2026 Impact NextGen Honoree: Jake Miller

JAKE MILLER
Head of Content & Creative | AGE: 32
Danny Wimmer Presents

DOWN WITH THE CLOWN
Slipknot “completely changed my perspective.”

Jake Miller started DJing in high school and continued through college, joining the university programming board, where he helped book concerts and campus events. He notes that leading up to his current role at Danny Wimmer Presents, he also spent time in artist management, merchandising, streaming and content development.

Though he’s always been drawn to live entertainment, Miller explains that seeing Slipknot live was the moment he knew the live industry was the business for him: “The energy, the audience, and the level of artistry showed me just how powerful a live experience can be,” he said of seeing the influential metal band, a staple headliner of DWP festivals. “That performance completely changed my perspective—not only on hard rock as a genre, but on the incredible sense of community that exists within it.”

As the Head of Content & Creative at DWP, Miller leads the creative vision, content strategy, and content production across the company’s festival portfolio.

His recent career highlights include creating a custom Linkin Park x Monster Jam content collaboration on-site at DWP’s Welcome to Rockville festival in Florida, which he says “was incredibly rewarding, as was producing the livestream of Evanescence’s set at Louder Than Life 2025.” He adds, “More than anything, though, I value the opportunity to collaborate directly with artists to create memorable, one-of-a-kind creative moments for our fans.”

Miller points to his high school English and A/V teacher, Walter Quinn, as his mentor for being the first person who truly encouraged him “to pursue creativity and gave me the confidence to believe I could build a career around it.

“The biggest lesson he taught me was never to cut corners. Every project is a reflection of who you are—not just as a creative professional, but as a person. He also reminded me that our work represents the brands, artists, and communities we create for. That mindset has stayed with me throughout my career and continues to shape the standard I hold myself to today.”

As for changes Miller would like to see in the industry, he says he’d like to see less time spent chasing moments for social media and more time designing experiences people genuinely want to be part of.

“At DWP, we spend a lot of time listening to our fans and building festivals around what matters to them. That mindset creates stronger events and, naturally, better content. Great content doesn’t create a great festival. A great festival creates great content. If the industry continues investing in authentic experiences, meaningful storytelling, and building communities instead of simply audiences, everyone benefits.”