Jordy Freed from Sony Corporation of America shared his journey from jazz saxophone and building websites to public relations and marketing. Twists and turns took him to radio, Blue Note, Grey Advertising, and finally to Sony. He shares the stories of his twists and turns and the challenges of managing and growing diverse brands.  Jordy talks about what he's excited about now and what is changing the workflow of creators.. Guest: Jordy Freed, Head of Partner Marketing & Strategy, Brand & Business Development, Video & Sound Products, Sony Corporation of America As the Head of Partner Marketing & Strategy, Brand & Business Development, Video & Sound Products at Sony Corporation of America, Jordy Freed leads marketing, business development and communication strategy for the multinational company.   A talented sax player who considered becoming a professional musician, the Philly native got his start as a publicist for the jazz firm DL Media, held marketing and PR roles at Blue Note, and made a quick foray into advertising at the top firm Grey.    Upon returning to Blue Note in 2016, he partnered with Sony on the creation of NYC’s Sony Hall, the first venue to feature Sony’s immersive music experience, 360RA.    This led to an in-house position at Sony, where he became the first U.S. employee on their Brand & Business Development team, with remit to develop multi-million dollar business strategies.    In this role, he has overseen collaborations with Doja Cat, Pink, Lil Nas X, Pharrell Williams, and Alicia Keys, struck deals to reimagine the David Bowie catalog in 360RA alongside immersive activations, led the company’s partnership with Amazon Music, and much more.    He now leads marketing and business development for 360RA, as well as global branding activities for a host of sound products.   Mentioned Links Sony Corporation of America: https://www.sony.com/en_us/SCA/index.htmlJordy Freed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordyfreed

"I had no idea what I was doing."  Mark Harper shares his story of going from ROTC to Combat Camera (leading teams of combat photographers) to Technicolor to high-end headphones to joining a startup military channel. He talked about each time where he sought out creative opportunities, the advice given to him by Sargeant Logan from his hometown (whom he will be seeing next time he returns to Upstate New York). Guest: Mark Harper, CEO, We Are the Mighty; General Manager, Military & Defense, Recurrent Ventures Mark Harper is the General Manager of Recurrent’s Military vertical. He is responsible for all editorial and business operations of Task & Purpose, We Are The Mighty, and The War Zone, as well the industry-leading military events from MilSpouseFest and Military Influencer Conference.   Previously, Mark was CEO of We Are The Mighty (WATM) and joined Recurrent upon their acquisition of the brand. During his tenure at WATM, he built out content strategy and executive produced hundreds of hours of videos for brand partners, with an Emmy Award for “Songs of Service” for the U.S. Army. He joined WATM for the launch of the company in 2014.   Mark is a former Captain and veteran of the U.S. Air Force. After commissioning through ROTC from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he spent most of his Air Force career with the 1st Combat Camera Squadron, deploying twice while leading combat-ready photojournalists around the globe. After leaving the military, he held numerous positions in the entertainment industry, including for Paramount Pictures and Technicolor. Mark earned his MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.   Mark lives near Joshua Tree National Park with his Marine veteran wife Natasha and is an active member of the Television Academy (Emmys).   What are you most passionate about with your current work? : Continuing to service our extended military community. Mentioned Links We Are the Mighty: www.wearethemighty.comTask and Purpose: www.taskandpurpose.comThe War Zone: www.thewarzone.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/markharper147LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markharper147/

Michael Huppe, CEO of SoundExchange, fell in love with IP and came into music through law. He had played keyboard and trombone as a young person and ended up at the Recording Industry Association of America, which led him to SoundExchange. He shares how SoundExchange is also a tech company, needing to help and represent its members with opportunities from new technologies, as well as providing a system's backbone for a growing streaming music industry.Guest: Mike Huppe, President and CEO, SoundExchangeMichael Huppe is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SoundExchange, where he champions creators and spearheads the use of technology, data, and advocacy to power the future of music. Whether he is leading efforts to launch new lines of business or advocating on the steps of Capitol Hill for creator-first legislation, every aspect of Michael’s work is undertaken on behalf of SoundExchange’s larger mission: to ensure that creators are compensated fairly, efficiently, and accurately for their work. To date, SoundExchange has distributed more than $9 billion in digital performance royalties to over half a million music creators.In addition, Michael is an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School, a frequent contributor, published author, lecturer, and active community member. His opinions have been published in Variety, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, Music Business Worldwide, Billboard, and The Hill, among other outlets.What are you most passionate about with your current work? : "Being able to champion creators and helping to create a fairer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through innovative technology and data solutions."Mentioned Links:SoundExchange website: https://soundexchange.orgMike at SoundExchange: https://www.soundexchange.com/team/michael-huppe/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhuppe/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/soundexchange/Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_HuppeFollow Michael on Twitter at @MikeHuppeAI article in Forbes, 12-12-22, “Artificial Intelligence Has Big Implications for Ownership in the Music Industry”, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/people/michaelhuppe/?sh=6dd42e5140b2

Mike Polis started and ended with animation and graphic novels and cool creative content. In between, he has run marketing for Yo Gabba Gabba, Jim Henson, and other adventures. Mike shares his stories of how he moved from desktop publishing after college to food marketing, to DVDs for Universal Studios, and into adventures with Kermit and other creative projects. He brings us to his present day, where he runs two types of organizations -- one producing with creative brands and one now working with next-generation low-energy rendering systems. His stories are ones of finding unique opportunities from other people offering him a change in direction -- and being ready to say yes to something new. Guest: Michael R. Polis, CEO – Creator - Executive Producer, Atomic Toybox Entertainment, Inc.; Wild Hair Media - President; XetaOne - PartnerMichael Polis is an American producer, writer, and creator, of Puerto Rican descent, with a focus on science-fiction, fantasy, and family spaces. His specialty is in developing and creating intellectual property for television and film with a clear path to becoming entertainment brands realized in publishing, games, and consumer products.Nominated for 4 Emmy Awards, he has developed and produced award-winning content for film (Mirrormask), television (Yo Gabba Gabba!, Kermit’s Swamp Years) live entertainment (Bear in the Big Blue House), and digital media (UMIGO) in addition to managing content development, and production for some of the world’s most celebrated brands and companies including Universal Studios, HBO, Baby Einstein, Nickelodeon, Disney, and The Jim Henson Company.He also has extensive experience in digital and social media through Wild Hair Media, his digital media agency, and is a co-founder of Xeta One, a revolutionary technology company delivering the fastest, most compact, and energy-efficient servers on the planet.Polis heads up his own independent production company, Atomic Toybox Entertainment, and is currently engaged with multiple projects with world-class partners including Ridley Scott’s, Scott Free Productions for a prime-time television series, a Halloween special with Bix Pix Entertainment, in addition to a distribution deal with international distributor Cake for an original property developed by Atomic.In addition, Michael has acquired various intellectual properties including Captain Action, a world-renowned toy and collectible property, in addition to multiple properties from the former Fuel Entertainment library including content based on the toy line Chub City, the iTunes app BrOddcast and Sideway, the PlayStation network video game. He has also acquired film rights to reboot the “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” film franchise.Polis is also currently President of Wild Hair Media, a leading social media company that directs digital and social strategy for world-renowned brands, entertainers, musicians, and athletes principally on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Since Polis joined Wild Hair in 2014, the multi-million-dollar company has experienced a 3X growth in top-line revenue and 2 X EBITA.Polis is the creator and Executive Producer of UMIGO – a cutting-edge transmedia property designed to teach today’s generation of digitally savvy children aged 5-8 years old math and literacy skills. Under Polis’ direction, the project was awarded a multi-year grant with the U.S. Department of Education for thirty-two million dollars.Prior to 2013, Polis was CEO of Wildbrain Entertainment and EVP, of Branded Entertainment & Consumer Products at DHX Media. In addition to overseeing global development, production, distribution & digital operations for Wildbrain Entertainment, he led DHX Media’s international licensing activities. He also served as executive producer on key...

From photography to musician websites to Flash to now AR, Lafiya Watson Ramirez combines visual and experience creation with storytelling.  She tells her own story about how she moved from photography to web and interactive design into being inspired by Pokemon Go to pursue Augmented Reality (AR) through Snap Studios and a residency there.  She shares some of her projects and her ideas for future projects. Guest: Multidisciplinary artist Lafiya Watson Ramirez Lafiya Watson Ramirez is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in AR development, web development, graphic design, and photography. Her strength lies in combining her array of skills to produce unique digital content.    Over the years, Lafiya has created websites for musicians, artists, and non-profit organizations. Her photographs of musicians have been featured on billboards, various publications, and television programs including on BET and PBS NewsHour. For eight years, Lafiya worked as the Coordinator of Electronic Media at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts.    She returned to freelancing in 2019 to pursue her latest passion, Augmented Reality. She was part of an artist residency program at Snapchat in 2020 and has since become a verified Snapchat developer. Lafiya has been a part of a few hackathons including MIT Reality Hack, 5th Wall Forum, and the Musical Theatre Factory XR Garage experience. She has also developed AR filters for clients, most notably for The Museum of the City of New York. Most recently, she worked on a proof of concept with artist and choreographer Koryn Wicks for a location based AR walk through LA’s Cobb Estate. Lafiya’s main focus is on creating engaging and interactive storytelling games and experiences, especially for use with wearable devices. Mentioned Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/badchickstudios@Spectacles showcase: https://twitter.com/Spectacles/status/1538515192249720833Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badchickstudios/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lafiyawatson/ Bad Chick Studios: https://badchickstudios.com Emily Wapnick, https://www.emiliewapnick.com/TEDxBend: https://www.ted.com/talks/emilie_wapnick_why_some_of_us_don_t_have_one_true_calling Big Magic: https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/ Wikitude:

We are in post-production on new episodes, so our host, Gigi Johnson, shared a story about "Postcards" and Postcard Moments that has come up in prior episodes and in many recent conversations. She shares how a single postcard created a pivot that changed her direction when a TA offered the suggestion that she apply for USC Film School after a single class. She challenges us to explore "postcards" in our lives -- both given and offered. She also suggests that postcards are all over past episodes, which we'll call out with additional content in the future.Mentioned:Happenstance Theory - Krumboltz, J. D. (2009). The Happenstance Learning Theory. Journal of Career Assessment, 17, 135-154. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1069072708328861Example article: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/careers/2019/04/30/how-planned-happenstance-can-help-your-career/

Bruno shares his saga from playing the drums and enjoying international music, mixing songs and culture from Tunisia, France, and LA. Those facets led to studying at UCLA Ethnomusicology, becoming a DJ at KCRW, and building a record label in his living room. He shared work in place-based music and compilation records, in building the sonic architecture of hotels, vacations, and clothing brands -- creating soundtracks to vacations and lifestyles. His own independent label became his inspiration to work to streamlining the complexity of running a music label. His work in Filemaker Pro and Salesforce for his own company became the early stages of the 2015 go-to-market for Revelator. He became a “product guy,” helping labels in many regions with streaming music processing and accelerating catalog valuation and fractionalization processes. We closed with discussions from Web3 -- moving from an information-based to a value-based Internet -- and new types of marketplaces and tokenized economies that will go beyond what artists can do today. Guest: Bruno Guez, Founder and CEO, Revelator Founder of Revelator, and a former Director on the Board of Merlin Network, the leading music rights agency, Bruno Guez brings over twenty-five years of experience as a seasoned digital music executive working with Chris Blackwell’ Island Records and Guy Laliberte’s Cirque du Soleil. With a strong vision to retool the creative industry, Bruno saw the opportunity to provide a game-changing technology platform for global rights administration and royalty management using blockchain technology, with a goal of enabling efficient and fully transparent reporting, real-time payments and innovative revenue streams for rights owners, creators, artists, producers, and publishers around the world. Links: URL: revelator.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunoguez/Twitter: https://twitter.com/brunoguez @brunoguez

[Enjoy our podcast this week that we share with our sister Maremel Network podcast, Innovating Music, that has just launched its fifth year.] Dick Huey claims that his career jumps have been "educated luck."  "Because they they are luck. And I'm, I'm I don't ever pretend that I have more information than everybody else does. But I think I'm good at identifying opportunity. So for me, this felt like opportunity. And I jumped at it. And then of course that launched a 25-year career in digital music."  And so Dick shares with us his 25-year career, ranging from teaching software applications to getting his first music management client to building his digital music chops at Beggars Group to building Toolshed.  He works now on his three-legged stool of interests: helping big picture enhancements of the music business, working with record companies, and engaging in ed tech and new technologies. Guest: Dick Huey, Founder/President, Toolshed Dick Huey moved to New York City in 1997 to work for independent label powerhouse the Beggars Group (XL Recordings, 4AD, Matador Records, Rough Trade. He created and staffed the group’s digital media department as global head of digital in the early days of digital music, determined the group’s strategic direction, and licensed its groundbreaking catalog of world-class independent music from artists like the Pixies, the Prodigy, Throwing Muses, and many others.   Huey launched his NY Hudson Valley-based digital strategy company Toolshed in 2002, long before remote work was in vogue. Toolshed offered an early bespoke label and artist digital marketing, direct music service licensing, and download hosting service that created groundbreaking digital campaigns for Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, and Aimee Mann amongst hundreds of hundreds of others. Labels and distributors including Matador Records, Beggars Group, The Orchard, Touch and Go, PIAS, Righteous Babe, and Merge Records were also clients. In 2010, Toolshed expanded into music rights acquisition for consumer brands, media, tech, sports, and entertainment companies. Spotify contracted with Huey to lead its US independent label licensing efforts prior to and during Spotify’s US launch in 2011. Red Bull Music Radio, SoundExchange, 8tracks, Digital Rights Agency, Red Mountain Ski Resort, Jaxsta, and Tunecore are all past clients or advisory relationships.   Huey is currently a Business Development Consultant to AIMS API, an artificial intelligence music search platform based in the Czech Republic, as well as to Entertainment Intelligence, a high end music analytics platform for direct-license content owners. He is a music license consultant to the US independent record label Merge Records and to stealth cloud radio startup HijackRadio, and an advisor to Techstars accelerator winner Paperchain and Australian personal social media monetization platform OkTY.   Outside of the music industry, Huey is a senior teaching assistant at NYU Professor Scott Galloway’s two-year old educational sprint startup Section4. Huey regularly TA’s online classes of up to 200 students on the topics of Subscription strategy, Brand, Platform, Product, Data Analytics, Growth Innovation (brand association with physical stores), and Storytelling. Several of the classes Huey TA’s are taught by Galloway himself.   He held a 9-year board seat at SoundExchange representing Matador Records. He is a past Executive Director and board chairman of the Future of Music Coalition, based in Washington DC. He was chairman of the new media committee at the American Association of Music (A2IM) from its earliest days, as well as a consultant to independent entity the Association of Independent Music (AIM).   Huey is a USSA-certified downhill ski racing coach and committed biker and mountain biker. He moved from the New York area to the Columbia River Gorge in 2021. He began his career as a...

Questions: How do we design for extreme conditions and resource challenges?  Is that for Mars or Earth?Guest: Alfredo Muñoz, Architect; Founder; Onteco; Founder, ABIBOO Studio; Chair for Memberships of the Technical Committee of Space Architecture at the American Institute of Aeronautics and AstronauticsDigital twins?  Space architecture?  Alfredo Munoz combines astrophysics and architecture to let us pilot new ways of building in VR on Earth . . . as practice for Mars . . . to improve how we live on Earth.   He’ll share elements of a digital twin of a compound in Mars that you can engage with here on Earth to try out better ways of working, living, and creating.  He also shares his own journey through innovative architecture and bringing those skills and insights to connect with space architecture and collaborative virtual reality.  BioAlfredo Muñoz is the founder of Onteco and ABIBOO Studio. He is also the Chair for Memberships of the Technical Committee of Space Architecture at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.Mr. Muñoz has been considered the youngest among the most influential Spanish Architects and the youngest European Leaders (EYL40).His clients range from Fortune Global 500 conglomerates to governments to private high-net-worth individuals on five continents.Alfredo has been teaching and speaking at elite Universities, and his work has been featured in media outlets across the world.He holds a Master's in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and a Master's of Advanced Studies in Architecture from BarcelonaTech. Mentioned Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredo-munoz/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbibooArchsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABIBOOStudio/ABIBOO YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAKg_w7V0PquCiyCCO8mdvAOnteco https://onteco.com/ABIBOO - https://abiboo.com/Mars Society and the Mars Desert Research Station - MDRS - https://mdrs.marssociety.org/Nüwa City: https://abiboo.com/projects/nuwa/ - https://vimeo.com/468344643Space Analogs in Israel - D-Mars 2021 - AMADEE-20 Mars simulation, led by the Israel Space Agency and the Austrian Space Forum,https://www.israel21c.org/astronauts-carry-out-space-mission-in-israeli-desert/NASA Analogs - https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/563511main_NASA-Analog-Missions-06-2011_508.pdfFriends of Europe / EU - 40 People Below 40 - https://www.friendsofeurope.org/insights/read-all-about-it-the-names-of-the-eyl40-class-of-2019-are-finally-out/Dr. Guillem...

Question: How can you build a rich creative life based on referrals and going out on a limb? Guest: Darryl Hurs, Owner/CEO, Indie Week; Managing Director, Downtown Canada; Director, Market Development, Canada, CD Baby; Educator, Harris InstituteIn this episode, Darryl Hurs shares his journey from studying music, working in retail at HMV, and being in a band to building a dynamic life in digital arts and music business through the reach of the people he has met and putting himself out there, even if he was uncomfortable.  His work of getting and giving work to others launched his own early work for Live Nation in launching VIPNATION.  His life ever since has all been about referrals and reaching out.  He built Indie Week from booking venues and creating discovery opportunities for new music.  He threads together stories of expanded risk-taking from one group of skills and people to bigger opportunities -- and how the referral is at the core of building his work in the world. BioDarryl Hurs has a 25+ year history in the music business including launching and running Indie Week (one of Canada’s largest music showcase festivals and conferences). In the past two years, he has founded 3 new online conferences: Music Pro Summit, indie101, and SCREENxSCREEN. Darryl recently has been hired as the Managing Director for Downtown Music in Canada heading the Canadian operations for FUGA, Songtrust, Adrev, Found.ee, and CD Baby.His past positions include design and branding/marketing for Live Nation as a freelancer (projects included a corporate rebrand and logo design, launching VIPNATION.com, work for U2, Nickelback, Madonna, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Dave Matthews), retail buyer at HMV, and booker for one of Toronto’s top live music venues (The Rivoli).LinksIndie WeekIndie 101Music Pro SummitScreen x ScreenDowntown MusicTwitter: DarrylHurs, IndieWeek, Downtown MusicInstagram: Darryl_Hurs, Indie Week, Downtown MusicFacebook: Darryl.Hurs, Indie WeekLinkedInOur MissionThrough...

Question: How do you connect independent artists and music business in India as a young woman?Guest: Ritnika Nayan, Managing Director, Downtown India; Owner: Music Gets Me HighRitnika Nayan shares stories about her passion: helping indie artists succeed and make money through various avenues that they might have been neglecting.  She does that in her main role: Managing Director for Downtown India.  That passion also connects her early love of Broadway musicals to working on college concerts at Hofstra, music festivals in India, building her own company, wellness work, ukulele covers, and writing a book and teaching future music industry leaders in India.  BioRitnika Nayan is the Managing Director for Downtown India representing CD Baby, Fuga, Songtrust, Downtown Music Services, Found.ee, and Adrev in the country. She is also the owner of the company Music Gets Me High and the author of Indie 101 – The Ultimate Guide to the Independent Music Industry in India. Throughout her 21 years of experience in the music industry, she has worked with artists like Maroon 5, Nickelback, Guns & Roses, Manu Chao, Nucleya, Advaita, Jalebee Cartel and also consulted on festivals like Sula Fest, Ziro festival of Music, Wonderflip fest and more. Ritnika has also set up India’s first stand-alone Music Business Certification course at SACAC, Delhi, and conducts workshops on various aspects of the Industry under MGMH Academy. She is an avid speaker at conferences globally including TEDx and has won various awards including the contribution to the creative industry award by the University of Westminster, UK and the Young Music Entrepreneur runner-up award by the British council and more.Mentioned Links:https://ritnika.com/about-me/https://ritnika.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritnika/https://twitter.com/ritnikahttps://www.facebook.com/ritnikanMGMH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mgmhindiaSAC Certificate in Music Business Management: https://www.sac.ac.in/certificate-course-music-business-management/ Indie 101: The Ultimate Guide to the Independent Music Industry in India: https://www.amazon.com/Indie-101-Ultimate-Independent-Industry-ebook/dp/B074279X8MOur MissionThrough our guests’ stories, we aim to inspire current and future change agents who are creatives, entrepreneurs, researchers, or community leaders who are seeking inspiration and support around creative innovation — changing the ways we create, collaborate, engage, change lives, and build communities.Your Host: Gigi Johnson, EdDI run transformative programs, speak/moderate, invest, advise, and produce multimedia on creativity and technology.  I taught for 22 years at UCLA, where I ran the Center for Music Innovation and the podcast "Innovating Music," built four industry-connecting programs, and taught undergraduates, MBAs, and executives about disruption in creative industries.  Before UCLA, I financed media M&A at Bank of America for ten years....

Question: How can you build campfires, mixing music and social activism?Guest: Arturo O'Farrill, Founder, Artistic Director, Afro Latin Jazz Alliance; Professor, Global Jazz Studies, The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and InclusionArturo O'Farrill builds campfires and connects music, activism, and community to build momentum to change his areas of passion in the world -- especially in New York.   He shares with us the many projects he is working on, his Grammy-award winning music melding and digging beyond jazz and Latin music roots, his strong beliefs about Cuba and US foreign policy, and his new projects in housing and music in Spanish Harlem.  He talks about the impacts on artists with the Virtual Birdland project, which garnered a Grammy nomination, and his work with Dr. Cornel West with Four Questions.  He recalls his desires to conduct back at age 6 and breaking into his father's record collection and finding Seven Steps to Heaven, locking in his passion for music.  He states with bold examples how "Happiness is marrying your conviction with your art," which frames most of his adult work.  He speaks the vigor about the results of unbridled capitalism -- and does not mince words. Our GuestARTURO O’FARRILL, pianist, composer, and educator, was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. Arturo’s professional career began with the Carla Bley Band and continued as a solo performer with a wide spectrum of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Belafonte.In 2007, he founded the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the performance, education, and preservation of Afro Latin music. An avid supporter of all the Arts, Arturo has performed with Ballet Hispanico, Ron Brown’s EVIDENCE Dance company, and the Malpaso Dance Company, for whom he has written several ballets. Arturo’s well-reviewed and highly praised “Afro-Latin Jazz Suite” from the album CUBA: The Conversation Continues (Motéma) took the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition as well as the 2016 Latin Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Recording. In addition, his composition “Three Revolutions” from the album Familia-Tribute to Chico and Bebo also received the Best Instrumental Composition Grammy in 2018. Arturo’s 2020 album, “Four Questions” won yet another Grammy award in 2021.Arturo has been a Steinway Artist for many years and is now a Blue Note Records Recording Artist.Mentioned LinksWebsites: https://arturoofarrill.com/http://www.afrolatinjazz.orgTwitter: https://twitter.com/afrolatinjazzWikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arturo_O'FarrillUCLA: https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/people/arturo-ofarrill/New Complex in Spanish Harlem: https://latinjazznet.com/news/new-home-for-the-afro-latin-jazz-alliance/Fandango at the Wall (2020): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11278140/Cuba meets Khaleeji, the Middle Eastern roots of Afro Cuban jazz:

Question:  What can you do with focus on drive in both toys and STEM?  And what can a persistent Shirin Salemnia do? Guest: Shirin Laor-Raz Salemnia, Founder and CEO, WhizGirls Academy and PlayWerksShirin shares a passionate tale of drive, success with extreme persistence, and then designing new businesses to give back.  She talks about her journey through college, Mattel, MGA/Bratz, and building her two current businesses.  She didn't take no for an answer -- and said no many times to missions that pulled on her coattails.  She is one of our more driven guests, not taking no from guidance counselors, security guards, and many other people in her life.  The movie Big set her on her mission and voices as distinctive as Deepak Chopra and Simon Sinek inspired her to her current paths of giving back. Our GuestShirin Laor-Raz Salemnia is the Founder and CEO of PlayWerks and the founder of WhizGirls Academy. PlayWerks is an interactive media company that creates high quality multi-platform immersive games and experiences that engage children and adults. WhizGirls Academy is where students engage in project based learning and gamification that help them with tech and digital literacy while acquiring coding skills, entrepreneurship tools, and building confidence and growing as members of their communities with a healthy balanced lifestyle slant.In 2013, she hosted the first Hackathon for Women and Girls with The White House Council of Women and Girls. In May 2014, she hosted the Kids Hack for LA in collaboration with Mayor Eric Garcetti, the White House, and will.i.am's i.am.angel Foundation. Also in 2014, Shirin gave her Ted Talk "Are You a Gamer or a Gardener?" at the TedxYouth conference in Los Angeles, CA.She is currently teaching Tech for Social Impact/Entrepreneurship at USC School of Engineering/(ITP)Viterbi. In December 2014, Shirin joined President Obama, the First Lady, and Vice President Joe Biden along with hundreds of college presidents and other higher education leaders at the "Reach Higher Summit" at the White House to announce the commitment to serve 25,000 inner city children and adults nationwide.The first WhizGirls Academy Mobile Tech Tour event with Mayor Garcetti in South Central Los Angeles in December 2014, was attended by 1500 people. More recently, in March of 2015 Shirin was honored by LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin as 2015 LA City Pioneer Woman of the Year. Check out his write up and her appearance at the Getty House with Mayor Garcetti (Check out the 12th pic). In October 2015, She was honored as a Tribeca Disruptor Innovation Fellow.In March 2016 she was honored as IJWO Woman of the Year.Mentioned LinksTwitter @ShirinSalemniaFacebook...

Question: How can life make better sense backwards? How can we weave together arts, spatial sound, architecture, and organizational change?Jeremy Yuille, with Meld Studios in Melbourne, Australia, works with organizations to transform how they work in the face of changing futures. His own past weaves through architecture, art, music, and spatial information architecture. He shares how systems thinking and sound impact organizations and change . . . and shares a weaving graphic on how all the puzzle pieces of his life have come together, making even greater sense backwards. BioJeremy Yuille is a Principal with Meld Studios in Melbourne, Australia. He had been a Sr. Lecturer in Melbourne at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), as well as their Program Manager at the Australasian Cooperative Research Centre for Interaction Design (ACID). His PhD in Communication Design and Masters in Spatial Information Architecture both are from RMIT. Career Illustrations: Upper: https://maremel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Drawing-Part-1-Yuille.jpgLower: https://maremel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Drawing-Part-2-Yuille.jpgLinks on Jeremyhttps://overlobe.medium.com/grokking-the-swamp-130738034dbc is about his PhD - from the perspective of the practice leap it required. https://medium.com/design-futures/principles-for-the-studio-dea2256fec7a are some principles designed for an online Masters he stood up as his academic swansong. overlobe.com will redirect to the archive, sometime back in the 90’s https://linktr.ee/overlobe is a place to find all this stuff (and more)LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/overlobe/Twitter: https://twitter.com/overlobe  https://twitter.com/wearemeld Medium: https://overlobe.medium.com/ Meld Studios: http://meldstudios.com.au/ Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems, 2008: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows/dp/1603580557Timecodes00:07 Introduction06:20 Circuitous Routes09:30 Spatial Information Architecture14:40 Music . . . Bush Duffs16:48 Jam with Algorithms17:31 Systems Thinking20:02 Observing Power in Organizations21:48 Working in the Weeds20:28 Multiuser Environments in 200024:16 Net.art in late 199025:09 Higher Ed - Superpower?28:50 Ways of Thinking About What is Next32:07 The People Business35:15 Getting our Collective Stuff Together37:35 Who Do We Work with Now?40:00 Creating to Refill the Tank42:33 Making Less Time for Thinking42:57 Walking Backwards Into the FutureOur MissionThrough our guests’ stories, we aim to inspire current and future change agents who are creatives,...

Question:  How can we use Augmented Reality to enhance the practice of collaborative biology? Guest: Ippolito Caradonna, Co-Founder/CEO, Aug Lab; Director, HoloPracticeIppolito Caradonna mixes his love for biology with his background in film and passion for assisted research.  He is co-founding Aug Lab, an AR software interface for laboratory production that helps scientists traverse the complex topography of a lab.  He shares with us how he first fell in love with molecular biology through gene regulation.  His journey has not been a straight line.  After starting in film at Loyola Marymount, he became a social worker for 6 years in Santa Clara County, near where he grew up in Gilroy, CA.  He has had, what we call postcard moments in this show, where he dropped out of film school.  He went back to school, fascinated by "junk DNA," the extra DNA not being used.  He melded theater, music, and other areas of art in parallel with lab studies.  He shares how he bugged his now-parter, Christian Lafayette, to work with him on an augmented reality solution.  He shares his plans for Aug Lab in designing with other lab professionals how do we augment the lab experience vs changing it or distracting from their work.  He ends with his own values of making lab work understandable and accessible for young professionals exploring STEM careers and hopes that Aug Lab will make training easier to explore.Our GuestIppolito Caradonna is a passionate molecular biologist with over 10 years of experience in academic and industry labs. He co-founded Aug Lab, an AR software prototype that spatially projects a projected environment for lab and collaborative work.  He has over two years in the Medical XR (mixed reality) arena as a mentor via the Black Technology Mentorship Program. He is also the director of a HoloPractice - a private incubator of technologists and health & wellness professionals building experiential platforms.Giving back to his community is one of his most important values and his commitment to authentic personal relationships is the cornerstone of his professional foundation.  He is passionate about shifting the paradigm in the laboratory from the 2D protocol-driven lab operation to a human-centered technology transfer that uses a digitally projected shared interactive environment.Mentioned LinkstheAugLab.comHoloPractice.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ippolito-caradonna/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/theauglabTimecode00:00 Introduction01:03 HoloPractice - What is it?02:03 Molecular Biology02:47 Aug Lab - What is it?05:09 Falling in Love with the Lab and Biology06:12 Leaving Film for Social Work12:39 Liquid handling robot as a gateway to AR14:23 Pursuing his co-founder26:22 Envisioning science careersYour Host: Gigi Johnson, EdDI run transformative programs, speak/moderate, invest, advise, and produce multimedia on creativity and technology.  I taught for 22 years at UCLA, where I ran the Center for Music Innovation and the podcast "Innovating Music," built four industry-connecting programs, and taught undergraduates, MBAs, and executives about disruption in creative industries.  Before UCLA, I financed media M&A at Bank of America for ten years. Connect with UsOur WebsiteHow to submit a Creative Innovator Guest:

Jeremy Sirota, MerlinOur first guest of Season 2 shares his tales of two loves: music and technology. His journey to Merlin includes early fandom in the Orange County punk rock scene, learning brand design in New York City while launching a mini fashion brand, and a road through technology law, Warner Music, and Facebook. He shares his adventures "leaning out over his skis" and growing outside of his comfort zone. He talks about relationships and "finding enough space that luck finds you." Jeremy shares his learnings and beliefs in managing organizations and teams, as well as his challenges in managing as a new CEO into the heart of the Pandemic.BioJeremy Sirota is CEO of Merlin, the Independents’ digital music licensing partner that strikes premium deals for its members with services like Apple, Facebook, Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube. Sirota has been recognized four times by Billboard, including Indie Power Player, International Power Player, and the 2022 Power List. Last year, Merlin added 32 independent labels and distributors from 17 countries to its membership and represents over 15% of the global market share. Prior to Merlin, he was an executive on the Facebook Music team, where he helped shape its music strategy as well as licensed rights from independents worldwide. Sirota previously held a number of senior positions at Warner Music Group, culminating as Head of Business & Legal Affairs for WEA and ADA. Early in his career, he was a technology lawyer at Morrison & Forster. For more, visit https://merlinnetwork.org/Mentioned LinksMerlin NetworkWarner Music ADALinkedInFacebookTwitterTimecode00:00 Introduction01:03 Merlin03:51 Growing Up: Punk Rock & CIA?06:42 College in Rhetoric?08:33 New York in Design14:03 Luck Finds You19:28 Managing in Large and Small Companies22:03 Merlin in 2020-2228:12 North Stars and Team Goals31:34 Big Ahas36:14 Personal Side39:19 Encouraging as a Parent41:05 Intersecting Music and TechOur MissionThrough our guests’ stories, we aim to inspire current and future change agents who are creatives, entrepreneurs, researchers, or community leaders who are seeking inspiration and support around creative innovation — changing the ways we create, collaborate, engage, change lives, and build communities.Your Host: Gigi Johnson, EdDI run transformative programs, speak/moderate, invest, advise, and produce multimedia on creativity and technology.  I taught for 22 years at UCLA, where I ran the Center for Music Innovation and the podcast "Innovating Music," built four industry-connecting programs, and taught undergraduates, MBAs, and executives about disruption in creative industries.  Before UCLA, I financed media M&A at Bank of America for ten years. Connect with UsOur WebsiteHow to submit a Creative Innovator Guest: Information...

Welcome to Season 2 of Creative Innovators. We're going to have intriguing guests this season. Our question to you: Who inspires you? Who would you like to see on the show?We have great folks recording now as guests, and we'd like to include creative innovators who inspire our community.Please reach out to us and let us know at https://bit.ly/CI-Guest-Info.Our MissionThrough our guests’ stories, we aim to inspire current and future change agents who are creatives, entrepreneurs, researchers, or community leaders who are seeking inspiration and support around creative innovation — changing the ways we create, collaborate, engage, change lives, and build communities.Your Host: Gigi Johnson, EdDI run transformative programs, speak/moderate, invest, advise, and produce multimedia on creativity and technology.  I taught for 22 years at UCLA, where I ran the Center for Music Innovation and the podcast "Innovating Music," built four industry-connecting programs, and taught undergraduates, MBAs, and executives about disruption in creative industries.  Before UCLA, I financed media M&A at Bank of America for ten years. Connect with UsOur WebsiteHow to submit a Creative Innovator Guest: Information PageSubscribe to our newsletter here. Join our Patreon community here.Sponsored and Produced by the Maremel Institute

Question: How do you decide what adventures to take in your nonlinear career?  What are intentional plans vs. accidents? Guest: Martin Atkins, Music Industries Coordinator, Millikin University; producer, drummer, documentary filmmaker, DJ, and teacherPhoto: Kara Hammond and NARASMartin Atkins talked with our host, Gigi Johnson, from his studio that also acts as a museum of all of the adventurous projects around his career.  Martin shared how he began drumming at age 9 and persistently getting into Public Image Ltd, waiting through 5 drummers.  He talked about believing early on that he had a job -- "it's being me."  He diversified by accident and kept adding roles as blockages came his way, including launching bands and labels.  Each time, he picked the best option that arose and looked for both safety nets and for solutions IN the problem itself.  Our GuestMartin Atkins is the definition of entrepreneurial activity in cultural arts endeavors, his 35+ years in the music business spans across genres, borders, and industries.He was a member of Public Image Ltd and Killing Joke. He founded industrial supergroup Pigface, The Damage Manual, and Murder Inc., and has contributed to Nine Inch Nails (for which he has a Grammy) and Ministry. He is the owner of Invisible Records and Mattress Factory Recording Studios (est. 1988). He is the author of "Tour:Smart, Welcome To The Music Business….You’re F*cked!” and "Band:Smart."  He is the Music Industries Coordinator at Millikin University in Decatur Illinois. Martin is a producer, drummer, documentary filmmaker, DJ, and father of four. Whatever the future of entrepreneurial music business education is, you can pretty much bet that he’ll be in the middle of it.Mentioned Links:Twitter @marteeeen (with 4 e's)martinatkins.com, with free download of Band:SmartYour Host: Gigi Johnson, EdDI run transformative programs, speak/moderate, invest, advise, and produce multimedia on creativity and technology.  I taught for 22 years at UCLA, where I ran the Center for Music Innovation and the podcast "Innovating Music," built four industry-connecting programs, and taught undergraduates, MBAs, and executives about disruption in creative industries.  Before UCLA, I financed media M&A at Bank of America for ten years. Connect with UsOur WebsiteHow to submit a Creative Innovator Guest: Information PageSubscribe to our newsletter here. Join our Patreon community here.Sponsored and Produced by the Maremel Institute

This was fun.  Your host, Gigi Johnson, has been speaking for college classes this past week and kept being asked to tell her/my story of the pivot points and non-linear decisions over 9 careers.So in this Tuesday Tidbit segment, I share the story of how I changed into a film major at USC based on postcard from my teaching assistant for a single class.  That changed my life and direction and those changes echo through my choices to this day.What postcards have you gotten in your life -- or elements that nudged you to turn left or right?  Do you see them?  Do you send them?  Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/creativeinnovators)

Question: What if you could build a company around your passions?In this episode, David Hernandez shares how he is unlearning and relearning what he knows to create competition for his company . . . in his own company!  He runs Colonize Media, a multiplatform network music aggregator.  He has worked to create “a very human culture” with his team of 30+ people and now works to “break artists from nothing.” Guest: David Hernandez, CEO, Colonize MediaDavid Hernandez is the CEO and co-founder of Colonize Media, a digital content distribution service created in 2015. Originally from Jalisco, Mexico, David Hernandez grew up in a family of performers and entertainers. David Hernandez has applied his love and passion for the music and entertainment industry to Colonize Media, which was first founded to help increase traction for Latin artists and their content. Colonize Media now serves over 10,000 independent artists and record labels across all genres with 600,000 tracks and videos and 3,000,000,000 monthly streams.Colonize Media’s goal is to aid in maximizing creators’ content, through marketing, advertising, and promotions. Colonize Media also helps artists to develop content strategies by analyzing digital data to better understand the music community as a whole, including listener demographics and listening trends. By helping clients reach a larger audience and generate more revenue, Colonize Media helps artists keep creating content they love. Links:David Hernandez - davidh@colonizemedia.comColonize Media - https://colonizemedia.com/The Book Gigi Mentioned: “Overcoming Underearning” by Barbara StannyYour Host: Gigi Johnson, EdDI run transformative programs, speak/moderate, invest, advise, and produce multimedia on creativity and technology.  I taught for 22 years at UCLA, where I ran the Center for Music Innovation and the podcast "Innovating Music," built four industry-connecting programs, and taught undergraduates, MBAs, and executives about disruption in creative industries.  Before UCLA, I financed media M&A at Bank of America for ten years. Connect with UsOur WebsiteHow to submit a Creative Innovator Guest: Information PageSubscribe to our newsletter here. Join our Patreon community here.Sponsored and Produced by the Maremel Institute