Features
Programming Announced For Women In Music’s 2023 Summit
United Talent Agency Co-Head of Music Sam Kirby Yoh and UTA partner/music agent Cheryl Paglierani, Live Nation Urban VP of Booking and Talent Mari Davies, songwriter/artist Leslie Powell and Thayer Lavielle, executive vice president at Wasserman’s The Collective, are just a few of the executives on board as speakers for Women In Music’s third annual summit.
The WIM Summit is set for Jan. 25-27 via Zoom, featuring guest speakers, workshops and networking. Select chapters of the 501(c)3 non-profit organization will also host in-person networking events as part of the educational and career development summit including WIM Nashville Pre-Summit Happy Hour Jan. 24 at Rosemary Beauty Queen, Boston’s 2023 WIM Summit Jan. 26 at The Record Co., and WIM Summit & Chicago 2023 Kick-Off Party Jan. 26 at Midwest Brewing Company.
Women In Music was founded in 1985 with a mission to “advance the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition.” WIM has chapters across the globe and its diverse membership ranges from students to industry veterans who hold roles across the business including record label executives, artist managers, songwriters, musicians, attorneys, recording engineers, agents, publicists, studio owners, music publishers, marketers and more.
The programming for the virtual summit is divided up by the pillars of Women In Music with Jan. 25 dedicated to Educate, Jan. 26 to Empower and Jan. 27 to Advance. The event will explore workplace culture and community, including sessions that highlight the data behind remote and hybrid models. Lauren Smith Brody, author, founder and CEO of the Fifth Trimester, will give a talk that “aims to help parents navigate the ‘new normal’ of virtual work,” according to an announcement from WIM.
To support those entering the music industry, the summit features a career fair Jan. 27, which is inspired by Women in Music’s new collegiate expansion, the WIM Mentorship Program and the WIM Internship Program.
Other confirmed speakers for the summit include Heidy Vaquerano, Partner at Fox Rothschild, LLP; Christine Osazuwa, Chief Strategy Officer at Shoobs; Founder of Measure of Music and UK Director of shesaid.so; Jules Kammann, Vice President, People & Culture / Diversity, Inclusion at Beatport; Acacia Diaz, VP Marketing, Tixr Inc and more. Check out the schedule below.
Registration for the Women In Music Summit is open now. The 2023 event is free for WIM members, with three-day passes priced at $110 for non-members and $60 for student non-members. All proceeds from WIM’s annual membership dues and WIM Summit ticket purchases go to the organization’s charitable mission.
Visit https://www.womeninmusic.org/ for more information.
Women In Music Summit 2023 Schedule (EST):
Day 1 | Jan. 25 – Educate
12:00pm:
How Artists Can Win with Brands on TikTok
Description: TikTok is Arguably the most influential platform in the world right now. So how are brands tapping into Tiktok’s artist influencer culture to create viral chart topping hits? And how are artists winning on the platform with brands?
Speakers:
Dann Liebermann, Head of Creative Partnerships, The Elements Music
Leslie Powell, Songwriter/Artist
Kelli Slade, Commercial Music and Creative Licensing Manager, Bytedance/TikTok
Sarah Kerkian, Content Director, Kay Jewelers
Moderator: Moira McCarthy, VP, Women in Music
***
1:00pm:
Global Market Trends in 2023
Description: Join us for another year of exploring global market trends. This year we spotlight on Zimbabwe.
Speakers:
Helena Kosinski, VP, Global, Luminate Data
Jusnah Gadi, Founder of Young Music Boss (UK), Co-founder TES (Tanzania)
Ms Natasha Stambuli, General Manager, Boomplay Tanzania
Annamary Ishengoma, Co-Founder, Entertainment/Intellectual Property Lawyer Quinn Law Chambers,
Ms Sandra Marthern Brown, Talent Manager, Music Business Executive, ZIIKI Media, Stargaze Company Limited
Moderator: Neeta Ragoowansi, Executive Director, Folk Alliance International; Board of Directors, Women in Music
***
2:00pm:
Harnessing Digital Media Strategies for Success
Speakers:
Blair Miller, Founder & CEO, Chaos Creators
Cassie Petrey, Co-Founder, Crowd Surf
Temima Shames, Founder & CEO, Next Step Talent
Moderator:
Tara Bendler Global Chair, Comm/Board of Directors, Women in Music; Talk Marketing, Spotify
***
3:00pm
Securing A Strong Publishing Deal For Long-Term Financial Stability
Description: In this panel, we will explore how artists – both independent and those signed to a record label – can develop a stronger grasp of the nuances of music publishing, and how doing so can help build financial longevity for artists across the spectrum from brand-new acts to established musicians.
Speakers:
Heidy Vaquerano, Partner, Fox Rothschild, LLP
Mary Rahmani, Founder, Moon Projects
Ashley Winton, SVP Global Creative Services, Warner Chappell
Moderator: Kristin Robinson, Music Publishing Reporter, Billboard
***
4:00pm
Masterclass: Activists Artist Management
Description: In this candid roundtable discussion leading female executives from top management firm Activist Artists Management (The Lumineers, Bob Weir, Dead & Co, Brittney Spencer+) will share learnings from their years in the business. We’ll dig deep into what makes a strong artist and manager relationship, how to navigate challenging situations and decisions, grow with artists from basements to stadium, and give back to causes that matter along the way.
Speakers:
Liz Norris, Partner, Activist Artist Management
Caitlin Stone, Partner, Head of Activism, Activist Artist Management
Kris “Red” Tanner, Partner, Activist Artist Management
Moderator: Nicole Barsalona, President, Women in Music; Artist Manager
Day 2 | Jan. 26 – Empower
12:00pm
More Than Just Treading Water: How to Survive and Grow as a Working Parent Right Now
Description: In our “new normal,” working parents have found themselves struggling to balance all their responsibilities at home and in the virtual workspace. Author, Founder & CEO Lauren Smith Brody is here to help caregivers preserve their mental health, adapt to their evolving workplaces, and find mutual employee/employer support during this difficult time. In her empowering lecture, Brody provides working caregivers with all the strategies they need to work remotely with children at home, including tactics for productivity amid the chaos and evidence-based ideas for protecting our kids’ wellbeing during stressful world events like these.
Speaker: Lauren Smith Brody, Founder & CEO, The Fifth Trimester; Co-Founder, Chamber of Mothers
Moderator: Jessica Shaw, SVP Sync Licensing, Sony Music Entertainment
Sponsored by The Village (Sony Music Entertainment)
***
1:00pm
A-List Agents: Samantha Kirby & Cheryl Paglierani
Speakers:
Sam Kirby Yoh, Co-Head Music, UTA;
Cheryl Paglierani, Partner/Music Agent, UTA
***
2:00pm:
Change Makers
Description: Meet these changemakers who are creating space and opportunity in sectors across entertainment and transforming the industry from the inside out.
Speakers:
Naz Fatemian, Live Nation Women
Terra Lopez, Backline / Break the Barriers Coalition
Thayer Lavielle, The Collective, Wasserman
Carissa Stoltin, Unmanageable Arts / Women’s Giving Circle
Celine Thackston, Unmanageable Arts/ Women’s Giving Circle
Mimi Renée, Diversify the Stage
Moderator: Michelle Conceison, Artist Manager
***
3:00pm
Winning Work Culture in 2023: How to Build & Sustain Community in a WFH World
Description: Adopting a remote or hybrid work model can have a positive and long-lasting impact on the evolution of culture and connectivity – if we get it right. Research found that a third of employees feel like they need to be available for work 24/7, and almost half believe they need to work long hours to get ahead. As remote work becomes the new norm, shifts in mindset, creativity and leadership are crucial to maintain a thriving work culture and setting clear boundaries is imperative to prevent burnout. Join us as we dig into what’s working, what’s not, and how these leaders set the pace for their companies and their teams to strike the right balance.
Speakers:
Jenna Gaudio, Chief Operating Officer, Vydia
Taneshia Nash Laird, Founding President & CEO, Greater Roxbury Arts & Cultural Center
Lisa Robinson, Vice President, Community & Social Engagement
Moderator: Jennifer Newman Sharpe, General Counsel & Head of Business and Legal Affairs, Exceleration Music
***
4:00pm:
Fireside Chat: Molly Neuman – A Purpose-driven Career, From Drums to Downtown
Description: In this fireside chat, three-time Billboard Women In Music honoree Molly Neuman will discuss her career path, starting as a member of a world-touring, self-managed band, to building a career out of supporting musicians and their art. Her musical career began as drummer in Bratmobile, part of the massively influential riot grrrl movement of the 1990s. Since then, she has worked with independent artists at record labels, digital services, as head of music at Kickstarter, and finally in leadership at Songtrust and Downtown. As a longtime artist advocate, Neuman is an ideal fit as CMO at Downtown, with its focus on artist services and mission to build a creator-focused and truly equitable music business, as well as to uplift the industry at large.
Speakers:
Molly Neuman, Chief Marketing Officer, Downtown Music Holding
Day 3 | Jan. 27 – Advance
12:00pm
Best Meeting of the Week – Virtual Community Hang
Description: In March of 2020, music industry professionals from across the globe met on a Friday at 9am PT and three years later those meetings have never stopped. The Best Meeting Of The Week is a weekly gathering of music industry professionals seeking community through an hour long conversation, no requirements or predetermined topics, just a chance to gather and commiserate or celebrate working in this industry we love.
Moderator:
Maria Gironas
***
1:00pm
Personal Branding for Business with Christine Osazuwa
Description: As music professionals, we always look to see how we can help artists build their career and create their “brand”. What about us? Tune into this crash-course workshop as industry executive, Christine Osazuwa, gives tips + tricks on how to utilize digital platforms like LinkedIn and peers to place yourself in position for long term success.
Speaker:
Christine Osazuwa, Chief Strategy Officer, Shoobs; Founder, Measure of Music; UK Director, shesaid.so
***
2:00pm
Pivoting Your Career & Navigating a Recession
Description: WIM Summit wouldn’t be complete with a career panel tailored to the current challenges of today. We’ll speak with experts from People teams, recruiting, and leaders who have had to navigate it all before to share their learnings and actionable insights on how you can make a plan and come out ahead. We’ll explore freelance work as a full time or temporary stop gap and other ways to translate your experience to industries that may not be as impacted. We’ll follow the discussion with recruiters sharing open roles and opportunities.
Speakers:
Jules Kammann, Vice President, People & Culture / Diversity, Inclusion, Beatport
Leigh McCorkle, Chief People Officer, The Mechanical Licensing Collective
Acacia Diaz, VP Marketing, Tixr Inc.
Thea Raskin, Founder & Owner, The Inventory
Moderator: Sari Kohen, Head of Partner Marketing, Melio
***
2:45pm
Career Fair – Recruiters Present Open Roles
Speakers:
Facilitated by Sari Kohen, Head of Partner Marketing, Melio
***
3:00pm
Zoom Breakout Sessions with Recruiters
Speakers: Various