Calhoun
VP, New Media & External Affairs
SoundExchange
As VP of New Media and External Affairs for SoundExchange, Bryan Calhoun has been instrumental in reaching out to artists and rights holders, and enhancing and strengthening the company’s role in the music business community. Calhoun was once a DJ for the University of Georgia’s radio station, and already active in the music business upon graduation. He went on to found a concert production company, producing hip-hop shows in the early ‘90s with Cypress Hill, Tupac, Digable Planets and many others; before moving into street promotion and retail marketing. In 2003, he founded Label Management Systems, which created business tools for indie labels and artists. He has consulted on new media issues for Kanye West, Ludacris and others, including working closely with management company Hip Hop since 1978 (Kanye West, Lil’ Wayne, Drake and Young Jeezy).
Christina Calio
Relationships & Strategy Business Development
Microsoft
Christina Calio is Director of Strategic Relationships and Business Strategy for the Media and Entertainment Group, Xbox, at industry giant Microsoft. She has been a key participant in the company’s music and entertainment initiatives since joining in 2000, responsible for business development and industry relations for Xbox, Windows Phone, Zune, MSN and the Windows Media Division. Calio’s music industry experience began with a decade of sales and marketing experience at Geffen Records in Los Angeles, where she worked on releases for the Geffen, Almo, DGC, Dreamworks and Outpost imprints for such artists as Beck, Nirvana, Guns ‘N Roses, and Aerosmith. She lives in the Seattle area.
Ben Campbell
CEO
OurStage
A graduate of the Harvard Business School, Ben Campbell spent seven years founding, building and then selling European operations for UNIFI Communications, a $50 million data communications operator. Next, he was COO of Mentor Technologies, an online eLearning partner of Cisco Systems; and CEO of BTS Partners, a venture-backed, network infrastructure services firm. In 2007, noticing the lack of effective sorting technology in the emerging digital world, Campbell combined his business experience with his love of music and assembled a team of top engineers, web experts and music industry professionals—and OurStage.com was born. Now, his brainchild delivers new music from independent artists to more than 4 million monthly visitors from 170+ countries, while providing more than 160,000 artists with development tools and gig and licensing opportunities.
Cameo Carlson
Head of Digital Business Development
Borman Entertainment
Cameo Carlson, Head of Digital Business Development for Borman Entertainment, has been at the forefront of the digital music revolution from its early stages. From terrestrial radio and online radio to digital and mobile commerce, she has remained a step ahead of the industry throughout her career. Carlson’s roles have included mobile, online and digital sales, product development and marketing for such artists as Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Amy Winehouse, Lil Wayne and Jack Johnson, as Executive VP of Universal Motown Republic Group; editorial and label relations manager for iTunes; and alternative and rock programmer for Spinner.com and Radio@AOL.
Jed Carlson
President
ReverbNation
In his role as President, Jed Carlson has charted ReverbNation’s course to quickly become the music marketing destination for over 2.2 million independent musicians. Every day, users turn to Reverb to manage their social presence and connect with fans. Carlson’s creative and systemic use of social tools for both ReverbNation and its artists has separated the company from its competitors.
Carlson was a successful entrepreneur in Minneapolis before earning his MBA from Duke University, focusing on technology and marketing. Past ventures include The Carlson Print Group, a commercial printing and packaging company, and SmartPrint, a division of AmericDisc Inc, that enabled “on-demand” CD manufacturing — drastically reducing costs for independent record labels.
Jed is an active angel investor and advisor to entrepreneurial companies in North Carolina including Shoeboxed and Rozuku.
David Chesky
Co-Founder & CEO
HDtracks
David Chesky is Co-Founder and CEO of HDtracks.com, known as a global leader in the advancement of technological research for high-resolution recording techniques. Chesky was the first to create 128X over sampled CDs, the first to do 96/24 DVD audio and one of the pioneers of SACD. He is currently creating the new 3D audio format. Chesky has also produced hundreds of classical and jazz albums for such artists as Peggy Lee, Astor Piazzolla, John Pizzarelli, Chuck Mangione, The Royal Philharmonic and classical pianist Earl Wild. He is a three-time Grammy nominee and a composer-in-residence for the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan. His operas, ballets and orchestral works have been performed around the world.
Desmond Child
Songwriter, Producer & Artist
Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Desmond Child is one of music’s most accomplished hit-makers, with more than 70 writing and production top 40 singles credits and 300 million albums sold worldwide. Among too many to count, Child’s collaborations include Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer,” Aerosmith’s “Dude Looks Like A Lady,” Carrie Underwood’s “Inside Your Heaven,” Garth Brooks & Tricia Yearwood’s “Where Your Road Leads,” Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” Katy Perry’s “Waking Up In Vegas,” KISS’ “I Was Made For Lovin’ You,” Kelly Clarkson’s “Before Your Love,” Blackhawk’s “Hole In My Heart,” Cher’s “Just Like Jesse James,” Alice Cooper’s “Poison” and Faith Hill’s “Theme Song for NBC Sunday Night Football.” In 2008, Child was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
Jonathan Clarke
On Air Personality
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
Jonathan Clarke joined New York’s classic rock WAXQ (Q104.3) as an on-air personality in 1997. He has been at the mic in every time slot at Q104.3 and currently holds down weekends and fills in as a regular jock. In addition, Clarke is host and Executive Producer for “Out of the Box,” where every Sunday night, he serves up deep cuts from new CDs by classic artists, rock songs from up-and-coming acts, as well as established rock bands and music from the garages of undiscovered artists. The show has been No. 1 in its time slot for more than a decade. Clarke is also on the air at New York’s No. 1-ranked AC WLTW (Lite-FM).
Lyor Cohen
Chairman & CEO, Recorded Music
Warner Music Group
Lyor Cohen oversees Warner Music Group’s worldwide recorded music activities, which include label groups Atlantic Records and Warner Bros.; sales, marketing and retail distribution company WEA; WMG’s catalog marketing arm; and its artist services units. Since his arrival in 2004, Cohen has led WMG Recorded Music’s digital transition, growing it from the fourth- to the third-largest record company in the world, with the No.1 label in the U.S. four times in the last seven years. WMG’s roster includes Bruno Mars, CeeLo Green, The Black Keys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Neil Young, Michael Bublé, Kid Rock, Flo Rida and Josh Groban. Previously, Cohen was head of Island Def Jam, where he led nine label imprints, including Def Jam, Island, Lost Highway and Def Soul Classics. He has also led day-to-day operations for Rush Management; and served as a promoter in Los Angeles, where he was one of the first to book such acts as Fishbone, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Run DMC.
Ted Cohen
Managing Partner
Tag Strategic
Integrating widespread digital authority in music, mobile, IPTV and product & service development, Ted Cohen is the Founder of TAG Strategic, a digital entertainment consulting firm that advises multinational companies and emerging businesses, including Coca-Cola, Verizon and Qualcomm. In his previous role with EMI Music, Cohen led next-generation digital business development worldwide for the record company, including digital downloads and online music subscriptions, custom compilations, wireless services, high-definition audio and Internet radio. Previous management positions Network Inc., DMN Consulting, Warner Bros. Records and Philips Media. He was also instrumental in crafting licensing agreements upon which the Rhapsody subscription service and iTunes Music Store were built. Cohen’s career began on the road touring with the likes of Alice Cooper, Van Halen, Sex Pistols and Prince.
Cat Collins
Rhythmic CHR Brand Manager and Program Director of KYLD-FM and Hot Adult Contemporary KIOI-FM San Francisco
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
As Brand Manager for Clear Channel Media + Entertainment’s Rhythmic CHR stations, Cat Collins is CC’s in-house Rhythmic expert and programs the format’s channels for Premium Choice Network, which imports and exports programming from region to region, market to market and station to station, to provide the highest quality research, talent and programming. Collins also serves as Program Director for Rhythmic CHR KYLD (Wild 94.9) and Hot AC KIOI (Star 101.3), in San Francisco. Collins began his career on-air in San Jose and Rochester, N.Y., and joined CC as Music Director and Assistant Program Director at WJMN Boston, one of the nation’s first major market hip-hop stations. He then served as PD for KQKS Denver for more than 10 years. The San Francisco native currently again lives in the Bay area.
Tamara Conniff
Founder
TheComet.com
Tamara Conniff is a music expert, entrepreneur and industry commentator. She is Founder of TheComet.com and co-hosts and exec produces the livestream music show “The Weekly Comet.” Previously, she was President of Music Services for Frontline Management Group/Ticketmaster, where she oversaw all non-management areas, included VIP ticketing, branding, digital and sponsorships for multi-platinum artists. Conniff notably launched the first-ever artist branded Internet radio stations in partnership with Clear Channel Radio. She was previously Editorial Director & Associate Publisher for Billboard, and named one of Crain’s New York Business 40 Under 40. She also appeared as a judge on MTV’s “P. Diddy’s Starmaker.”
Chuck D
Founder
Public Enemy
Entrepreneur, Advocate
As founder of Public Enemy, Chuck D is a renowned figure in hip-hop culture, as well as an acclaimed man with a message. Born in Long Island, his parents were both political activists, and he turned down an architecture scholarship to study graphic design at Adelphi University. While there, he created promotional flyers for hip-hop events and co-hosted a hip-hop mix show on the campus radio station with two future Public Enemy cohorts, Bill Stephney and Hank Shocklee. Under the moniker Chuckie D, he rapped on Shocklee’s demo recording, “Public Enemy No. 1,” which caught the interest of Rick Rubin at Def Jam. Chuck D soon assembled Public Enemy, which released four signature albums by 1991. In addition, he has released solo albums, fronted hard rock band Confrontation Camp, has co-run websites/online labels Rapstation.com and SlamJamz.com, is an author—and is an outspoken advocate for MP3 technology, ultimately exiting Def Jam after he insisted that Public Enemy’s music be distributed free via Internet download.
Russ Crupnick
Senior Vice President, Industry Analysis
NPD
Russ Crupnick founded NPD’s Entertainment business in 2000, leading the team that created the company’s MusicWatch suite of services. He further developed the entertainment practice by adding a concentration on home video, and expanded its focus with tracking of consumer trends in entertainment, social networking, device usage and connectivity. Crupnick currently serves as Senior Entertainment Industry Analyst for NPD Group, where he has developed a reputation for expertise in entertainment trends and provides executive-level guidance and industry analysis to NPD’s clients, along with expert media commentary. He has appeared on CBS’ “Marketwatch,” Fox Business Channel, NPR and CNBC, and has been quoted on industry trends in Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Billboard, Video Business, Home Media and Variety. In addition, Crupnick is Executive-In-Residence at the NYU Steinhardt Music Business Graduate Program.
Ebro Darden
Program Director WQHT (Hot 97) New York
Emmis Communications
Ebro Darden joined New York’s No. 1 hip-hop radio station WQHT (Hot 97) in 2003 as Music Director and Assistant Program Director, also serving as host of MTV2′s “Sucker Free Countdown.” In March 2007, he was promoted to Program Director at the Emmis Communications’ station. Before that, Darden worked at KSFM Sacramento; then at KBMB Sacramento, where he was on-air in afternoons, and elevated to Music Director and Program Director. He then was promoted to OM at KBMB, doing double duty as morning co-host at KXJM Portland, before heading east to Hot 97.
Axel Dauchez
CEO
Deezer
After training at the Polytechnic and Proctor & Gamble, Alex Dauchez worked in both the media and burgeoning Internet industries. In 1995, he became Director of Consumer Marketing for Coktel-Sierra-Blizzard, a leader in computer edutainment games and software; and in 1996, launched the company’s first paying online services. He was appointed President of French web agency BDDP & Tequila Interactive in 1998, and in 2002 became CEO of Moonscoop Group, an audio-visual animation production leader. There he oversaw U.S. implementation and created several trans-media storytelling platforms (Kabilion in the U.S., Taffy Kids in Asia and Allofamille with Allocine in Europe). Dauchez joined Deezer as CEO in 2010. He also chairs the ESML syndicate, which aims to enhance digital legal music development and protect the use of catalogs.
David J. Del Beccaro
President, CEO & Founder
Music Choice
David Del Beccaro is President, CEO and Founder of Music Choice, the world’s preeminent multi-platform music network. In 1986, he pioneered the company from its inception as an eight-channel audio service into an interactive music network that reaches millions of consumers across the country, via digital cable TV, mobile devices and online. Del Beccaro secured financing for the groundbreaking concept through a partnership with major cable and music companies, as well as Microsoft and Motorola. MC’s programming is entirely music, with no talk or commercials.
Josh Deutsch
CEO & Chairman
Downtown Records
Downtown Music Chairman, CEO and co-founder Josh Deutsch oversees Downtown Records, Downtown Music Publishing, Downtown Music Services (DMS) and Songtrust, and is Chairman of RCRDLBL.com, a premiere online music discovery site. The previous Senior VP of A&R at Virgin Records also served as Executive VP at Elektra Entertainment and VP A&R at Capital Records, and has been responsible for sales of 25+ million albums. Deutsch also discovered and oversaw the recording careers of artists Gnarls Barkley, Cold War Kids, Jason Mraz, Justice, Santigold, Jet, Lenny Kravitz, Third Eye Blind and Megadeth, among others. In A&R and marketing capacities, he has worked with a wide range of top-selling and critically hailed artists, from Metallica and Mos Def to A Perfect Circle and Natalie Merchant. Deutsch graduated from Brown University and attended New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Marty Diamond
Head of East Coast Music
Paradigm Talent Agency
Marty Diamond is head of the Paradigm Talent Agency’s East Coast Music Division. Since its founding in 1992, Paradigm has established itself as a leading entertainment talent agency, guiding an elite client roster across motion picture, television, music, comedy and personal appearances, theater, books, new media, commercial and physical production departments. Projects include packaging hit TV series “24,” “The Good Wife” and “Desperate Housewives,” and representation of Andy Garcia, Laurence Fishburne and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Diamond was previously President of Little Big Man Booking, a boutique music agency (acquired by Paradigm in 2006), which he founded in 1994 after stints at Arista Records, Bill Graham Management and Manhattan music venue The Ritz. Under Diamond’s leadership, Little Big Man won the Pollstar Award for Small/Boutique Booking Agency 10 out of 11 consecutive years. In 1997, Diamond won Pollstar’s highest individual honor, Agent of the Year.
Skip Dillard
Operations Manager WBLS/WLIB New York
Inner City Broadcasting Corporation
Skip Dillard is Operations Manager of Inner City Broadcasting’s urban WBLS-FM and gospel WLIB-AM New York. He began his radio career as a DJ at WQMG/WJMH Greensboro, N.C., and then WYLD-FM New Orleans, moving up to Program Director of WYLD in 1993. Since, Dillard has programmed stations in Detroit, Buffalo, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Among awards he has received for his industry prowess: Large Market Urban PD of the Year, Billboard Magazine, 2001; United States Congress National Recognition for Community Service, 2002; Radio Ink Magazine’s Best Program Directors in America award, 2008 & 2010; and the Living Legends Foundation Award, 2011.
Mike Doernberg
Founder & Summit Coordinator
ReverbNation
Mike Doernberg is a serial entrepreneur, responsible for founding and successfully building several venture capital-backed technology companies focused on helping organizations use the Internet to more effectively to market their products and services. Past ventures include SmartPath (acquired by DoubleClick) and The Marathon Group (acquired by Merant, PLC). Doernberg began his career at Ernst & Young in its Entrepreneurial Services Organization. In 2006, he co-founded music 2.0 company ReverbNation, which launched in October 2006 and now serves 700,000+ artists, labels, managers, venues/promoters and other music industry pros with a complete solution for fan management, promotion, distribution, direct-to-fan commerce and analytics.
Spencer Drate & Judith Salavetz
Authors
“Five Hundred 45s: A Graphic History of the Seven–Inch Record”
Spencer Drate and Judith Salavetz are award – winning creative directors, designers, authors, curators, media writers, art reps and packagers, specializing in music design, branding and pop culture books. Drate was a four-time Grammy judge from 1989 to 1992 on the Music Packaging committee, and co-designed a Grammy-nominated Album Package in 1979 for Talking Heads’ “Fear Of Music.” He authored the first visual history book on the 7-inch record sleeve, “45 RPM” in 2002. Together with Judith Salavetz, the pair has designed artwork for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and numerous musicians, including U2, Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Ramones, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Joan Jett and Bon Jovi. Drate and Salavetz have authored and packaged 21 books, including “Swag: Rock Posters of the 90s,” “Pure Animation,” “The Art of the Modern Movie Poster” and “Five Hundred 45s.” Their Famous Music Design work has been showcased in the Museum of Modern Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum and Steve Kasher Gallery. They have been partners for 30 years and live in New York.
Mathieu Drouin
Co-Founder
Crystal Math Management
Mathieu Drouin, named among Billboard’s prestigious “Top 30 Under 30″ list of industry Power Players, is best known for managing platinum-selling indie band Metric, for whom he orchestrated a global plan to self-release its last album “Fantasies” in 20+ countries across five continents. Metric sold hundreds of thousands of albums, even more singles and achieved multiple No. 1 hits around the world. With placements in leading TV shows “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Entourage,” theme songs scored for such films as “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” and “Scott Pilgrim Versus the World,” as well as an international touring career, Drouin has earned a reputation as an industry trailblazer. He began his career in technology with a B2B company he founded and sold while still a teenager. He took a job as an unpaid intern at the Donald K Donald Entertainment Group, then one of Canada’s largest independent music groups, and rose through the ranks to become President and a Partner in only three years. During his tenure, Drouin helped found labels Last Gang Records and Arts & Crafts International. He left in 2006 to co-found Crystal Math Group with longtime partner Françoise deGrandpre.
Luke Ebbin
Producer & Songwriter
Luke Ebbin is a 12-time platinum, four-time Grammy-nominated record producer, songwriter, composer and new media entrepreneur. His production work includes the Bon Jovi hit record “Crush,” which featured the No. 1 smash single “It’s My Life.” Additionally, he has produced and written songs for Melissa Etheridge, Plain White T’s, Rival Schools, All-American Rejects and composed TV themes for “Entertainment Tonight” and The CBS 1998 Winter Olympics, among others. Ebbin also co-founded Music180.com, where he built an online network of top record producers, songwriters, managers and executives. Currently, he is co-writing and producing Richie Sambora’s third solo record.
Peter Edge
President & CEO
RCA Records
Peter Edge serves as Chief Executive Officer for RCA Records and is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations for the iconic record label. Previously, Edge held the role of President of A&R for the RCA Music Group. Throughout his career, he has discovered and cultivated a wealth of talent, such as artists Alicia Keys, Dido, Jamie Foxx, Pitbull, Mike Posner, Jazmine Sullivan and Marsha Ambrosius. In addition, Edge is building the careers of promising newcomers like A$AP Rocky, Elle Varner, Dry the River, Elle King, Walk the Moon and Sammy Adams. He has also helped expand the brands of signature acts Usher, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, Pink, Chris Brown, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Ke$ha, R. Kelly, Foo Fighters, Ray LaMontagne, Kings of Leon and many more. Edge’s resume also includes ventures at
Chrysalis Records, Warner Bros., Black Music, Arista and J Records.
Ron Fair
Ron Fair Music/Irving Azoff/Frontline Management
Ron Fair’s major label career spans 30 years as an A&R executive, producer, arranger, engineer and songwriter. For the last decade, he was Chairman of Geffen Records, with a career that has earned him 18 Grammy awards. Fair produced several No. 1 hits for the likes of Mary J. Blige, Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat Dolls, Fergie, Vanessa Carlton, Counting Crows and Keyshia Cole. He is considered an industry guru and mentor, discovering, then guiding unknown artists. Fair is perhaps best known as the A&R man responsible for discovering Christina Aguilera, while he has also worked in television, both on and behind the camera, for “American Idol,” “The Voice,” Canada’s “Cover Me Canada” and Israel’s “Living in La La Land.” He recently became partners with Irving Azoff & Frontline Management in a far-reaching venture encompassing artist development, A&R and the creation of entertainment properties.
William Feinstein
President & Co-Owner
Planet Honda in Union, NJ
William Feinstein is President and Co-Owner of Planet Honda in Union, N.J., the largest Honda dealership in New Jersey for new and pre-owned vehicles. He began his career as an attorney for the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions. In 2000, he entered the automotive business and joined Global Auto Mall in North Plainfield, N.J. In 2009, he partnered with Tim Ciasulli at Planet Honda and realigned the dealership’s advertising strategy, shifting its focus to include a more intense digital marketing strategy. Feinstein has successfully utilized Internet radio to boost sales to move 6,500 new and used cars in 2012. He earned a Juris Doctor from George Washington University in 1996.
Jason Flom
President
Lava Records
Jason Flom started as a guitar-playing teen and moved to a career at Atlantic Records as field merchandiser, and then to A&R under Atlantic founder Ahmet Ertegun. There, Flom signed rock artists Twisted Sister, Skid Row, Stone Temple Pilots and Tori Amos, among others. He ultimately became Atlantic’s head of A&R, where he was mentored by Doug Morris, and broke new artists Jewel, Hootie & the Blowfish and Collective Soul. In 1995, Flom founded Lava Records, in partnership with Atlantic, where his artists sold 100+ million records worldwide. Ten years later, he sold Lava to Atlantic and was appointed Chairman/CEO of Atlantic, then shifted to Virgin Records as Chairman/CEO. Today, Flom has reclaimed Lava Records in a partnership with Universal Republic.
Jay Frank
Senior VP of Music Strategy
CMT
Jay Frank is Senior Vice President of Music Strategy for CMT, overseeing the network’s on-air and digital music initiatives, including CMT, CMT.com, CMT Mobile, games, touring and other businesses. He works closely with music labels and artists to create multi-platform promotions that leverage all CMT brands to enhance artist reach and drive awareness for the channel. Under Frank’s leadership, music video ratings have reached an all-time high, with 43% growth. He came to CMT from Yahoo! Music, where he was VP of Music Programming and Label Relations. There, he was instrumental in growing its monthly audience to 25 million. His first book, “FutureHit.DNA,” was published in 2011.
Josh Friedlander
VP Strategic Data Analysis
Recording Industry Association of America
Josh Friedlander is the Vice President of Strategic Data Analysis at the Recording Industry Association of America. Since joining in 2005, he has been responsible for data analysis and market research at the trade organization. The results of his work are frequently used as official measures of the U.S. music industry, and are commonly referenced in news publications and academic research. Prior to the RIAA, Friedlander worked in equity research at Prudential Securities, and received his MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University.
Andy Gadiel
CEO & Founder
JamBase
Andy Gadiel has been helping music fans Go See Live Music for more a decade. Best known for starting a definitive fan site for the band Phish (Andy Gadiel’s Phish Page), in 1998 Gadiel launched JamBase.com, an online live music community and marketing company. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The Rex Foundation, a non-profit grassroots fundraising organization started by The Grateful Dead; and HeadCount.org, a non-profit, non-partisan voter registration organization. A graduate of Computer Science at Michigan State University, Gadiel has committed himself to bridging the gap between technology and art by giving people easy access to information about music they love.
Rick Gillette
Program Director
WXRK-FM (92.3 Now) New York
Rick Goetz
Owner & Music Consultant
Musiciancoaching.com
Music marketing professional Rick Goetz is the Founder of Rick Goetz Consulting, LLC, and popular artist development site Musiciancoaching.com. With nearly 20 years of experience in the industry, he has been helping artists at all levels and across many genres to successfully market themselves and build self-sustaining businesses around their art. Goetz has been a bass player, A&R representative and marketing executive at Atlantic and Elektra Records, a music supervisor, and head of a digital record label in the EMI system. He has been hired by artists to provide music marketing for product releases, tours and to create general awareness campaigns formerly only available to those on major labels. Through the Musiciancoaching.com blog, he shares in-depth interviews, articles and resources about strategy and business planning for musicians.
Eyal Goldwerger
CEO
TargetSpot
Eyal Goldwerger is Chief Executive Officer of TargetSpot Inc., the nation’s largest digital audio advertising network. As a seasoned entrepreneur with diverse experience leading technology ventures in a variety of industries, he previously served as CEO of XMPie, a software company providing marketing applications to enterprises, agencies and commercial printers. Eyal led XMPie through rapid growth up to its successful acquisition by Xerox Corp. He was also EVP Consumer Products & Distribution at a contextual online advertising network, and was Founder and CEO of GoCargo.com, an Internet-based global trading system for container shipping capacity. Eyal is a Board Member at Galil Software.
Steve Gottlieb
Founder & CEO
Shindig
Steve Gottlieb founded TVT Records, among the most successful independent labels in history. His discovery of such artists as Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon and Pitbull powered the label’s achievement of some 25+ Gold and Platinum releases. TVT also released renowned albums by Snoop Dog, Brian Jonestown, Dashboard Confessional, KMFDM and Gil Scott Heron. Gottlieb recently founded New York-based Shindig, a platform for large-scale video chat events. Shindig’s proprietary technology enables artists to engage their fan base through online video chat release parties, video premiers, meet & greets and other promotional events, all in video chat. These events offer artists enhanced word of mouth and new revenue streams.
David Goodman
President
CBS Interactive Music Group
Since 2009, David Goodman has served as President of the CBS Interactive Music Group, which includes CBS Radio’s digital properties and online assets, as well as music discovery site Last.fm and streaming platform Radio.com. Goodman is responsible for all digital music assets, combining CBS Interactive resources with CBS Radio’s content, promotional, advertising and sales, as well as monetizing the division’s ongoing digital initiatives. He previously served as President, Digital Media and Integrated Marketing for CBS Radio; and was the company’s President of Marketing. Goodman joined CBS from LockStream Corp., where he served as CEO; and also worked at the Warner Music Group, Warnervision Entertainment and Warner Bros.
Tyler Gray
Editorial Director
Fast Company
Tyler Gray is Editorial Director, Digital, of Fast Company, a leading business media destination, with a focus on innovation in technology, “ethonomics,” leadership and design. In addition, he is a former editor at Blender and Radar magazines, and has written for The New York Times, Esquire, Spin, The New York Post and other print and online publications. Gray is also author of the best-selling “The Hit Charade,” an in-depth examination of the high-profile $300 million Ponzi scheme engineered by youth pop impresario Lou Pearlman, utilizing such acts as ‘N Sync and Backstreet Boys to fuel his fortune. Gray was the only journalist to interview Pearlman in jail, and explores the journey that caused his real and phony worlds to collide.
Michael Green
Founder
The Collective
Michael Green founded The Collective with a vision of creating a true 21st Century management and production company. His model: a collaborative approach through disintermediation designed to: generate unmatched opportunities for clients, create a diverse and dynamic portfolio of assets and cultivate new avenues for content distribution. In the music area, The Collective represents such acts as Linkin Park, Alanis Morissette, Enrique Iglesias, Slash, Big Boi and Counting Crows. Collective Digital Studio, the company’s online content division, boasts some of the Internet’s top content channels, including The Annoying Orange, FreddieW, Fred, iJustine and Shane Dawson. Prior to The Collective, Green co-founded pop culture management powerhouse The Firm, whose music clients included Korn, Limp Bizkit, Michael Jackson and The Backstreet Boys.
Steve Greenberg
Founder/CEO
S-Curve Records
Steve Greenberg is Founder/CEO of New York-based S-Curve Records, whose artists include Joss Stone, We The Kings, Tom Jones and Fountains of Wayne. Greenberg was a 2005 Grammy nominee for Best Pop Vocal Album as producer of Stone’s “Mind, Body and Soul.” S-Curve’s first release “Who Let The Dogs Out” by Baha Men sold more than 4 million albums and earned Greenberg a 2001 Grammy Award as producer. Overall, he is a five-time Grammy nominee. From 2004-2006, he was President of Columbia Records, where he discovered the Jonas brothers and produced their debut album. Prior to founding S-Curve, Steve was Senior Vice President of Mercury Records, where he discovered Hanson and executive produced their debut album, which sold 12+ million copies. He has also worked as a radio and print journalist and disc jockey.
Benjy Grinberg
Founder/President
Rostrum Records
Benjy Grinberg is founder and president of Rostrum Records, whose roster includes Grammy nominee Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller, Vali, Donora and Teammate. Grinberg, who once worked as L.A. Reid’s assistant, began the label in 2003 from his apartment. In less than a decade, Rostrum has grown into a successful independent label, as he manages various arms of the industry, including artist development, sales, social media and touring. In fall 2011, Grinberg garnered national press for a unique arrangement that Rostrum forged with Ingrooves and iTunes for Mac Miller’s “Blue Slide Park,” where iTunes agreed to release the album in its entirety before its official street date, if pre-orders exceeded 100,000 purchases. Grinberg is a member of the New York chapter of NARAS and was recently honored by Primary Violator for excellence in management.
Brett Gurewitz
Founder & CEO
Founder/CEO of Epitaph Records
Brett Gurewitz, founder and CEO of Epitaph Records, has guided the sound and ethos of punk rock out of the underground and into the forefront of modern culture. A founding member and co-songwriter of the influential and venerated Southern California band Bad Religion, Gurewitz is one of the primary architects of a high-energy melodic punk style that continues to resonate throughout contemporary music. As founder of independent powerhouse labels Epitaph and Anti-, Gurewitz has created a sustainable, artist-first model that was prophetic 30 years ago and remains suited for today’s ever-evolving music landscape.
Noah Guthrie
Singer/Songwriter
As the son of studio singers, singer/songwriter Noah Guthrie spent his early days in the studio lobby playing video games among musicians like Paul Riddle, Rusty Milner and Tim Lawter of The Marshall Tucker Band. By 12, he was singing and within two years, playing guitar and writing his own music. As a local favorite in Georgia, he has performed repeatedly at Eddie’s Attic, while opening for such acts as Selena Gomez, Neon Trees, Vanessa Carlton and Matisyahu, along with a performance at a Grammy pre-party in February 2012. Guthrie recently posted a cover of LMFAO’s “Sexy And I Know It” on YouTube, which fostered 2.5 million views over the course of a few days, leading to an appearance on “The Today Show.” Within a week, the video had acquired 6+ million views. Guthrie is now working on his first album, a musical fusion of pop and folk.
Robin Hall
Senior Vice President
Macy’s Parade & Entertainment Group
Robin Hall took the helm of the Macy’s events organization in January 2001. He is responsible for overseeing Macy’s nationally-televised events including the world-famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks, the nation’s biggest pyrotechnic show. In addition, Robin’s responsibilities encompass all of Macy’s other iconic annual events such as Macy’s Flower Shows and “Glamorama,” the renowned four-city charity fashion and music gala. Robin also supervises Macy’s legendary Santa Land operations as well as the store’s musical programs including the 100 year-old Wanamaker Organ at Macy’s Center City Philadelphia, the world’s largest musical instrument. In addition, the special events teams in Macy’s 5 store regions produce upwards of 2,800 special events in-store each year.
As part of the national corporate marketing team, Robin is charged with leveraging the brand’s events across the country and developing strategic partnerships with the entertainment industry including television, film, music, and licensed properties.
Robin moved to New York City in 1979 from his native Denver to work as a senior copywriter in Macy’s Advertising Department. Over the years, he has worked in marketing at other companies including Bergdorf Goodman, Grey Advertising and News Corporation, but he has always returned to the fold at Macy’s. Robin’s three stints at Macy’s account for most of his professional life in New York.
Kurt Hanson
CEO
AccuRadio
Publisher
Radio and Internet Newsletter
Kurt Hanson is Publisher of the daily web-based newsletter RAIN: Radio And Internet Newsletter, and an expert in new delivery mechanisms for Internet, satellite and HD radio and podcasting. Hanson is also CEO of AccuRadio, a leading independent multi-channel Internet radio property that reaches nearly a million unique listeners per month with 300+ channels of rock, pop, jazz, classical, country, Broadway, Celtic and more. He developed his reputation in the broadcast industry as Founder and CEO of market research firm Strategic Media Research, which he built into a million-dollar enterprise. Hanson speaks at conferences, trade shows and industry events around the world, and has provided consulting services for clients in the broadcast and Internet radio industries.
Brad Hardin
SVP of Programming and Rock and Alternative Brand Manager, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
Brad Hardin is Senior Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel Media + Entertainment, responsible for managing programming operations for a variety of rock formats in 25 markets. In addition, Hardin is CCM+E ROCK Brand Manager, overseeing a portfolio of 50+ alternative, active and mainstream rock radio stations. Hardin is an 18-year Clear Channel veteran and previously served as Regional Vice President of Programming for its Florida and the Gulf Coast properties, and held programming management roles in Tampa, Cincinnati, Dayton and Louisville.
Rusty Hodge
Founder & General Manger
SomaFM.com
Rusty Hodge is the Founder and General Manger of SomaFM.com, a listener-support, commercial-free internet radio service based in San Francisco broadcasting on the internet for over 12 years.
As the only full-time employee of SomaFM, he does everything from choosing much of the music played on the station, working with labels and promoters, audio production, web and app development, shooting photos and videos of bands, and managing the operations of the streaming servers and music playout systems.
Before SomaFM, Rusty as involved in a number of internet startups and consulted with TV, Radio and movie studios about their internet strategies. He first got involved in streaming audio at KPIX-TV in San Francisco in 1995 and was in charge of TechTV’s streaming when it was founded in 1998.
Rusty launched SomaFM in 1999 because he “couldn’t find anything I wanted to listen to on the radio”. SomaFM’s goal has been to produce captivating, unique music programming that’s hard or impossible to find in more-mainstream media.
Bruce Houghton
Founder & President
Skyline Music
Bruce Houghton is Founder and President of Skyline Music, a booking agency that represents a diverse roster of nationally and internationally renowned artists. Skyline founded and curates the Hypebot.com blog, with 75,000 unique visitors monthly, which chronicles developments in modern music marketing, music tech and the new music industry; and MusicThinkTank.com, dubbed “Where The Music Industry Goes To Think,” featuring essays on the challenges the industry faces. The company also launched Skyline Consultancy. Houghton has served as an Industry Advisor and Member of the Advisory Board for Indie Music Inc., as well as an Advisory Board member of SXSW Accelerator and the New Music Seminar. He studied Journalism at Boston University.
Laurent Hubert
President, Creative and Marketing-North America
BMG Chrysalis
French native Laurent Hubert, BMG Chrysalis’ President of Creative & Marketing for North America, has 20+ years of international general management experience, including 11 years in senior management roles in the music publishing industry. Since the re-launch of BMG in 2009, Hubert has played a central role in reestablishing the company in the U.S. through a number of signings, catalog acquisitions and company purchases. In short order, BMG has soared from a small independent music publisher to one of the largest in the world, representing nearly 1 million copyrights with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville and presence in eight additional markets.
Angela Hunte
Songwriter
Angela Hunte began her singer/songwriter career in 2001 and was mentored by Salaam Remi and guided by EMI’s renowned Guy Moot, Marty Bandier and Evan Lamberg. In 2007, she traveled to Europe and forged a relationship with Murlyn Music, a factory of hit-makers out of Sweden, where she penned Britney Spears’ hit “Do Something,” produced by Bloodshy and Avant. That led to a transatlantic career, where Hunte called London her second home. She wrote and arranged songs for U.K. up-and-coming acts Misteeq (“Eye Candy,” “Jus 4 U,” “All In One Day” and “Strawberrezz”); Miss Dynamite (“All I Ever”) and Mtuya featuring Amy Winehouse. Back in the States, Hunte co-wrote Danity Kane’s hit singles “Showstopper” and “Heartbreaker,” and Cheri Dennis’ “Ooh Ooh.” In 2011, she teamed with Jane’t Sewell.
Michael J. Huppe
President
SoundExchange, Inc.
Michael Huppe is responsible for the strategic direction of SoundExchange, a nonprofit organization that collects digital music royalties paid by internet radio, satellite radio and other digital media services on behalf of recording artists and record labels. SoundExchange represents the music industry’s fastest-growing segments, including more than 48,000 payable performer accounts and 20,000 rights owners and label accounts. Huppe has devoted the past 12 years of his career to protecting the value of music. Prior to being appointed to SoundExchange’s top position in 2011, he served as the organization’s Executive VP and General Counsel. He has a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Huppe is also is an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center. His vision helped place SoundExchange among Forbes magazine’s “Top Names You Need to Know for 2011.”
Doug Hutcheson
CEO & President
Cricket Communications
As President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Leap Wireless International, Inc./Cricket Communications, Doug Hutcheson is responsible for developing and implementing high-level strategies and overseeing operations of the company. He joined Leap Wireless as a member of its founding management team in 1998 and provides the company with significant operational and financial expertise in the telecommunications industry, as well as extensive experience with business operations. Hutcheson holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.
Ariel Hyatt
Founder Ariel Publicity
Ariel Publicity
Ariel Publicity is a New York-based social media PR firm. Founder Ariel Hyatt’s Cyber PR campaigns place musicians on blogs, podcasts and iRadio, and coach them to create authentic relationships with fans. Founded in 1996, the firm has represented more than 1,800 artists. Middle Tennessee State University features three Cyber PR courses based on principles used in Hyatt’s day-to-day business. She and her staff lead students in a rigorous Cyber PR accreditation process that includes hands-on experience working on Cyber PR campaigns; while her books “Music Success in Nine Weeks” and “Musician’s Roadmap to Facebook & Twitter” have led to speaking engagements and master classes in 12 countries and counting.
Jon Irwin
CEO
Rhapsody
Jon Irwin, CEO of Rhapsody International, joined Rhapsody America in 2009 as the company’s COO and Chief Of Staff, before orchestrating its spin-off into a standalone company. Across his career, Irwin has specialized in building strong subscription businesses, previously holding senior positions with a variety of companies in the telecommunications market, including Boingo Wireless, Earthlink, InfoNet Services Corp. and WorldCom. Irwin earned an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a Master’s in systems engineering from the University of California San Diego.
John Ivey
SVP of Programming CHR Brand Manager & Program Director KIIS-FM and KHHT-FM Los Angeles
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
John Ivey holds multiple key positions at Clear Channel Media + Entertainment, including SVP of Programming, CHR Brand Manger and PD of L.A.’s KIIS-FM and KHHT (Hot 92.3). Based in the Los Angeles market since 2001, he also was VP of Programming for CC’s L.A. radio cluster and PD of KYSR. Ivey is one of the co-producers for Clear Channel’s “iHeartRadio Music Festival,” and continues to be responsible for KIIS FM’s legendary “Wango Tango” and “Jingle Ball” concerts each year. Under his leadership, KIIS-FM won the 2010 NAB Marconi award for CHR Station Of The Year, while he was named one of the “100 Most Powerful People In The Music Business” by Billboard Magazine in 2012, and has won numerous PD of the Year honors from Radio & Records and the Gavin Report. Ivey has also been inducted into the Nebraska Radio Hall Of Fame and is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy Of Country Music.
Tom Jackson
Owner
Tom Jackson Productions
On Stage Success
As a live music producer and master of creating impact onstage, Tom Jackson has given hundreds of artists of every genre a foundation and direction to define their unique voice and style. Among the many acts he has guided in most every genre are Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Jars of Clay and countless indies. In addition, Jackson is a highly sought-after speaker, sharing his knowledge at music colleges, conferences and events worldwide, and guiding tens of thousands of artists every year. He is also author of “Tom Jackson’s Live Music Method: All Roads Lead to the Stage.” Jackson’s belief is that a live music producer does onstage what a record producer does in the studio.
Wyclef Jean
Singer/Songwriter/Producer/Entrepreneur
Haitian-born Wyclef Jean is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, musician, producer, entrepreneur and founding member of the pioneering hip-hop group Fugees. He has crossed genres, generations and geographic boundaries with his music. Wyclef’s talents as a producer and collaborator have led to a myriad of successful projects over the past two decades, writing and producing Carlos Santana’s “Supernatural,” which won the Grammy for Album of the Year; Whitney Houston’s “My Love Is Your Love”; and “Hips Don’t Lie,” his Grammy-nominated international smash duet with Shakira. He has also collaborated with such artists as Bono, Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, T.I., Mary J. Blige and Destiny’s Child.
Eric Johnson
Executive Producer of Music & Creative Integration, DDB Chicago
DDB
Eric David Johnson—better known as DJ Bunny Ears—is a music supervisor, DJ, director, musician, filmmaker, writer, artist, curator, futurist, photographer and producer. Though rooted as an independent artist, Johnson has spent 12+ years in the advertising industry, working first at Wieden + Kennedy, then Young & Rubicam New York and now DDB Chicago as Executive Producer of Music and Creative Integration. Johnson’s client roster includes Nike, Coke, Target, Budweiser, McDonald’s, LG, Honda, MTV, VH1, Nokia, Campbell’s, ESPN, Bacardi, Dell, Diet Coke, NASCAR, Xerox, Starbucks and Oreo. He has also directed award-winning TV commercials for Nike, as well as music videos.
Kyambo Joshua
Co-Founder
Hip Hop Since 1978
Kyambo “Hip Hop” Joshua’s powerhouse management firm Hip Hop, which he founded with partner Gee Roberson (originally known as Rock Da World), signed Kanye West as its first artist. Their roster has since included Just Blaze, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Drake. Among recent accomplishments: Jeezy’s Adidas campaign; West’s Glow in the Dark tour and collaboration with Louis Vuitton; Lil Wayne’s I Am Music tour, Sixers spot and voiceover for Gatorade’s “What’s G” campaign; and Nike Air Yeezys/Nike LeBrons. The music industry veteran got his start working as Director of A&R for Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records, and has also partnered with New York indie label & distribution company Fat Beats. Joshua has also worked as an executive producer, composer and overseen A&R for Kanye West, Jim Jones, Brandy, Jay-Z, Bow Wow, State Property, Freeway, Beanie Sigel and Trevor Nelson.
David Kahne
Producer, Composer, Arranger & Engineer
David Kahne is a music producer, composer, arranger and engineer. As an executive, he has worked as a Senior VP at both Columbia and Warner Bros. Records. Among the artists Kahne has produced: Tony Bennett, Shawn Colvin, Bruce Springsteen, Sugar Ray, Chris Isaak, Stevie Nicks, k.d. lang, New Order, The Strokes, Sean Lennon, Kelly Clarkson and Paul McCartney. He is also an orchestral music composer who has written three full-length ballets and composed numerous film scores. Kahne owns SeeSquared Studios, situated at Avatar Studios, where he does most of his production work.
Justin Kalifowitz
President
Downtown Music
Co-founder
President/Songtrust
Justin Kalifowitz is President of Downtown Music Publishing. Established in 2007, Downtown now manages a catalog of more than 40,000 titles spanning 70 years of popular music. Kalifowitz is also Co-Founder of Songtrust, a music technology business providing rights management solutions for independent and professional rights holders. Prior to joining Downtown, he spent six years as Head of A&R at Spirit Music Group, where he was named to Billboard’s “30 Under 30” top executives list; and previously held A&R and Marketing positions with Virgin Records and RCA Music Group.
Craig Kallman
Chairman and CEO
Atlantic Records Group
Craig Kallman carries on the entrepreneurial tradition that has driven Atlantic Records since its founding by Ahmet Ertegun nearly 65 years ago. He joined the iconic record company in 1991, when it acquired his independent Big Beat label. Advancing through the A&R ranks, he was named Chairman/CEO in 2005. Kallman has overseen the signing of a diversity of artists, including Death Cab For Cutie, T.I., Gnarls Barkley, Zac Brown Band, Bruno Mars, Paramore, James Blunt, Shinedown, Lupe Fiasco, Trey Songz, Flo Rida, B.o.B, Wiz Khalifa, Skrillex and many others. As a hands-on creative collaborator and studio junkie, he also produced and co-wrote Fiasco’s Grammy-winning “Daydreamin’.”
Chris Kaskie
President
Pitchfork
Chris Kaskie is President of Pitchfork, a daily online destination with 4+ million unique visitors each month and 500,000 visits a day. Established in 1995, the site focuses on underground and independent music, with music criticism and commentary, music news and artist interviews. In addition to overseeing its day-to-day operations, Kaskie is an architect of Pitchfork’s growth and expansion into other arenas, such as the annual Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago and Pitchfork.tv, which offers videos and original content related to indie music acts.
Mark Kates
Founder
Fenway Recordings
Mark Kates is a music manager who is synonymous with alternative music. He spent 10+ years at Geffen/DGC Records, manning A&R for Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Hole, White Zombie, Elastica, XTC, Jawbreaker and countless others. Kates also ran Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal Records and worked at Big Time and Ace of Hearts. As the founder of Fenway Recordings, his client roster includes MGMT, Saves The Day, Francis and the Lights, The Cribs, Mission of Burma, †††, Doves, The Static Jacks and Anthony Rossomondo. As DJ Carbo, Kates curates the Fenway Recordings Sessions, a concert series running in Boston since 2004.
Claude Kelly
Songwriter
A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Claude Kelly has written chart-toppers for Kelly Clarkson (“My Life Would Suck Without You”), Fantasia (“Bittersweet”), Michael Jackson (“Hold My Hand”) and Miley Cyrus (“Party In The USA”). Some of his most recent hits include Bruno Mars’ “Grenade,” Jessie J’s “Domino,” Pitbull’s “International Love” and Karmin’s “Broken Hearted.” Kelly is currently working to establish an artist of his own, Masha, on his Carousel Music Entertainment label. He works across multiple genres, from pop and rock to R&B and soul.
Adam Klein
President & CEO
eMusic
Adam Klein brings more than 20 years of innovative thinking to eMusic with experience in digital media and strategic management. A highly experienced strategist, executive and leader, Klein has applied his expertise within the rapidly transforming media industry, confronted by relentless advances in digital technology, consumer adoption and business model transitions. Over the decades, he has helped both Fortune 500 and start-up companies drive sustainable competitive advantages and growth through constant innovation. Prior to eMusic, Klein was founder and CEO of consulting firm Media Leader LLC, where he specialized in leading and supporting media businesses through transition. He continues to teach graduate students as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University School of Journalism.
Dennis Kooker
President, Global Digital Business &U.S. Sales
Sony Music Entertainment
As President, Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales for Sony Music Entertainment, Dennis Kooker leads the company’s worldwide digital strategy and activities, as well as its U.S. sales and distribution division. He also oversees SME’s Direct to Consumer business and independent distribution company RED, while representing the company on the boards of a number of companies operating in the digital space. Kooker previously served as Executive Vice President, Operations/GM, Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales for SME and Sony BMG; and as SVP of BMG North America. Before that, he held a number of London-based operational roles within BMG’s U.K. & Ireland division. Kooker began his music industry career in 1995.
Allen Kovac
CEO
Tenth Street Entertainment/The Eleven Seven Music Group
What others say isn’t possible, Tenth Street Entertainment/The Eleven Seven Music Group founder/CEO Allen Kovac turns into reality. From resurrecting and expanding the careers of Luther Vandross, the Bee Gees, Meatloaf, Motley Crue and Blondie, Kovac remains on the cutting edge by learning and bending the rules, but always pushing the envelope to create new, forward-thinking marketing concepts. He stays current by working with up-and-coming alternative acts such as The Dirty Heads and Deuce, and by constantly evolving his seasoned acts like Papa Roach and Buckcherry. His mantra? “Create the message, control the content,” using the artist’s assets to open doors.
Kristopher Krajewski
President & Owner
Bond Music Group
Born and raised in Washington D.C., on a steady diet of punk rock, jazz, disco and alternative music, Kris Krajewski recognized electronic music as the next wave of cutting edge music. With more than a decade of booking experience at various agencies, he opened Bond Music Group in 2009, which burgeoned from 13 to 110+ acts. He specializes in performance artists and events that offer both live/band and electronic/DJ elements, representing Grammy-award winning acts like Moby, Francois K and Andy Rourke of The Smiths, as well as such next-generation acts as Fred Falke, RAC and Classixx. Krajewski has always gravitated toward music with a sense of independence and is excited about the emergence of electronic music and DJ culture worldwide.
Steven Kritzman
Senior Vice President Advertising Sales
Pandora
Steven Kritzman is Senior VP of Advertising Sales for Pandora, responsible for setting and executing the U.S. sales strategy for the company’s digital, network radio and spot radio businesses, as well as managing Pandora’s growing national advertising sales team. He began his career with Pandora in 2009 as Director of Sales for the New York and mid-Atlantic regions. As a seasoned sales manager, Kritzman brings several years of radio and digital advertising experience in sales and inventory management to Pandora.
Dan Kruchkow
Head of Marketing / Digital Strategy
Crush Management
Daniel Kruchkow is Head of Marketing and Digital Strategy for Crush Management, home to international superstars Train, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship and many other artists—as well as the recently re-launched iconic I.R.S. Records imprint. Prior to Crush, Kruchkow spent 11 years at Universal Music Group, including a role as Senior Vice President of UMG’s new digital business platform. He also served as Vice President, Digital Media for Island Def Jam Music Group, working with the label’s entire roster, including Mariah Carey, The Killers, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Elton John, Bon Jovi, Ludacris and Kanye West.
Michael Kurtz
Co-founder
Record Store Day
Michael Kurtz is President of the Music Monitor Network, the largest North American coalition of independently owned record stores. He is also among the founders of and manages the day-to-day operations for Record Store Day, now one of the largest music events in the world, with 1,400+ international independently owned record stores participating. Facilitating one of the largest sales days of the year, Record Store Day offers critical support to record labels and indie retailers year-round through social networking, the creation of special products and events, as well as physical and digital offerings. Born in Munich Germany, Kurtz was raised on American military bases. He now lives in Los Angeles.
Liz Leahy
CEO & Founder
Secton 101
Liz Leahy is founder and CEO of Section 101, a New York-based company that delivers web-based solutions for music and entertainment brands to manage and maximize online presence. Her platform enables clients to create personalized websites that are easy to use, with a powerful suite of integrated tools designed to organize and leverage fan bases across a growing number of online and social channels. Leading music artists and brands like Duran Duran, Kina Grannis, Bush, Diane Birch, Rachael Yamagata, Marc Cohn, Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Junip, Early Winters, Hesta Prynn, Radio Woodstock, the Rube Goldberg Estate and others rely on Section 101 technology to power their digital presence. As a founding principal of Bigfoot Interactive, one of the first web and email companies, Leahy worked to bring brands like Disney, New Line Cinema and AT&T into the online world. As an expert in digital marketing, she is also a mentor to students attending Columbia Business School.
Vivien Lewit
Director of Content Partnerships
YouTube
Vivien Lewit has spent the majority of the past 16 years as a practicing attorney in the recording industry. Her experience includes advising and counseling artists, independent record labels, producers, production companies and songwriters across all genres of music at varying stages of their development and careers. Her expertise ranges from guiding indie bands to structuring and managing the myriad of business and legal dealings related to the careers of global superstar artists. Before her many years as an associate at entertainment law firm Rudolph & Beer, Lewit joined prestigious boutique firm Davis, Shapiro, Lewit, & Hayes as a partner in 2003. She is also an avid photographer, and has had her work exhibited in a Manhattan non-profit gallery funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Chris Lighty
CEO
Violator Management
Chris Lighty, the 36-year-old CEO of Violator Records/Management, has been creating strategic multi-million dollar opportunities for the company’s artists since it launched in 1989. Among the acts Violator has worked with are 50 Cent, Missy Elliott, Three 6 Mafia, LL Cool J and Diddy, across such platforms as film, television, advertising, sports and finance. In all, Violator has amassed more than $70 million in combined record sales and brand-related ventures.
Monte Lipman
President & CEO
Avery Lipman
Co-President & COO
Universal Republic Records
Monte Lipman, President & CEO of Universal Republic Records, and Avery Lipman, Co-President of Universal Republic Records, remain among the most influential executives in the music industry, with a roster that includes superstars Florence + the Machine, Black Sabbath, Enrique Iglesias, Gotye, Of Monsters + The Men, Kid Cudi, Eddie Vedder, Godsmack, Colbie Caillat, Amy Winehouse and The Rolling Stones. The label comprises co-ventures and partnerships envisioned by The Lipmans, including Republic Nashville, Aware, Big Machine, Brushfire, Cash Money, Lava, SRC, Tuff Gong and Rick Rubin’s American Records. In 1995, the brothers founded successful start-up Republic Records and in 2000, Universal fully committed to the label’s vision, acquiring it as a fully owned subsidiary. Monte assumed additional duties as President of Universal Records, and Avery was named Senior Vice President of Republic Records.
Linda Lorence Critelli
Writer/Publisher Relations
SESAC
Linda Lorence Critelli is Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations for the performing rights organization SESAC in New York, responsible for signing and working with SESAC’s up-and-coming roster of talent and the organization’s established professionals. She also works to promote SESAC and its songwriter and publishing company affiliates through outreach efforts, hosts a popular showcase for unsigned songwriting talent and produces workshops to help educate the songwriting and music communities on timely business issues. In addition, Critelli helps produce SESAC’s awards presentations to honor its top talent. She was recently named president of the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy (NARAS). She is a Board member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the National Music Council and is former president of Women in Music. Critelli is a graduate of Berklee College of Music where she has received the colleges “Distinguished Alumni” honor.
Dave Lory
Executive Director & Producer
New Music Seminar
Founder/President
DJL Artist Services
Dave Lory has an in-depth understanding of the music business that stems from a wealth of experience in several areas of the industry. He is one of the few executives to have worked in every major genre of popular music including rock, pop, country, folk, classical, jazz, hip-hop and R&B. His resume includes being a musician, chairman to artist management firms, heading international operations at a major record label, starting up one of the most successful independent record companies in the past decade, producing memorable live events, and coordinating and managing large-scale international tours.
In September 2009, Lory started DJL Music Productions LLC as a company which does production of live shows, events and tour management, as he returns to the roots of the entertainment industry he loves the most. Lory’s first clients were the New Music Seminar, where he is a partner with original NMS co-founder Tom Silverman of Tommy Boy as well as the Producer of the events, tour managed Perez Hilton’s US tour and coordinated Kid Cudi’s US while tour managing Semi Precious Weapons tour of the US with Lady Gaga.
Some of the highlights in an almost 30 year career includes managing artists such as Jeff Buckley, The Allman Brothers and Courtney Love, to running International Records at Mercury Records and Sr. VP of Artemis Records. Artist Lory has worked with include Bon Jovi, KISS, Shania Twain, Warren Zevon, Steve Earle and Elvis Costello among others. In addition, his teaching duties in the music business programs at William Paterson University and New York University, (where he attended college with a major in both Music Performance and Music Business) as well as his involvement in “Grammy in the Schools” program for N.A.R.A.S., has proven him to be a great motivator and educator. Recently, Dave produced the 3-day music festival Escape to New York for Secret Garden UK founder Fred Fellows in Southampton, NY.
Rico Love
Producer & Founder
Division1
Multi Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Rico Love has a diverse list of clientele and has crafted hits for the likes of Chris Brown, T.I., Diddy, Natasha Bedingfield, Flo Rida, Beyoncé and Usher. In 2010, Love took on the role of CEO as Founder of Division1, to develop and put out his own roster of talent. As a SESAC Songwriter of the Year, he has scored chart-topping hits for Kelly Rowland, David Guetta, Mary J. Blige and Romeo Santos, and is working in 2012 with Usher, Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, T.I., Rihanna and more.
Bob Ludwig
Mastering Engineer & President
Gateway Mastering
Multi-Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning mastering engineer Bob Ludwig holds degrees in music education and music literature from the Eastman School of Music. He played Principal Trumpet with the Utica Symphony Orchestra, is the owner of Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine, and has mastered countless gold and platinum and 15 Diamond Award records. First Person awarded Ludwig the Les Paul Award for “consistently outstanding achievements in the professional audio industry,” while he has also garnered 15 TEC Awards. Gateway has been featured in 11 allmusic.com lists along with 42 pages of credits for Ludwig, possibly more than any engineer. He is a Fellow of the AES Steering Committee member and past co-chair of the P&E Wing of the Recording Academy.
Jacob Luttrell
Songwriter
Jacob Luttrell is a hit songwriter from Fresno Calif. His first single, Enrique Iglesias’ “Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You),” sold 2 million digital downloads and was a global hit as well as a No. 1 at U.S. top 40 radio. Luttrell is now working with other top artists, including Timbaland, Justin Bieber, B.o.B., David Guetta, Chris Brown, 2am Club and Jason Derulo. He is also writing and recording his own solo project, which he hopes to release later in 2012.
Chris MacDonald
Founder & CEO
HugeFan
Chris MacDonald is CEO and Co-Founder of HugeFan, an online marketplace where performers and their fans create memorable in-person experiences together. He also created IndieFeed, the world’s largest music podcast network that offers free music tracks, each with a story about the band and where to find more. IndieFeed has delivered more than 100 million listens to active fan communities. MacDonald is a sought-after speaker at such events as SXSW, Future of Music, NAB, Ad-Tech, Dow Jones Investment Summit and wherever interesting conversations about music and technology happen.
Ammar Malik
Songwriter
Ammar Malik is a songwriter and musician from Reston, Va. At the age of 24, he has written and worked on songs that have sold in excess of 10 million singles. Among Malik’s notable titles are Maroon 5’s No. 1 “Moves Like Jagger” and “Payphone,” Gym Class Heroes’ “Stereo Hearts” and “Ass Back Home,” and B.o.B. featuring Taylor Swift’s “Both of Us.”
Joie Manda
President
Def Jam
Joie Manda has been President of Def Jam Recordings since April 2012. He previously served as Head of Urban Music for Warner Bros. Records, where he was involved in the signing of Common, Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group (Wale, Meek Mill), Waka Flocka Flame and Jill Scott. Manda began at Warner as EVP of Asylum Records when the label was revived in 2004, and signed Paul Wall and Bun B. His industry career began as an artist manager.
Billy Mann
Songwriter, Producer, Music Executive
BillyMann.com
Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer and music industry executive Billy Mann is responsible for sales of more than 100 million albums and countless top 10 singles with his credits. Among artists he has worked with are Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, Pink, Jessica Simpson, Martina McBride, Sting, Joss Stone, Hall & Oates, Mary J. Blige and many more from pop, rock, R&B and country. Mann is also Chairman of Manncom Cree-8-iV Partners and the Founder of Green & Bloom Music Publishing; as well as the former CCO & President of International EMI and President of BMG North America. He lives in New York.
Stephen Marcone Ed.D
Professor of Music, Director, Music and Entertainment Management Programs
William Paterson University
Stephen Marcone is Director of the Music & Entertainment Management Program at William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J. He began his career in the early 1970s as a trumpet player in Jam Factory, where he recorded for Epic Records and toured the country, also taking an active role in the creative & managerial aspects of the group. In 1973, Marcone joined the faculty of the School of Music at Syracuse University and also was named VP of the Syracuse Musicians Association. In 1984, he came to William Paterson, where he was Chairperson of the Music Department for 15 years, and recently, for two years, was Interim Dean of the College of the Arts and Communication.
Jodi Marr
Songwriter/Producer
JodiMarr.com
Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Jodi Marr signed with Universal Records in 1999, and subsequently inked a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. Marr won her first Grammy in 2003 as one of the first female record producers in the Latin music market. In 2006, she discovered and helped launch U.K. artist Mika, as associate producer of his “Life in Cartoon Motion,” which sold more than 7 million copies worldwide, achieving gold or platinum status in 32 markets. In addition to writing several U.S., Latin and European No. 1 hits, in total Marr has garnered 30+ Grammy certifications for songs/productions. Now signed worldwide to Sony Music Publishing, she has also placed songs in film and TV.
Hartwig Masuch
CEO
BMG Rights Management
Hartwig Masuch is a music publisher with more than 30 years of experience. After running his own music publishing company, he joined Warner Music Publishing Germany as General Manager Repertoire in 1985, and was promoted to General Manager & VP Creative Affairs in 1987. In 1991, Masuch joined BMG Music Publishing as Managing Director & SVP; then advised Bertelsmann, BMG’s parent company, in selling its 50% share in Sony BMG Music Entertainment. In 2008, Masuch was appointed CEO of BMG. The joint venture of Bertelsmann and KKR covers the entire range of music rights management and places the needs of songwriters and artists at the core of its business model. Having completed a number of major acquisitions, it now represents the rights to more than 1 million songs and is the fourth-largest company in the global music publishing industry.
Doc McGhee
CEO
McGhee Entertainment
As CEO of McGhee Entertainment, Doc McGhee has managed the careers of a diverse roster of artists, including James Brown, Mink DeVille, Scorpions and Diana Ross. Collectively, his acts have sold more than 250 million albums. McGhee founded the careers of Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Skid Row and in 1996, reunited KISS for their 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide Tour. He continues to manage the band, which released its No. 1 rock album “Sonic Boom” in 2011 as a Walmart exclusive and just completed a two-year (and its most successful ever) world tour, including partnerships with Dr. Pepper, Guitar Center, Budweiser and the New Mexico State Lottery. McGhee Entertainment’s current roster also includes Darius Rucker, Hootie & The Blowfish, Ted Nugent, Down, Rodney Atkins, Night Ranger, Chris Cagle, Heidi Newfield, Drew Davis, Cheyenne Kimball (of Gloriana), Adam Brand, Jeremy Lister, Shanaz, Sacha Edwards, The Dirty Guv’nahs, The Willis Clan and Vintage Trouble.
Gregory Mead
Co-Founder, Musicmetric
Musicmetric
Gregory Mead co-founded Musicmetric in early 2008, while working as Music Editor for Felix, Imperial College’s London-based newspaper, with the initial aim of discovering innovative trends for the music industry and breaking artists to feature. The project uncovered the potential to challenge forms of outdated data and alter the way an industry makes decisions. Today, Musicmetric has closed two major rounds of VC funding, grown to 16 fulltime staffers, closed major record label deals, partnered with Last.fm to help emerging artists track progress, supplied products to thousands of users and is opening a permanent presence in the U.S. as its rate of growth increases exponentially. With a degree in physics from Imperial College London, Mead specialized in computational physics and data analysis, skills that come in handy when challenged with the large amounts of data churned out by fan interactions with music across the Internet.
Lawrence Mestel
Partner & CEO
Primary Wave Music Publishing
Lawrence Mestel brings 20 years of entertainment industry experience as Founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music Publishing, comprising a catalog of iconic and developing artists and songwriters, including Kurt Cobain, Steven Tyler, John Lennon, Def Leppard, Hall & Oates, Chicago, Maurice White, Steve Earle, Graham Parker, Holly Knight, Steven Curtis Chapman and Lamont Dozier. In addition, Primary Wave offers a talent management division and an intellectual property creation arm. Previously, Mestel was COO and GM of Virgin Records, responsible for marketing, sales and business-related aspects, where he worked with The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Dupri and Lenny Kravitz; and EVP/GM at Arista, managing sales, international and strategic marketing, A&R & marketing administration, finance and business affairs. He also worked in management for Island Entertainment Group.
Rob Miller
Mainstream AC Format Brand Coordinator and Program Director of WKTU-FM New York
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
Rob Miller, whose radio career spans more than two decades, is part of Clear Channel’s National Programming Platforms team as Brand Coordinator for CC’s Mainstream AC format stations. He is also Program Director for legendary outlet WKTU-FM (103.5) New York, one of the most-listened-to radio stations in America, with a weekly audience of 5 million. Miller began his career at AC WALK-FM Long Island, N.Y., where he spent 18 years, the last five as Program Director. He has called Long Island home his entire life.
Martin Mills
Chairman
Beggars Group Limited
Martin Mills set up Beggars Banquet in 1974, initially as a record store chain, and guided its expansion into a record label in 1977. Now trading as The Beggars Group with flagship labels 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade and XL, he runs one of the largest independent music groups in the U.K., with offices in all major markets. Actively involved in promoting the interests of the independent sector, Mills was instrumental in setting up the Association of Independent Music, IMPALA, A2IM in the U.S. and most recently, the Worldwide Independent Network, each representing interests of the independent music industry. He also helped found Merlin, an independents’ rights licensing body. In addition, Mills participates in the government’s Music Industry Forum and the Music Business Forum, and is a director of PPL and VPL, the industry’s rights licensing bodies. He was awarded an MBE at the 2008 New Year Honours.
Julien Mitelberg
CEO
Bandsintown
COO & co-founder
Cellfish
Julien Mitelberg is Co-Founder and COO of Cellfish, a leading mobile and social application publisher; and CEO of Bandsintown, a live concert tracking and discovery application. In 2004, Mitelberg established Cellfish’s U.S. business with the launch of BlingTones, the world’s first wireless record label. He currently coordinates teams in New York, San Diego and Montreal to work on apps for the most popular U.S. sports and entertainment franchises, including NFL, NBA, NHL, Fox and Marvel. Since Cellfish’s September 2011 acquisition of Bandsintown, he has been integrally involved in its development, particularly expansion into mobile platforms and new geographic markets.
Patrick Moxey
President / CEO / Owner Ultra Music
Ultra Music, Ultra Records
Patrick Moxey, President and Founder of Ultra Records, Ultra Music, Ultra International Music Publishing and its offshoots, is a visionary pioneer who pushed past barriers to bring electronic dance music into America’s mainstream, topping the pop charts with such tracks as Calvin Harris’ collaboration with Rihanna “We Found Love,” David Guetta’s 2009 “Love Is Gone” (before he became a household name), Yolanda Be Cool’s “We No Speak Americano” (platinum), Edward Maya’s “Stereo Love” (double platinum) and Alexandra Stan’s 2011 radio smash “Mr Saxobeat” (nearly platinum). Today, New York’s Ultra Music has offices in Europe and Canada, alongside a new Los Angeles outpost. However, the label started small and was always a personal obsession for one man who loved dance music before it was considered cool: Moxey has propelled electronic dance music from the fringe underground to the forefront of American music buyers, club goers and radio listeners.
Chris Muratore
VP, Merchant Services & Emerging Growth at Nielsen Entertainment
Neilsen Entertainment
Chris Muratore began in the entertainment industry with Trans World Entertainment in Albany, N.Y., where he was responsible for radio, print and co-op advertising. In 1994, he was recruited by SoundScan founders Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Muratore currently serves as Vice President of Merchant Services & Emerging Growth, responsible for developing and managing relationships with all media entertainment companies that provide services to consumers in the music, home video and book industries, including more than 40,000 physical outlets and digital services in 30+ nations. Data is then platformed via Nielsen’s SoundScan, Broadcast Data Systems, SoundScan International, RingScan, VideoScan and BookScan. Muratore has also been tasked with building strategic relationships with content and technology companies that will enable Nielsen to provide comprehensive information and insights on entertainment consumption.
Vickie Nauman
President, North America
7digital
As President-North America for innovative London-based music platform 7digital, Vickie Nauman specializes in music, technology and international business development. Through the company’s API, 7digital delivers 17+ million licensed tracks from all major/indie labels via 7digital.com, and for 300 global partners, including T-Mobile USA, Blackberry, HP, Samsung, Shazam and many innovative start-ups. Prior to joining 7digital, Nauman had key roles with Sonos, Seattle radio station KEXP, RealNetworks, National Public Radio, Procter and Gamble, and ran consultancy CrossBorderWorks with clients in China and Europe.
Sean O’Connell
Founder & CEO
Creative Allies
Sean O’Connell has two decades of industry experience in artist management, concert promotion, tour booking, label marketing, online distribution and radio promotion. He has worked with such talent as Ani DiFranco, Justin Timberlake, Joan Osborne and Aimee Mann, as well as popular festivals like Bonnaroo, Hangout Music Fest and Camp Bisco. As CEO and founder of entertainment, marketing and promotions firm Music Allies, O’Connell’s clients include indies (Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records, Justin Timberlake’s Tennman Records, Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records) and large-scale concerts (Moogfest, Lights All Night, Outside Lands). In 2010, he founded Creative Allies, a fan sourcing platform that puts its 25,000-member community of designers and illustrators in front of major music artists and brands like the Shins, LMFAO, Feist, the Vans Warp Tour, AriZona Iced Tea and Hyundai to produce fan-generated artwork for merchandise. In 2012, O’Connell launched the BandArt Facebook app that opens Creative Allies’ platform and features to the public. He began as the owner of a public radio station and also an executive at Rykodisc.
Dominic Pandiscia
Executive Vice President Commercial and Revenue Development
EMI Music North America
Dominic Pandiscia is currently Executive Vice President of Commercial and Revenue Development for EMI Music North America, which includes responsibility for all of EMI’s revenue streams, including physical and digital retail sales, non-traditional business development, direct-to-consumer, merchandise, brand partnership operations and Synch and Licensing. Pandiscia has been with EMI for 22 years, spanning a wide range of roles: starting as a Marketing Consultant for EMI Records, followed by Sales Rep for CEMA Distribution, multiple sales roles for Virgin Records (including SVP of Sales for Virgin and Capitol Music Group), and General Manager of EMI Label Services and Caroline Distribution.
Sean Parker
Executive General Partner
Founders Fund
In 1999, at the age of 19, Sean Parker co-founded Napster and changed the way people think about and share music. Two years later, he co-founded Plaxo, a pioneering viral engineering technology for updating contact information. Parker served as Plaxo’s President until 2004, when he joined Mark Zuckerberg to develop online social network Facebook. As that start-up’s founding president, Parker helped transform a humble idea into an industry behemoth. In 2007, he co-founded Causes, which promotes online philanthropy; and in 2010, joined Airtime as a co-founder, reuniting with Napster co-founder Shawn Fanning at a social video company backed by Founders Fund.
Matthew Perpetua
Founder
Flux Blog
Ten years ago, Matthew Perpetua created Fluxblog, the first mp3 blog, which he has been writing daily ever since. He is also an associate editor at RollingStone.com, a contributor to Pitchfork and has been a writer and producer for Public Radio International, New York Magazine, the Associated Press, NPR, Slate, MTV and Spin.
Philippe Perreaux
CEO
rightclearing
Philippe Perreaux is CEO of rightclearing, which simplifies and democratizes the market for music licensing, automating the process of searching for songs, creating and paying for binding legal licenses. It was developed by artist-based music platform restorm.com and is fully integrated therein. After graduating from law school at the University of Zurich, Perreaux worked as a legal adviser for the largest photo agencies across Europe and today represents Creative Commons in Switzerland. His background in intellectual property and knowledge about the friction involved with licensing, inspired Perreaux to find a solution to this problem: rightclearing.com, whose technology merges the concept of copyright (©), Creative Commons (CC) and Public Domain (PD) into one system that allows the monetization of usage rights.
Julie Perry
VP, Social Media Director
BLASTmedia
Julie Perry is VP of Social Media at BLASTmedia, an integrated PR and social media marketing agency. She leads a team in planning, strategizing and executing full-scale social media and audience development campaigns for clients primarily in the consumer and enterprise tech, outdoor recreation and fashion industries. As a contributing author to “Success Secrets of the Social Media Marketing Superstars,” published by Entrepreneur Press, Perry has been a featured speaker on YouTube and social media marketing at social media events around the country, including her recent third appearance at BlogWorld & New Media Expo.
Daniel Petruzzi
President
Okayplayer
Dan Petruzzi is President of Okayplayer.com, The Root’s online music portal and web community, which launched in 1999. He also serves as Brand Director and Music Editor at Mass Appeal (massappeal.com), an arm of indie record label and creative marketing agency Decon, for whom Petruzzi provides digital strategy.
Julie Pilat
Program Director, KYSR and Musical Director of KIIS Los Angeles, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
As one of America’s top radio programmers, Julie Pilat is known for her encyclopedic knowledge of all types of music and a passion for breaking new artists. Based in Los Angeles, she splits time between duties as Program Director of alternative rock KYSR (98-7) and Music Director/APD of legendary top 40 KIIS-FM—two of the largest radio stations in the country. Pilat is also respected throughout the music industry as a key player in artist development. Her eye for talent led to an instrumental role in launching such stars as Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, OneRepublic, Jason Derulo and Foster the People. She counts Timbaland, Dr. Luke, Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, J.R. Rotem and Rodney Jerkins among her close colleagues.
Bob Pittman
CEO
Clear Channel
Robert W. Pittman is Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel media, digital and entertainment. His purview includes Clear Channel Media + Entertainment, offering greater reach than any other radio or television outlet in the U.S., while serving 240 million listeners every month; and Clear Channel Outdoor, with close to one million displays in 40+ countries. Prior to his CEO appointment, Pittman served as Chairman of Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Platforms. He is also a founding member of Pilot Group, LLC, a New York private investment firm; and a co-founder and programmer that led the creation of MTV. Other career stops: CEO of MTV Networks, AOL Networks, Six Flags Theme Parks, Quantum Media, Century 21 Real Estate and Time Warner Enterprises; and COO of America Online and AOL Time Warner. Among many honors, Pittman has been inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and received the International Radio and Television Society’s Gold Medal and a Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award. He was recognized in Life’s “Five Original Thinkers of the ‘80s,” Advertising Age’s “50 Pioneers and Visionaries of TV” and “10 Marketers Who Changed American Culture.” Pittman began his career as a radio announcer in his native Mississippi and programmed a number of radio stations, including WNBC New York.
Ash Pournouri
Artist Manager & Executive Producer
At Night Management
Ash Pournouri’s business acumen has made him one of the most formidable forces in the dance music industry, as a manager, mentor, producer, promoter, A&R visionary, philanthropist and legal mind… all by age 30. Pournouri began in the business as a promoter and in 2008, spotted budding artist Tim Bergling and signed the 18 year old to his At Night management agency. Today, known as “Avicii,” the Swedish DJ, remixer and producer has scored hit singles across Europe, including “Seek Bromance” and the Etta James-sampled “Le7els.” In 2011, Avicii garnered a Best Dance Recording Grammy nod for the co-produced David Guetta track “Sunshine,” while the dance act was ranked No. 6 on DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs list. But perhaps more significant: Avicii and Pournouri personally donated $1 million from touring to Feeding America, a hunger-relief organization comprising 200+ U.S. food banks. Pournouri is now preparing to repeat history, taking on the same role for his latest act, dub-house duo Cazzette.Cazzette.
Tommy Ramone
Artist
The Ramones
Uncle Monk
Tommy Ramone began his musical career as Tom Erdelyi, an engineer at the Record Plant recording studio. Born in Budapest, Hungary, and raised in Forest Hills, Queens, N.Y., he co-founded the Ramones with Johnny, Joey and Dee Dee and participated in the birth of punk and indie-rock, working as the band’s drummer, producer and manager. He has also produced recordings by the Talking Heads, Redd Kross and the Replacements. Currently he is performing in the critically acclaimed indie acoustic duo Uncle Monk.
Elliot A. Resnik, Esq.
Associate
Shukat Arrow Hafer Weber & Herbsman, L.L.P.
Admitted to the New York Bar in 2001, Elliot A. Resnik has a general entertainment practice, concentrating on music industry transactions including artist, writer and producer representation for recording and publishing agreements, licensing, trademark, joint ventures, digital distribution and content, record label and publishing business affairs. He is also experienced in transactions for film, TV, video gaming, publishing, new technology and the Internet. In 2009, he joined the firm of Shukat Arrow Hafer Weber & Herbsman, L.L.P. Previously, Resnik was a member of the legal and business affairs team at TVT Records; and from 2003 to 2009, principal at The Law Offices of Elliot A. Resnik.
Adam Ritholtz
Founding Partner
Ritholz Levy Sanders Chidekel & Fields LLP
Adam Ritholz is founding partner of Ritholz Levy Sanders Chidekel & Fields LLP, originally established in 1995. A main focus of Adam’s practice now is start up and entrepreneurial entertainment and technology companies for which the firm provides a broad range of services, including development of business model strategies, financing documents, revenue modeling, corporate set up and documentation, trademark, employment, talent and IP acquisition, digital platform licensing, as well as joint venture and acquisition transactions and distribution agreements. Adam has been at the forefront of the development of new approaches to the infrastructure and revenue models of new and developing entertainment companies to bring a fresh ground up approach to the challenges presented by the eroding viability of conventional entertainment business models.
Ian Rogers
CEO & Founder
Topspin Media
Ian Rogers, Chief Executive Officer of Topspin Media, is a music and technology industry veteran with roots in defining the way artists and consumers promote and experience online digital media. Rogers has been building digital media applications since 1992, and created one of the first music-related websites and built many of the original promotional sites for the music and movie industries. Prior to founding Topspin, he was VP and GM of Yahoo! Music and Yahoo! Video, overseeing development of their websites, as well as Music.Yahoo.com, LAUNCHcast radio and Yahoo! Music’s Unlimited subscription service. Previously, Rogers was founder, president and CTO of Mediacode, a media software developer responsible for an early “music in the cloud” service; CTO at rVision, one of the first web design firms; President of New Media for the Beastie Boys’ record label; and for lifestyle brand Grand Royal.
Carl J. Rohling, Esq.
Vice President, Sales & Business Development
TuneIn Radio
Carl J. Rohling, Esq. runs worldwide business development for TuneIn, a free service that lets people listen to live local and global music, sports, comedy and news across 200 devices from wherever they are. TuneIn offers more than 60,000 AM, FM, HD and Internet radio stations and more than two million on-demand programs streaming from every continent. Prior to TuneIn, Rohling worked in Silicon Valley at technology companies Creative Labs and Sonicblue. Earlier in his career he worked as a New York associate at both Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson and Paul, Weiss.
David Rosner
Executive Vice President, Director, Innovations
Initiative U.S.
Dave Rosner serves as Executive Vice President and Director of Innovations for Initiative, one of the Interpublic Group’s two media networks and part of the company’s IPG Mediabrands unit. His team consists of visionary thinkers, drawing creative ideas from the worlds of technology, emerging media and pop culture to generate cutting-edge campaigns. Rosner has presided over a string of successes that identify trends and then leverages them for clients. In 2010, he was named a “Media All-Star” by Mediaweek magazine. In 2007, he led the creation of the first 24/7 mobile channel promoting Lionsgate’s “Saw III,” which was named Adweek’s “Mobile Media Plan of the Year.”
Sean Ross
Executive Editor, Music & Programming
Radio-Info.com/in3media, inc.
Sean Ross has been chronicling the radio business for nearly 30 years at R&R, Billboard, Airplay Monitor, M Street Journal and, for the last three years, at Radio-Info.com, home of his long-running “Ross On Radio” column. He also works with stations directly through Edison Research and does other consulting to the radio and music business.
Steve Savoca
Head of Content
Spotify
Steve Savoca oversees Spotify’s global label relations and operations teams, managing all music content as well as leading artist marketing and promotional activities. He has worked in the music industry for more than 15 years, previously as Global Head of Digital for Domino Records. Savoca has also held senior digital roles at celebrated Warner Music imprint Sire Records, and pop powerhouse Jive Records (BMG/Sony).
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of NARM/Digitalmusic.org and previously served on the Board of independent rights agency Merlin.
Gerrit Schumann
CEO
Simfy
Gerrit Schumann is CEO of award-winning, multi-platform music subscription service simfy, currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium, an ideal innovation for his vision of a new and improved digital music market. Previously, Schumann was considered one of the earliest Internet pioneers, as founder of global e-commerce company element 5, where he was CEO from 1996 to 2006, and Chairman of its executive board from 1998 to 2005. He was previously a private investor, holding direct investments in technology, financial and media companies.
Nikhil Seetharam
Songwriter
Nikhil Seetharam, known as Nikhil S, is a Grammy-nominated Canadian composer, and a hip-hop and R&B producer. His 2010 breakthrough was a production contribution for Nicki Minaj’s single “Moment 4 Life,” which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard Hip-Hop and R&B, No. 1 on the Billboard Rap chart and No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has since been certified platinum and was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards. Nikhil S’ second hit was a co-production of “I’m On One” for DJ Khaled featuring Drake, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. With 13 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Chart and 11 weeks atop Billboard Hip-Hop and R&B, it was also nominated for a Best Rap Collaboration Grammy. He has also worked with T.I. and John Legend, and recently scored work on the soundtrack for “Searching for Angels,” starring Vivica Fox and Veronika London. Seetharam is currently working on another feature film called “The Incredible.”
Dave Shapiro
Agent
The Agency Group
At 29 years old, Dave Shapiro has been making waves left and right in the music industry. He was named to Billboard Magazine’s “30 under 30″ list in 2010, which honors young music industry power players, and is a booking agent at The Agency Group, with a roster of 50 bands, including A Day To Remember, The Devil Wears Prada, Falling in Reverse, Attack Attack and Streetlight Manifesto. Shapiro remains at the forefront of an evolving music business as an industry tastemaker.
J Sider
Founder / CEO
RootMusic
J Sider is Founder & CEO of San Francisco-based RootMusic, which Billboard magazine named one of the “Top 10 Best Digital Media Startups.” The company makes Facebook’s music app BandPage, allowing artists to create customized fan pages with tracks, videos, photos and touring schedules. It launched in 2010, and now boasts more than 31 million unique users a month. Sider has been named to both Forbes and Billboard’s “30 Under 30″ in 2011, and is a musician and music lover at heart, who believes that technology is an art, not just a product. He strives to build technology that impacts people as deeply as music.
Tom Silverman
Executive Director
New Music Seminar
Founder/President
Tommy Boy EntertainmentOver the course of three tumultuous decades in popular music, Tommy Boy Founder and Chairman Tom Silverman has created a striking success story for himself and his company. In the process, Tommy Boy has earned gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums by such artists as Everlast, Queen Latifah, Coolio, Naughty By Nature, Club Nouveau, De La Soul, Digital Underground and House of Pain, and has earned kudos as Billboard magazine’s No. 1 dance label six years in a row. In addition, Silverman’s innovative ideas about packaging, marketing and distribution of music helped separate Tommy Boy from the pack. In 1981, Silverman and partners Joel Webber and Marc Josephson created the original New Music Seminar as a grassroots music industry gathering for disenfranchised music business upstarts. From humble beginnings, it has become one of the biggest and most significant conventions in the music industry. The NMS’ combination of panels, workshops and live showcases has become the model for CMJ, Canadian Music Week, Winter Music Conference and SXSW, among other followers. Silverman is a founding member of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) and Merlin; sits on the Board of SoundExchange, the RIAA and We Are Family Foundation; and has served on the boards of NARM, NAIRD, AFIM, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Dance Music Hall of Fame.

Ralph Simon
CEO & Founder
Mobilium Global
Chairman Emeritus
Mobile Entertainment Forum America
Ralph Simon is one of the founders of the modern global mobile entertainment and content industry. As a prominent international mobile visionary, trailblazer and innovator, he has shaped mobile entertainment, playing a central role in the U.S. and around the world, popularly known as “the father of the ring tone.” Pre-mobile, Simon co-founded Zomba and Jive Records, and also helped shape Capitol Records’ new media business.
Yancey Strickler
Co-founder
Kickstarter
Yancey Strickler is Co-Founder of Kickstarter, the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. His writing has appeared in New York Magazine, Pitchfork, Spin and the Village Voice, among other publications. He lives in New York City and has personally backed more than 600 Kickstarter projects.
Richard Stumpf
President
Imagem Music
Richard Stumpf is President of Imagem Music USA, where he oversees the growth and management of the U.S. publishing division. Prior to taking the helm in 2010, he was SVP of Creative Services and Marketing for legendary music publisher Cherry Lane. Previously, Stumpf held management positions with such entertainment-related companies as EMI/Capitol Records, new media pioneer MCY Music, PC Artist Management and Musicland. He has worked with Ozzy Osbourne, The Black Eyed Peas, John Legend, Quincy Jones, Wolfmother, The Who, Sammy Hagar, John Denver, ‘N Sync and Willie Nelson. Additionally, Stumpf sits on Boards for the National Music Publishers Association, American Association of Independent Music and Association of Independent Music Publisher, as well as a voting member of the Recording Academy.
John Sykes
President
Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises
John Sykes is President of Entertainment Enterprises at Clear Channel Media, responsible for developing new businesses for CC across a broad range of media, including television and live events. He also works with advertisers and marketers on creative ways to leverage the company’s audience of hundreds of millions across multiple media platforms to create value for strategic partners; and collaborates with Ryan Seacrest Productions on production and distribution of scripted and non-scripted TV programming and development of other media and entertainment content. As a long-time music, entertainment and media executive, Sykes was a member of the team that created MTV; served as President of VH1; was President of Network Development for MTV Networks; Chairman and CEO of Infinity Broadcasting (now CBS Radio); President of Champion Entertainment; and President of Chrysalis Records. He serves on the boards of Shazam, the Robin Hood Foundation, Project RED, VH1 Save the Music, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.
Robin Taylor
Owner
Inland Empire Touring
Robin Taylor launched Inland Empire Touring in 1998 and has booked and helped develop touring platforms for Modest Mouse, !!!, Wolf Parade, The Hold Steady, The Rapture and the Shins, as well as bringing comedians into alternative rock venues, including Fred Armisen, Janeane Garofalo, Tim and Eric, Eugene Mirman, Hannibal Buress and Jon Benjamin. Taylor began her career as a promoter for The O.K. Hotel, one of the first all-ages rooms devoted to underground and alternative music—booking Green Day, Nirvana, Mudhoney, Screaming Trees, Helmut and Babes in Toyland—which led to arranging full tours for many of the acts. As an agent, her clients have included Jawbreaker, Fluf, The Dwarves, The Gits and 7 Year Bitch. She also worked at agency ICM.
Kristin Thomson
Co-Director
Artist Revenue Streams Project
Kristin Thomson is a consultant for the national non-profit Future of Music Coalition, which advocates for musicians. She currently co-directs FMC’s Artist Revenue Streams research project, which is examining changes in musicians’ sources of income. She is co-owner of Simple Machines, an independent record label, which released 70+ records and CDs from 1991 to 1998. Thomson also played guitar in the band Tsunami, which released four albums from 1991 to 1997 and toured extensively. She currently lives near Philadelphia with her husband Bryan Dilworth, a concert promoter, and their son, where she also plays guitar in the lady-powered band, Ken.
Mike Tompkins
Artist
Mike Tompkin’s innovative approach to music using only his voice and mouth rocketed the artist to notoriety when celebrity blogger Perez Hilton posted his cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”/Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are” on his popular website. This was followed by appearances on “The Ellen Show,” “The Today Show” and two trips to Miami to work with Timbaland as a writer and producer for his upcoming album. Garnering more than 450,000 subscribers and 77 million views on YouTube, Tompkins recently partnered with Maker Studios and hit the ground running—recording and filming the official song for the Weinstein documentary “Bully.”
Ritu Trivedi
Senior Vice President, Director of Digital Strategy & Partnerships
MediaVest USA
As SVP, Director of Digital Strategy & Partnerships for MediaVest USA, Ritu Trivedi oversees integration of digital strategy and digitized media solutions across all channels of communication. She also serves as the digital lead for several MediaVest clients, including Kraft and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Trivedi comes to MediaVest with more than 15 years of digital experience in the media and advertising industries, and previously served as Managing Partner, Media Director at Mindshare, operating as the digital lead on Unilever. She also held positions at DraftFCB and Universal McCann, where she worked with such clients as Coca-Cola, GE, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Absolut, HBO and Dannon.
Bob Tulipan
Author
“Rockin’ in the New World”
Bob Tulipan is a music industry veteran that has produced live shows for numerous acts, including The Police, Cheap Trick, Gloria Estefan, Judas Priest and Talking Heads. He has also promoted films by The Rolling Stones, Yes and Rod Stewart; managed PiL, Psychedelic Furs and others; and founded TCG, which provides services for labels, agencies and artists, including Madonna, Blur, Bjork, Prodigy and Coldplay. Tulipan is author of “Rockin’ in the New World: Taking Your Band from the Basement to the Big Time,” part field guide and part artistic coaching session, which explains the ins and outs of the music industry in plain English.
Amaechi Uzoigwe
Head of Content & Business Affairs
Official.fm
Amaechi Uzoigwe is Head of Content & Business Affairs for Official.fm, which provides leading-edge technology solutions for music professionals to more efficiently and intelligently optimize digital music promotion and drive fan engagement. Uzoigwe oversees the company’s business development, music industry initiatives and outreach, marketing and North American operations. Current users of the platform include Wiz Khalifa, Sony/Red Distribution, Adult Swim, Warp Records, Kitsune, Fool’s Gold, Red Bull, K7, Diesel:U:Music Japan and more. A longtime label owner and artist manager prior to joining Official.fm, Uzoigwe co-founded independent hip-hop label Definitive Jux, spearheading its e-commerce platform and helping innovate the DIY direct-to-fan e-commerce model. At World’s Fair management group, he and his partners provided artist and label management solutions for such clients as The Flaming Lips, Daptone/Sharon Jones, J Dilla/BBE Records, Devendra Banhart, Jarvis Cocker, Rough Trade, Fabric London and El-P. Uzoigwe was also a founding board member of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), serving as its first Chairman from 2006-2009.
Darius Van Arman
Founder
Jagjaguwar
Co-Owner
Dead Oceans
Secretly Canadian
SC Distribution
Fort William Artist Management
In 1996, Virginia-based band The Curious Digit recorded an album, but had no label. Their friend Darius Van Arman came to the rescue with the launch of indie Jagjaguwar. From there, in 1999, he aligned with Chris Swanson, part owner of label Secretly Canadian, which also offers distribution arm SC Distribution. And in 2007, the pair—along with Swanson’s other partners—joined Phil Waldorf, former label manager of Misra Records, to found a third sister label, Dead Oceans. The three sister companies share offices and staffs in Bloomington, Indiana, however, maintain distinct and separate aesthetic visions. Van Arman also serves on the A2IM Presidential Advisory Committee.
Jon Vanhala
SVP Digital & New Business
Island Def Jam Motown / Universal Republic – Universal Music Group
Jon Vanhala creates breakthrough digital and emerging business programs for Universal Music Group’s New York label group for 220+ recording artists and 17+ label brands. Its current roster includes global superstars Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Drake, Jennifer Lopez, Bon Jovi and many others. Vanhala is most excited about how innovations in digital, social, mobile and new product development create new value for artists, labels, brands and beyond.
Tony van Veen
CEO
CD Baby
Disc Makers
As CEO and president of AVL Digital Group, the parent company of Disc Makers and CD Baby, Tony van Veen has spent nearly 25 years helping independent artists release, distribute and promote their music. CD Baby is the largest worldwide independent music store and digital distributor, with 350,000 independent album titles and 4 million songs in its catalog. It is also the biggest content provider to iTunes, Amazon and streaming service providers like Rhapsody and Spotify. Disc Makers is the world leader in CD and DVD manufacturing for independent artists and filmmakers, producing 70,000+ independent titles a year. AVL Digital Group companies also offer graphic design services, mastering, web hosting (HostBaby) and eBook publishing (BookBaby) to artists, filmmakers and authors.
Sandy Vee
Songwriter & Producer
Grammy-winning French producer and songwriter Sandy Vee began as a DJ and producer for house music, before segueing to the pop arena in 2009. He has produced hit records for numerous A-level acts, including The Black Eyed Peas, David Guetta, Britney Spears, Ne-Yo, Selena Gomez, Pitbull and Taio Cruz. Vee won the 2011 Grammy for Best Dance Recording for Rihanna’s global No. 1 “Only Girl (In the World),” and was also nominated for Album of the Year for his credits on Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” In addition, he has worked in the studio with acclaimed Norwegian production team Stargate, as well as Ester Dean, Cristyle, Bonnie McKee, August Rigo and Claude Kelly. Vee is based in New York.
Tanzina Vega
Reporter
The New York Times
Tanzina Vega is a media reporter for The New York Times, covering digital media, advertising and online privacy. She joined The Times in 2006 as a stringer and news clerk for the Metro section covering crime and breaking news in New York City. In 2008, Vega became a staff Web producer, working on multiple sections like Business, Sports and Opinion. Her work has been recognized by the National Press Photographers Association and has been featured by the New York Public Library, “Brian Lehrer Live,” “The Takeaway” and in numerous podcasts and videos for The Times. She was part of an Emmy-award winning team of journalists who worked on a year-long multimedia project, “One in 8 Million.” Before coming to The Times, Vega worked for technology trade magazine publisher CMP Media.
Michèle Vice-Maslin
Producer & Songwriter
Sweetersongs
Emmy-winning music producer and songwriter Michèle Vice-Maslin composes both music and lyrics for artists, films, television, games, etc. She has had countless cuts all over the world, as well as more than 4,000 film and TV song placements. Among her many successes: music on CBS’ “Guiding Light” and ABC’s “One Life To Live,” the theme song to the WB series “Popstars” and hits for Ke$ha, Eden’s Crush, Mica Paris, Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter and Jonathan Butler. Vice-Maslin works out of her own studio in Los Angeles and is married to hit-maker and producer/engineer Harry Maslin.
Anthony Volodkin
Founder/CEO
Hype Machine
Since creating The Hype Machine nearly seven years ago in his dorm room, Anthony Volodkin has never stopped pondering how people discover music. In that time, a small, passionate team has been assembled around the product, and The Hype Machine now reaches more than 2 million people each month out of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The project was called a “juggernaut of global influence” by Billboard, and is frequently credited as helping forge the careers of artists like Foster the People, Chromeo and Skrillex. Before Hype, Volodkin spent six years working in IT consulting while constantly carving out evenings to see live music. He was born in Moscow and lived in Brooklyn since he was 12.
Jordan Walker
US Label & Artist Relations
Spotify
Jordan Walker manages artist and label relations at Spotify, where he works with the music industry to explore content marketing and partnership opportunities for the service. Prior to Spotify, he ran the digital team at boutique artist management firm The Artists Organization, where he oversaw digital business development and marketing for John Legend, Lenny Kravitz, Soundgarden and more. He began his career at Universal Records and UMGD.
Andy Wallace
Producer Mixer
Andy Wallace Productions
Over the past 30 years, Grammy winner and eight-time nominee Andy Wallace has mixed such critically acclaimed albums as Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” Rage Against the Machine’s “Evil Empire” and System Of A Down’s “Toxicity.” He mixed and co-produced Slayer’s “Reign In Blood” and produced Jeff Buckley’s renowned platinum debut “Grace.” Other productions include White Zombie, Alice Cooper, Faith No More, Phish, Bad Religion and Blind Melon. In 1986, Wallace co-produced with Rick Rubin the groundbreaking Run DMC/Aerosmith track “Walk This Way,” widely acknowledged for bringing hip-hop to the mainstream. More recently he worked on Coldplay’s Grammy-winning “Viva La Vida Or Death” and “All His Friends.”
Tyler Ward
Artist & Owner
Tyler Ward Music
Tyler Ward has transformed over the past two years from living in his parent’s basement to becoming an industry pioneer for music’s new wave. Ranked as the 22nd most popular musician on YouTube with more than 900,000+ subscribers, Ward releases one new video each week. Combining original music, covers and showcasing featured artists, his passion is to connect with people through music. Now with 250 million views and placement each week on either Billboard’s Social 50 and/or Uncharted lists, Ward has launched Tyler Ward Records and Tyler Ward Studios. He will be releasing a first album in 2012, while bringing his wares to live audiences.
Jeremy Welt
Head of Marketing
Maker Studios
As Head of Marketing for Maker Studios, Jerry Welt leads marketing strategy for the media company charged with bridging the gap between YouTube and television. It currently has more than 70 million subscribers and 650 million monthly views across more than 400 channels. Welt has 15+ years of experience in marketing, digital strategy, music and entertainment, and previously served as SVP, New Media for Warner Bros. Records, where he helped monetize, market and develop careers for its roster of artists, including Michael Buble, Ashley Tisdale, Tom Petty and Lights. In addition, Welt was Head of New Media for Maverick Records and also worked at Rick Rubin’s American Recordings, one of the first labels to use new media and streaming audio technology.
Bill Werde
Editorial Director
Billboard Magazine
As Billboard’s Editorial Director, Bill Werde leads the editorial strategy and vision for the brand, which includes the weekly publication, websites (Billboard.com and Billboard.biz) and other digital content offerings, as well as industry-leading conferences and events. Werde joined Billboard in July 2005 as Senior News Editor and has steadily climbed the ranks of the organization, having been promoted to Deputy Editor and later Executive Editor of the brand. Prior to Billboard, Werde was an editor for Rolling Stone, and a writer on matters of culture, politics and technology for publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Village Voice and Wired Magazine.

Ryan West
Mixing Recording Engineer
Ryan West is best known for his work as a hip-hop and R&B mixing engineer, working with such artists as Eminem, Kanye West, T.I., Rihanna, Jay Z, Dr. Dre, Diddy, Kid Cudi and many more. In addition to numerous platinum, gold and Diamond RIAA certifications, he has been twice nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy. West has also participated in numerous discussion panels with mixing heavyweights Tony Maserati, Joe Chiccarelli, Michael Brauer and Bassy Bob Brockman. As of 2011, more than 55 million albums have been sold worldwide that contain a Ryan West credit.
Tim Westergren
Founder and Chief Strategy Officer
Pandora
Tim Westergren launched Pandora in 2000 with the Music Genome Project. Additionally, he is an award-winning composer and accomplished musician with 20 years of experience, spanning production, audio engineering, film scoring and live performance.
Westergren received his B.A. from Stanford, where he studied computer acoustics and recording technology. In addition to guiding Pandora’s overall strategy, he spends his time as Pandora’s chief evangelist, traveling the nation to connect with Pandora’s tens of millions of listeners. He also works extensively with technology partners, distribution partners, advertisers and investors to help shape the future of Pandora and personalized radio.
Alex White
Co-Founder / CEO
Next Big Sound
Alex White has been around music his whole life. His dad is a professional cellist and he grew up playing cello, guitar, piano and bass, fronting a band in high school and working at a local recording studio. White then got into the business side of things. His Next Big Sound has grown to 12 people, with two global major label deals and two charts licensed to Billboard magazine. In 2011, Next Big Sound was awarded Most Innovative B2B startup at Midem, hottest tech company at Canadian Music Week and a finalist at the SXSW Music Accelerator. In 2010, Billboard named the company one of “10 Startups To Watch.” In January 2012, Next Big Sound announced a $6.5 million Series A fundraiser from IA Ventures, Foundry Group. The syndicate also includes Jeff Clavier’s SofttechVC and angels like Techstar’s David Cohen, Intelliquet’s Peter Zandan, Compete.com founder David Cancel and Northwestern entrepreneurship professor Troy Henikoff.
Buck Williams
Owner
PGA
In 1994, Buck Williams founded The Progressive Global Agency (PGA) in Nashville, whose roster has included R.E.M., Oingo Boingo, Special Beat, Pretty Lights, Mimosa and Chuck Leavell. He also runs Widespread Records for client Widespread Panic, with a focus on alternative marketing. Previously, Williams was a promoter in Washington D.C., and Raleigh N.C., in the early 1970s; then he became an agent with Paragon Agency in Macon Ga., responsible for such acts as Charlie Daniels Band, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Sea Level and the Marshall Tucker Band. In 1982, Williams partnered with Ian Copeland at the newly formed Frontier Booking International in New York, as an agent for Sting, Squeeze, Bangles, R.E.M., Thompson Twins, UB-40, Flock of Seagulls, The Go-Go’s, Joan Jett and Oingo Boingo. He was also in charge of FBI’s financials.
Andrew WK
Artist
AndrewWK.com
Andrew W.K.’s mission is to party. And to party hard. His true will is to create feelings of pure joy, true fun, total love, endless freedom, and infinite possibility.
Born in California in 1979, Andrew W.K. is a multi-faceted musician and performer, most famous for his bloody nose and all white clothes. Starting his musical career at age 4 with classical piano lessons, he went on to create his own extremely high-energy rock ‘n’ roll music and exploded onto the world in 2001. His father, James E. Krier, is a Law Professor at the University of Michigan, and Andrew grew up in the radical midwestern city of Ann Arbor. After having been accepted to The Art Institute of Chicago, he decided not to go to college, and moved to New York City at age 18 to pursue his vision on his own.
Andrew has released four full-length albums, numerous EPs and special releases, including his now infamous 2001 debut album, “I Get Wet”, featuring the smash single, “Party Hard”. He’s more recently expanded into a Grammy-nominated record producer for artists such as, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Current 93, Sightings, Aleister X, Bad Brilliance, and Cherie Lily, for his own production company and record label. In addition to work on television and radio, he co-owns the 8,000 square foot Santos Party House concert venue and nightclub in downtown Manhattan, New York City, which he opened with his friends in 2008. His most recent release is the double album, “Close Calls With Brick Walls / Mother of Mankind”. He’s currently working on a new album for release in 2012. Andrew still lives in Manhattan, near Times Square.
Ian Wolfson
Owner
Rex Arrow Films
Ian Wolfson, owner of Rex Arrow Films, is an independent filmmaker best known for his collaborative work with independent hip-hop artist Mac Miller. Over the past two-and-a half years, their collaborations have amassed 170 million views online, as well as broad exposure on MTV, VH1 and Fuse networks. Via Rex Arrow, Wolfson has also worked with dozens of artists, including Nelly, B.o.B., Bun B and Freeway. With one feature film completed, Wolfson also has several film projects in development.
Doc Wynter
Urban Brand Manager and VP of Urban Programming
Clear Channel Media + Entertainment
A computer major with a minor in economics, Doc Wynter was hired after graduation from college as a programmer—for computers, that is. It didn’t take long for his love of music and interest in communicating on radio to move his career in a different direction. Today, Wynter is one of radio’s most respected program directors. As Vice President of Urban Programming for Clear Channel Radio, he oversees 70 Urban and Gospel stations and the Urban and Urban AC Premium Choice channels. He is based in Jacksonville, Fla.

2012 Players

Announced Players:

Connect

Subscribe

Search

Follow

View

Hear

Connect With Us