2026 Impact 50 Honoree: Desiree Perez

DESIREE PEREZ
CEO
Roc Nation

BY THE NUMBER: 30. The age of JAŸ-Z’s seminal debut album, Reasonable Doubt, which he will play at Yankee Stadium.
FAV PLACE TO SEE A SHOW: Madison Square Garden.

Roc Nation has accomplished so much over the past year, it’s hard to know where to start. CEO Desiree Perez’s highlight reel includes JAŸ-Z’s upcoming two sold-out July concerts at Yankee Stadium, as well as the recent Roots Picnic festival performance; Megan Thee Stallion expanding her acting career with turns in film, TV, and on Broadway; the growth of Roc Nation Distribution, providing artists with the tools to distribute their music while maintaining ownership of their masters; Lil Uzi Vert’s No. 1 song “What You Saying”; Alicia Keys’ 25th anniversary of her groundbreaking debut album Songs in A Minor, and her documentary, Alicia Keys: Girl From Hell’s Kitchen that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; and, of course, the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show starring Bad Bunny, one of the most-watched halftime performance to date, executive produced by Roc Nation.

According to Perez, that’s by design. “Every business must be both agile and innovative,” she explains, “diversification is essential to maintaining balance, fostering resilience, and navigating volatility. Roc Nation and its artists exemplify this through brand incubation, music releases and distribution, film and television, skincare, apparel, and beyond.”

Roc Nation has been taking an innovative route to fan engagement by utilizing “AI-driven data intelligence,” which “empowers our artists with strategic marketing insights that can help them to better engage with their audience,” Perez says.

The remainder of the year will be spent rolling out celebrations of the 30th anniversary of JAŸ-Z’s seminal debut album, Reasonable Doubt, with “exciting public events” to “live stadium performances,” according to Perez, while additionally “Lil Uzi Vert will be headlining some festivals, Megan Thee Stallion will have new music and a tour, and Team Roc, our philanthropic team, is producing our fourth United Justice Coalition Summit. Roc Nation will also be working on the Super Bowl LXI Halftime Show and so much more.”