2025 Impact NextGen Honoree: Kate Arenson

KATE ARENSON
Agent, Music Touring
Creative Artists Agency

FAMILY BUSINESS:
Her dad did merch and aunt manages Stevie Nicks.

Kate Arenson emphasizes that social media has not only made the world more connected than ever but also provides every- one across the music industry with resources to discover new talent.

“My generation has the advantage of having all the information they could ever need at their fingertips,” says Arenson, 29. “When it comes to advantages for my generation in the music business, nowadays ev- eryone is an A&R. Everyone has the same accessibility to discover new artists on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms. You don’t have to live in L.A., New York or Nashville to discover someone playing live. New music and new artists are right at our fingertips everywhere we go.”

Wanting to work in the live business was always at the forefront of Arenson’s mind; the agent grew up in a family of industry pros. Her father, Milt Arenson, and her aunt, Sheryl Louis, both worked under Howard Kaufman at HK Management.

“My dad started out selling music merchandise on the road for art- ists and later went on to have a career in sports merchandise, specializ- ing in sporting events across the globe,” she shares. “My aunt worked directly under Howard Kaufman and later went on to manage Stevie Nicks, opening her own management company.”

Arenson started her own career as a music marketing intern at Warner Records in Burbank, sitting on the floor of conference rooms with her fellow interns (many of whom she still keeps in touch with) listening to music that hadn’t yet been put out. Now, at talent agency powerhouse CAA, she works with clients including Malcolm Todd, Mumford & Sons and Glass Animals.

“Being part of the explosive growth of Malcolm Todd over the past two years has been nothing short of a dream,” she says. “When I first signed Malcolm in June 2023, I helped book his first headline shows at Winston House in Venice, California (250-cap.) and Elsewhere Zone One in Brooklyn, New York (250-cap.). In less than two years, Malcolm sold out three Wilterns in L.A. (7,000) and two Terminal 5s in New York (6,000) in addition to 60,000 tickets across the U.S. Malcolm put in a lot of hard work on the road and in the studio to make all of this happen.”

She adds, “His debut album is an incredible work of art that not only sold every single ticket on tour but had all his fans screaming every word the entire show. Malcolm is one of the smartest, hardest-working artists I have had the pleasure of working with and I’m so excited to be on this journey with him.”