Blog

Women of The Disco: Part 7

While it’s no secret that women are underrepresented in the Music Industry; Female leadership has proven to be an imperative factor for the success of the Electronic Dance scene. Women of The Disco is an initiative to highlight some of those powerhouses who are trailblazing the path and shaping the future of EDM.

Women of The Disco: Top10

Liz Miller

Liz Miller

Facebook & Instagram | New York City, NY

Liz got her start in the music industry in 1996 by passing out flyers for raves in Boulder and Denver in exchange for free entry, which eventually led to being paid to pass them out. After doing that throughout college, the role turned into a full-time job in 1999 working with the promoter Together Productions putting on legendary events like the Skylab series.

Then in 2003 Liz was the second employee to join the not-yet-launched platform called Beatport where she helped conceptualize and implement account management strategies for labels and distributors selling their music on the platform.

In 2006, Liz moved to Berlin to help expand the Beatport label account management team, to then later be headhunted to move to NYC in 2010 to act as General Manager and oversee the re-launch of the legendary Big Beat Records imprint under Atlantic Records.

After some time at two other electronic music-focused companies (SFX and Dubset), Liz has now been in a role at Facebook and Instagram since 2018, where she is a Strategic Partnerships manager for music artists in all genres working with anyone from Metallica to Coldplay to Willow Smith. The role consists of talking with artists and their teams about new products across platforms and ensuring they are effectively using these features to reach fans and find new ones.

Liz’s piece of advice for women in the industry; “Whatever opportunity you’re given, even if it’s a menial task, do it the best you can and make sure the people around you feel like you’ve added real value. You never know who is watching or who you will impress that can lead to your next career move.

Alex Simpson

Alex Simpson

Live Nation | Toronto, CA

Alex Simpson is a festival manager for Live Nation currently based out of Toronto, Canada. As a festival manager, her job is to create immersive fan experiences reminiscent of those that inspired her to join the music industry and create these large-scale events. Like many in the events industry, her talents don’t fit in just one box! She’s a jack queen of all trades, with her hands on everything from socials and branding to ticketing and VIP programs to production and lineup curation. She fell in love with the magic of festivals in 2012, and joined Live Nation as an intern in 2014. There, she got her first taste of working in the electronic festival space and never turned back.

In just 6 months, she had a full-time role on that same team, and she’s been forging her own path at Live Nation for the last 6 years to her current role as festival manager, where she will oversee multiple properties nationally. She’s worked on many festival properties, most notably Dreams Music Festival, as well as VELD, CBC Music Festival, Field Trip, Escapade, and Matty Fest. She is also joining the JUNOS Dance Recording committee for 2022 to help shine a light on emerging electronic talent in Canada. Over the years she has worked with many initiatives that highlight musical talent from marginalized groups like women, LGBTQ+, and POC. In her climb to the top, she attributes her success to authenticity and staying grounded in her ultimate goal to create memories that last a lifetime.

Courtney Durler

Courtney Durler

Sleeveless Records | Healdsburg, CA

Courtney’s journey in music began in 2015 when she was living in San Francisco. She took on merch design and fulfillment responsibilities part-time for Sleeveless Records and even bought a sewing machine to get her feet wet in merch production. As time went on, Courtney took more on and then decided to quit her job in tech and move to LA in 2016 to be closer to the electronic music scene and to manage Sleeveless Records full time.

Courtney’s job responsibilities include all kinds of administrational work, setting up an LLC and keeping up with business taxes, sourcing merch in LA’s fashion district and working with various printers and vendors on production, order fulfillment, receiving demos and filtering promising submissions, running various social media accounts and campaigns, working with artists on release strategy and timelines, creating engaging content via Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and After Effects, and building the Sleeveless community online and at events through merch vending and group meetups.

In 2018, Courtney stepped into the role of day-to-day manager for Stylust, label boss of Sleeveless Records. This gave her the chance to be more involved in tour planning, intensive brand building, and artist strategy.

Courtney has found success in her role as label and artist manager through routine work ethic and a burning passion for underground bass music. Being able to help young and upcoming artists get their music out into the universe has helped drive her purpose, and she is looking toward the future with hope and excitement after an unprecedented 2020.

Inbal Lankry

Inbal Lankry

Prisma Artists | Miami, FL

Inbal Lankry is the founder of Prisma Artists, an independent talent agency established in 2017, representing electronic musicians and brands worldwide with a focus on North & South America. For over a period of 15 years, Inbal has developed a solid foundation in various aspects of the music industry ranging from promotions, event production and marketing to bookings and management.

Lankry’s beginnings can be traced back to age 15 when she was promoting for legendary New York Clubs, Limelight, Tunnel and Palladium, while simultaneously helping out older brother DJ Baby Sean with his residencies at various hot spots all over the city. She later migrated to South Florida in 2003, where Inbal & her siblings opened Sonar nightclub in Hollywood, voted Best Club of 2004 and 2005 by Miami New Times. A natural progression into DJing followed, making her one of the only female DJ/promoters in Miami’s local underground house music scene at the time. With her return to Miami in 2020 from a long interlude in Los Angeles, she has come back to Djing and has gained a reputation over the years for super tasteful cross-genre sets and has performed at some of the best parties & venues in both cities.

After gaining some notoriety in the South Florida scene through her club and satellite parties, she took on the role of Marketing & Booking Director for the legendary Electric Pickle in Miami 2009-2012. Inbal was instrumental in the success of making the venue one of the most sought-after gigs in the United States for artists across the globe. During her time there, the Electric Pickle was voted one of the Best US club by Rolling Stone. Simultaneously, she also produced several events throughout Miami yearly including Get Lost, Paradise, Crew Love, etc.

In 2012 she became one of the agents on Damian Lazarus’ formed Rebel Agency that was later to join CAA. After joining CAA and working in the corporate agency world as an agent at CAA, Winidsh/Paradigm where she developed several acts including Hercules & Love Affair, Purple Disco Machine, Soul Clap, Amtrac, Kindness, Fur Coat, etc. she finally branched out and founded Prisma Artists in 2017 where she continues to develop her roster with a passion for innovative artists.

With a far-reaching contact base and years of experience in the industry she provides a high level of service and a unique approach of touring to the following clients on the Prisma roster including (but not limited to): &ME, Francesca Lombardo, Max Cooper, Rampa, Jennifer Cardini, Keinemusik, Telefon Tel Aviv, Patrick Holland, Satori, Adam Port, Moscoman, Tiger & Woods, etc.

Valerie Lee

Valerie Lee

Twitch Music | Los Angeles, CA

Valerie Lee is the Premium Music Content Manager for Twitch. At Twitch, she oversees content strategy for Premium Music Partners, working with industry leaders like Rolling Stone, Bowery Presents, Relix, Rolling Loud, Shawn Gee’s BlackStream Live, Beatport, Paxahau, and more. Valerie has worked in the world of music, tech, and media for over seven years. Previously, she worked on content partnerships with virtual concert start-up Wave XR, working on The Weeknd’s groundbreaking show on TikTok; as the Global Culture Editor at Mixmag, where she oversaw editorial, live events, and live streams; and as the Content Manager at International Music Summit, where she helped to launch the debut IMS China in 2015.

In addition to her work behind-the-scenes, she has also cultivated a voice and presence in music media, contributing as a writer to Billboard Dance, launching an award-nominated podcast for Mixmag, hosting her own news and interview show called The Newsfloor, and hosting the record-breaking Coachella live stream. Valerie lives in Los Angeles and besides music, she is a big fan of the library, dogs, cats, and cooking.

Paige Turner

Paige Turner

Tour Coordinator / Assistant Tour Manager | Knoxville, TN

Paige began her journey in the music industry by studying film lighting, at that time she was also working as a local stagehand to make money while in school. Her first touring job was in 2002 as a lighting tech, then in 2005 she became a Production Assistant and Merchandise Manager. In these roles, Paige couldn’t help but notice that she was one of only a few women on the entire touring staff, but did not let that deter her. Paige continued to flip between these two roles until about 2012 when she made the leap to Production Coordinator, shortly thereafter moving on to Tour Coordinator / Assistant Tour Manager, and hasn’t looked back since.

Her current role involves much more than meets the eye, including weeks of prep before the tour begins and weeks of work wrapping things up after it’s ended. Paige’s day-to-day workflow varies drastically while touring. Some of her responsibilities include taking care of band/artist’s needs/wants, coordinating with local promoters, maintaining daily float, and being an overall badass. Paige attributes her professional success to being organized, being a great multi-tasker, having an amazing tribe of women to lean on, and just a bit of magic.

Amanda Medina

Amanda Medina

iHeartRaves & EmazingLights The Emazing Group | Phoenix, AZ

Amanda’s first taste of the industry came when she was in college and interned for Infected Mushroom’s tour management. At that time, Amanda found herself enamored with the EDM community as a whole, both professionally and personally. She fell in love with the culture and fashion of festivals so much so that she decided to dedicate her career to spreading that sense of wonder and community with as many people as possible. Fate handed her the opportunity to do just that when she found a Craigslist listing to work with a new start-up, building e-commerce brands in the EDM space; this once start-up is what today stands as iHeartRaves.

Amanda currently manages the acquisition, retention, and brand marketing teams for all 3 of the Emazing Group brands’ websites as well as the on-site promotions, partnerships, and sponsorship at festivals. Amanda owes the success of her career and iHeartRaves as a brand to the deep connection they both have with the EDM fan community.

Quote from Amanda: “The most rewarding aspect has been seeing the path I’ve paved for the women on my team to follow their own dreams and work in a career that ties their passions to their strengths.”

Lauren Kenner

Lauren Kenner

Mercy Agency | Jacksonville, FL

From EDM to hip-hop to pop to television, Lauren has made waves across many areas of the entertainment industry. She is the co-founder of Mercy Agency, an expansive marketing collective focused on developing major artist brands, organic content, and social media strategy. Lauren attributes her success in the industry to networking, a strong work ethic, and strong moral values.

Quote from Lauren: “I’m so lucky to work closely with some of the most hard-working and resilient women out there. Being a woman in the music industry can really suck sometimes, but banding together with other strong women has really helped me grow and thrive. Look for your community of good, professional humans and keep them close!”

Sam Kern

Sam Kern

Grim Photos | Shanghai, China

Sam found her interest in photography all the way back in middle school when her mom gave her her first camera. In high school, she was fond of taking pictures of her friends and local bands. Sam was always the person with the camera taking everyone’s picture. This continued through college, however, it wasn’t until after college when she moved to Shanghai to start a career as a teacher that she first dipped her toes into the EDM scene. After seeing advertisements for artists she liked coming to Asia, she began sending emails to photograph shows. Following countless emails, Sam’s first gig was with Zed’s Dead at Creamfields Hong Kong 2017. She was so shocked to even have the opportunity, she almost didn’t believe it was real. From there Sam’s career began spiraling! She continued to work local events in Shanghai and all over Asia, doing videography and portrait photography and being a tour manager.

During the pandemic, there was really no opportunity to be working with foreign artists so Sam shifted her focus on local talent and added MUA to her skill set along the way, all while still maintaining her teaching job. Sam prides herself on it being rare for her to work with an artist then never work with them again, stating one of her most notable tours were two she did with Rezz in 2018. Sam says passion is what makes her so successful in her career. Currently, she has moved back to the states and looks forward to all her upcoming festival bookings both with reoccurring artists and new ones!

Quote: “I love capturing the energy of shows, I love traveling and experiencing new cultures, and most importantly, gotta love the music. <3"

Susan Zimmerman aka SiouxZ

Susan Zimmerman aka SiouxZ

Publicist Magnum Publicity | New York City, NY

SiouxZ attributes her start in the industry to a moment of ‘right place, right time’. She started her professional career out as a receptionist for a late-night cult TV music show called “Night Flight”, where she learned about music promotion, combining music and visuals, and continued her passion for creative writing. Following this role, SiouxZ became assistant to Head Writing and Director of Music Video Acquisitions, then moved on to TVT Records where she began her career in publicity. Nowadays SiouxZ is straight hustlin’. Being a publicist means constantly dealing with deadlines, sifting through emails daily, industry research, and lots of time management. SiouxZ has worked with an impressive list of clients including Disco Donnie Presents.

As far as achievements go, SiouxZ’s are endless. From working with Nine Inch Nails for 10 years to Avicii to Daft Punk, just to name a few. Previous to Magnum PR, SiouxZ was the proprietor of Formula PR which was one of the first independent U.S. electronic /dance music-oriented PR firms. She attributes her success to running her business on passion, noting that every client she has ever worked with she wholeheartedly believes in, and dancing like nobody’s watching.

Win Two Tickets to Ubbi Dubbi 2022!

Ubbi & Dubbi: We’re wuborking on a very special project, and we need YOUR HELP! In return, one lucky winner will get the very first 2 tickets to Ubbi Dubbi 2022!

We’re looking for any footage you captured related to Ubbi Dubbi 2021 whether on a cell phone or pro camera. We’re looking for anything and everything related to attending Ubbi dubbi. This includes traveling to the event whether it was a short drive from where you live or flying across the country and anywhere in between. Anything you captured on the way in, at the festival, camping, hotel room, after the show, on the way home…EVERYTHING! We want to see it all! Don’t hesitate to upload anything you think is uninteresting, it could be super useful for our project.

Please send your videos to contest@discodonniepresents.com

Tip: Share your videos using the Photos app on iOS or the Google Photos app on Android. Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive is fine too!

View the Rules

Use Code BACK2SCHOOL to Save 10% Off Tickets!

At the close of summer in kid world, back-to-school sales were a time to stock up on clothes, school supplies, and accessories. But in Disco world, back-to-school sales mean it’s time to stock up on tickets to see your favorite dance music acts!

It’s always a bummer when summer ends, so to lessen the blow, starting Monday, August 30th through Sunday, September 4th at midnight (11:59 PM PST), we’re offering a 10% discount off online ticket purchases with promo code BACK2SCHOOL!

Use promo code BACK2SCHOOL at checkout to save 10% on tickets!

Some exclusions may apply. Browse the complete list of participating events below.

Austin

Charlotte

Cincinnati

Columbus

Dallas

Fort Walton Beach

Fort Lauderdale

Gainesville

Greenville

Houston

Indianapolis

Lubbock

Nashville

New Orleans

Oklahoma City

Orlando

St Louis

Tallahassee

Tampa

Women of The Disco: Part 6

While it’s no secret that women are underrepresented in the Music Industry; Female leadership has proven to be an imperative factor for the success of the Electronic Dance scene. Women of The Disco is an initiative to highlight some of those powerhouses who are trailblazing the path and shaping the future of EDM.

Presenting Part 6 as where we feature women from all corners of the industry who keep the Disco ball spinnin! 💃 ✨

alexis sturm

Alexis Sturm

Alexis Sturm Media | Austin, TX

Alexis Sturm is a freelance event photographer and owner of Alexis Sturm Media where she shoots for RealMusic Events and GolfClap. Proclaimed a lead creative in her field by her peers, Alexis has an eye for detail and unique style. She has had her photos printed in DJ Mag and has worked with multitude of Artist & Festivals such as AC Slater, Chris Lorenzo, GG Magree, Friendship, LAN, Electric Zoo, Spring Awakening, Ubbi Dubbi & more! Her love of music started in highschool where she quickly realized that concerts were her happy place. Once she graduated, she purchased a camera and began teaching herself everything there was to know about photography. With determination and perseverance she began bringing her camera to small local shows around Austin to practice and build a portfolio. In Fall 2018, Alexis joined RealMusic Events where she has covered events such as Seismic, DB BBQ, Anjunadeep Open Air, Desert Hearts, and more. She simultaneously was networking and shooting shows with various artists throughout Texas which opened up the Door to becoming the professional she is today.

ally maas

Ally Maas

AEG Presents Southwest | Dallas, TX

Ally Maas is the Marketing Director at AEG Presents Southwest Where she is currently responsible for handling shows within the southwest region (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Louisiana- with the occasional Arizona show sprinkled in) and overseeing marketing for The Theatre at Grand Prairie. Ally handles marketing aspects from small 200 capacity shows through large capacity national touring events. Throughout her years in highschool & college Ally volunteered at as many events as possible. She took every opportunity available which included working on street teams, working merch, and interning with labels and magazines. Ally was a huge believer that there is no such thing as a small job and found the value in every position. After working a few festivals in Dallas, Ally was offered a position working with a non-profit organization on Warped Tour. That experience motivated her to pursue music, so she changed her major and transferred colleges to be closer to a more active music scene. Ally dived head first into the industry following her time with The Canvas Foundation. She began working at iHeart Media in Dallas where she worked her way up from answering phones to National Promotions Coordinator. Ally’s heart has always been in events and so she eagerly applied for a job with the AEG team in 2017. Since joining AEG Presents Southwest, she has continued to advance professionally working her way up from a marketing assistant position to the marketing director role.

andrea graham

Andrea Graham

Bass Coast Music Festival / DJ & Producer | Squamish, BC, Canada

Andrea Graham, better known by her stage name The Librarian, is a celebrated Canadian DJ, producer, and curator. She is the co-founder and music director of Bass Coast Music Festival – known internationally for its innovative music programming and installation art – and is widely considered one of bass music’s leading creative minds and tastemakers. Equally an artist and entrepreneur, Andrea’s reputation as an inclusive community-builder in the electronic world has brought her a legion of fans and industry followers across the globe. As a DJ, Andrea’s sets move through bass music, footwork, jungle, garage, 130, halftime & drum and bass, tying those diverse genres together with low end frequencies that push the boundaries of the world’s biggest PAs. Andrea performs throughout Canada, the USA, Australia, NZ, India, & Central America. Past performance highlights include Coachella, Symbiosis Gathering, Bumbershoot, Lightning in a Bottle, Bass Center, Freestyle Sessions, Rainbow Serpent, and Shambhala. Andrea studied classical piano, jazz piano, guitar and voice until early adulthood, before translating that classical skillset into her passion for electronic music in the early 2000’s. The Librarian moniker was given to her by friend and Bass Coast co-founder Liz Thomson, referring to her signature glasses and expansive library of music.

caitlin kreider

Caitlin Kreidler

Atlanta, GA

Starting out in her hometown of Atlanta, GA, her first gig was assisting the Artist Relations team at Magnetic Music Festival in 2013 where she was quickly scooped up by Andrea Brown, one of the “50 Women of Disco”. Since then, she’s had the honor to work alongside Brown on the Talent Relations side of countless festivals including powerhouse Disco Donnie Presents productions Sunset Music Festival, Freaky Deaky, Ubbi Dubbi, Something Wicked, Something Wonderful and Sun City Music Festival. Outside of Disco Donnie Presents she has also worked festivals and shows including Friendship Festival, Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, SHAQ’s Funhouse, Gronk’s Beach Party and more. Her work in the industry does not stop there. Caitlin was also a part of an esteemed lifestyle public relations firm in Atlanta, Caren West PR, where she developed a new role within the company, Artist Relations Specialist. She assisted and set up interviews between artists and media on Imagine Music Festival and Relentless Beats productions including Phoenix Lights, Decadence, Goldrush and more. Towards the end of 2019, Caitlin decided to break out on her own as a personal publicist for restaurants and bars where she creates a strong brand awareness in the press and social media, all while continuing her talent relations work. Her passion and true loyalty to her clients, employers and co-workers has helped her find strength and happiness in her field of work, but it’s her hardworking, can’t stop, won’t stop mentality that keeps her moving forward. It’s been one wild ride for Caitlin so far and she feels very fortunate to have had a career filled with a whirlwind of possibilities and encounters with truly incredible people in the music industry.

diane tamulavage

Diane Tamulavage

Universal Music Group for Brands | Philadalphia, PN

Diane Tamulavage is the Senior Digital Strategy Manager for Universal Music Group for Brands and living proof that strong networking skills can help you find your dream job. After graduating college Diane Tamulavage knew two things were certain: She loved Electronic Music & She loved to write. While being fully immersed in the NYC / Philly dance scene, Diane came across an opportunity to combine both of her passions and began writing for Your EDM. She would go on to land her first role as social media coordinator for Tiesto’s label, Musical Freedom Records. There she would discover Fame House – a digital marketing agency for artists & festivals. Diane eventually found herself in a full time role at Fame House as a Digital Marketer, which would lead her to her current role with the UMG Brand Partnerships division. Diane says her success can be attributed to “Saying yes to unconventional opportunities, being willing to wear many hats, & understanding no task is too big or too small. I’ve also had the privilege of being surrounded by great teammates & colleagues who push and challenge me”. In her current role, Diane ideates & manages the digital components of partnership campaigns between brands & UMG artists. This can be anything from brainstorming creative concepts to managing media spends & social media calendars, working with influencers and tapping into innovative tech partners. She’s helped bring in (4) Music Ally Best Music Marketing Campaigns of the Year awards with clients such as Robin Schulz, Disco Donnie Presents, and Imagine Festival. Diane has also had her hand in some larger cultural moments such as the Pokémon 25 partnership with UMG including the Pokémon Day virtual concert with Post Malone & the Lenovo & Jonas Brothers ‘For All Creators’ campaign.

heather garcia

Heather Garcia

See Tickets US | Burbank, CA

Hailing from the Golden State of California, Heather Garcia is the Web and graphic designer at See Ticket US. As a multimedia student in her early 20’s, Heather’s world revolved around music. With a special attraction and interest in electronic music, she yearned for the moments when she could go to shows and enjoy them with her closest friends. While looking for an internship she wanted to find a position that would merge both of her passions. Thus leading her to apply to Flavorus, an online event ticketing platform, later becoming See Ticket US. Now being with the company for 7 years Heather has been able to work on web and marketing content for some of my favorite festivals and venues. She would occasionally travel to work on the field at large events, which was so fun that it never truly felt like work. Now Heather mainly focuses on building websites for their music/venue clients, building seating charts, and handling client design requests. In the last 12 months, she have built over 25 websites for See Ticket clients. Heather says “The job isn’t always a walk in the park. When I run into challenges I always remind myself to take a deep breath, count my blessings and keep going.”

heather kohler

Heather Kohler

Event Management Consultant | Nashville, TN

Heather started working in production in 2009 with Ultimo Presents in Nashville, TN managing club shows. Her love for the industry grew from there, she had found something that she was passionate about and that she excelled at. Then, she decided to broaden her horizons and went on to managing various areas of production within music festivals and large events. Those roles included, Box Office, Medical Administration for the on site hospitals, Director of Operations for the Burning Man Transportation airport, among many other roles. A few notable events on her resume include, The Disco Donnie music festivals, Lollapalooza, Burning Man, Bonnaroo, Holy Ship, EDC, and countless more. She thrives when it comes to creating, improving, and implementing processes while keeping a huge focus on customer service. Heather is the epitome of what it means to be a freelancer in this industry. Hopping from one city to the next and working on several events at the same time, all the while keeping a smile on her face and an energy drink in her hand. She has been a part of 30+ events each year for the better half of a decade now and is looking forward to getting back into the hectic, ever-evolving event world that she loves.

kiri gragg

Kiri Gragg

Target ME Marketing & Events | Tucson, AZ

Kiri began in the industry over 20 years ago running large scale nightclubs, which lead to hosting national acts inside, and then building larger scale in their parking lots. While working with small teams, Kiri jumped in the deep end, wore all the hats when needed. From starting in the trenches by pushing road cases she became skilled in so many different departments by learning from the bottom up. To go from nightclubs to building in parking lots to being apart of the Team to bring TomorrowWorld to the US, my journey, as w/ all of us has been ever evolving. For the last few years, Kiri has been privileged to work with industry leaders such as Medium Rare and Backbone International. Her focus has shifted to over-all operations and logistics of larger scale events. Including festival and campground operations, food and beverage consulting, and most recently in the livestream world w/ Shaquille O’Neal’s Shaq Bowl. Throughout the years she has played crucial roles in events such as Shaq’s FunHouse, Gronk Beach, TomorrowWorld, Decadence, Electric Zoo, EDC/Camp EDC, Okeechobee, Presidente Festival (Dominican Republic) and so many more. While Kiri claims to have been blessed to be a part of some amazing events & Teams, we know that those events were really blessed to have her.

maria southgate

Maria Southgate

Never Say Die Records / NSD: Black Label | London, UK

An experienced marketing and PR manager, Maria oversees promotional efforts for Never Say Die Records and NSD: Black Label. Her primary focus is to maximise exposure for the two labels and their rosters, as well as to handle product management and help each release reach its full potential. Maria got her start in the industry as a Press Assistant for D&B label Viper Recordings. She then progressed on to a Campaign Manager role at Infectious PR, before settling into her all-encompassing role at NSD. Having been obsessed with dance music for as long as she can remember, Maria has a particular passion for dubstep, drum & bass and the more underground sounds. Thanks to this, she has built up an enviable wealth of expertise within bass music, as well as within the wider dance music realm. Much of Maria’s work with NSD is front-facing, but a lot happens behind the scenes; working with the wider NSD team to pinpoint strategy and bring your favourite artists’ releases to life. Maria says “As a woman, don’t be afraid to own your space in the industry! Focus on achieving great results and don’t let anyone undermine your worth. Your hard work will do the talking.”

pamela crick

Pamela Crick

Coalition Entertainment | Los Angeles, California

There is a clear lack of women talent buyers in the Electronic Music industry and Pamela Crick is here to change that. Working full time talent buying for Coalition Entertainment, Pamela works on collaborative efforts within their team as well as running her own accounts. A few of their clients include Myth Nightclub in Jacksonville, FL, Public Works in San Francisco, Elements Festival in Pennsylvania and Imagine Music Festival in Georgia. Pamela started her journey in the music industry booking concerts at UCLA. She would go on to work at APA, then CAA with her former boss Ferry Rais-Shaghaghi. Pamela left the agency world and went back to her roots with the booking side of the industry. She joined Coalition Entertainment in February 2020, right before the pandemic hit. She did not let the roadblock set her back and continued to find growth in her new position. After work hours, Pamela is also a DJ/producer under my alias Pam Sessions and even performed on the Desert Hearts live stream. If you didn’t think she was busy enough, Pamela also owns a local events company, Sound Dunes, that hosts house music parties around Los Angeles.

The 50 Women of The Disco Series: Week 5 of 5

While it’s no secret that women are underrepresented in the Music Industry; Female leadership has proven to be an imperative factor for the success of the Electronic Dance scene. The 50 Women of The Disco is an initiative to highlight some of those powerhouses who are trailblazing the path and shaping the future of EDM.

Presenting week 5 of 5 as where we feature women from all corners of the industry who keep the Disco ball spinnin! 💃 ✨

angelica babas

Angelica Babas

HAM promotions | Texas, USA

Angelica Babas is the co-founder of the Dallas-based independent production company HAM promotions. HAM Promotions has had one thing in mind, to bring the best experiences to Dallas through bass music, and that’s just what they are doing. Growing up in Los Angeles, Angie got her start as a member of the insomniac street team for Insomniac Events in 2014. As her music taste evolved and she continued to network, she eventually started with Insomniac as an independent contractor. Angie moved to Dallas in 2017, where she met a group of lifelong friends who came up with the idea of starting HAM promotions. Since the beginning of 2018, they have had over sixty shows with over four hundred artists, raised 3k+ for the Grant Halliburton Foundation, created and hosted the first-ever Dallas Open Decks and now series, not to mention the awesome opportunity to work with hundreds of local acts along with notable national tours. Angie says, “I feel that a good team attributes to success, finding people you can work with. Situations can always get tough, but it’s about finding the people you’d get through those with.”

Alli Schloeman

Alli Schloeman

Hit Command / Lights All Night | Texas, USA

Alli Schloeman is a project manager at Hit Command, and a Festival Director for Lights All Night. Her creativity has led her to be proclaimed as the ‘Content Queen’ by her peers & co-workers. Alli started out as an intern for LAN in 2012 and has since worked for the festival for almost 10 years now. Alli recently got hired as the project manager for Hit Command, which aims to bridge the gaps between musicians, brands, gaming culture, and fans. Day to day she helps manage teams from different media worlds to create new and exciting interactive experiences on Twitch for artists and fans. Communication and problem solving are some of Allis greatest strengths Alli says “Every day I wake up having to solve a new problem, and make sure that the solution gets implemented properly. As an added bonus, I’m so passionate about the space I work in that I couldn’t imagine doing anything else, and that definitely drives my motivation to succeed.”

reid speed

Reid Speed

Play Me Records & Play Me Too / Apple | Los Angeles, CA

DJ, producer, label boss, paradigm shifter. With over 2 decades of experience and a lifetime of persistence, Reid Speed is a premier purveyor of the art of DJing and a respected veteran of the North American Drum & Bass and underground dance music scenes. She came up in the New York City underground selling records at the USA’s first all-jungle/drum & bass shop Breakbeat Science, where she was one of the first American DJs to branch out into multi-genre-ism, incorporating 2-step and speed garage into her mixes, and later breakbeats, house, dubstep, trap, and other heavy bass music genres. She was the first female American Drum & Bass DJ to break through on a national and international level as both a DJ and producer and has served as an inspiration to generations of female talent since. Her labels, Play Me Records and Play Me Too, are stalwarts of the American Drum & Bass Scene and helped kick off the early explosion of the North American dubstep /heavy bass scene, having discovered or launched the careers of some of bass music’s top hitmakers like Dillon Francis, Bro Safari, Dodge & Fuski (Disciple), Eliminate, and many more. They’ve released over 400 artists in their decade of existence and continue to usher in wave after wave of successful new talent with a focus on drum & bass, halftime, dubstep, and leftfield heavy bass music. Reid’s graced the decks at countless events around the world like Electric Daisy Carnival, Sun & Bass, Shambhala; has done guest mixes for BBC Radio 1, Triple J, Ram Live, Beatport, and more, released music on Prog:ram, Viper, Play Me, and more, and has rocked raves, clubs, and venues from Limelight to The End. Her music has been licensed by brands like Nike, Puma, and Lenovo and she’s curated mixes for fashion brands Skingraft and Unbeing. She’s done 5 years of a drum & bass podcast (Speed of Sound), a multi-genre radio show on Dash (Full Speed), and recently launched her newest mix series, No Speed Limit. She’s even DJ’d on TV (the Jamie Kennedy Experiment). Reid Speed’s storied career has been based on constant, steady growth and breaking barriers for women in the industry. And whether live, in the studio, or in her role as a label boss, she consistently proves that she’s a force in the industry and one of the best and most versatile DJ’s in the game.

allison blythe

Allison Blythe

Los Angeles, CA

Artist management has always been a dream for Allison Blythe, and she would eventually make that dream a reality. As a day-to-day manager for various sized artists, her responsibilities change on the daily. Whether it’s A&Ring certain tracks for pitching to labels, advancing shows/livestreams, coordinating marketing plans for releases, developing social media plans and marketing, maintaining regular contact with our artists, or planning for the year ahead. Growing up in New York, Allison would work small jobs at local recording studios just to be around any and all kinds of music. She started interning in artist management at Control Music Group while at UCLA studying Music. She would then venture into the hip hop realm at G.O.O.D. Music, then back to EDM at Little Empire Music, then to All Access Management & Four Four Offset. In addition, Allison does marketing independently with pop artist Connor Bvrns. She was also the Artist Liaison for Space Yacht Events from 2017-2020. Allison has also had experience in tour managing and helps out on the side for those without Management or who need extra support.

julie nguyen

Julie Nguyen

JET Management | Los Angeles, CA

Julie Nguyen is a day-to-day and digital marketing manager at JET Management, working with artists such as Shiba San, Eden Prince, Madeon, and more. She worked on Madeon’s Good Faith campaign, which is Grammy-nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album, advising on digital/social media strategy, and led tour marketing for Good Faith Live. Julie got her start in the music industry interning at companies like Spirit Music Group, Live Nation, Hasbro Studios, and Paradigm. Her internship at C3 Management led to a full-time position in 2018. Now at JET Management, Julie oversees digital marketing/social media strategy, runs ad campaigns, email blasts, graphic design, video editing, and more. Julie attributes her success to her love of music, “First & foremost, I am a fan (especially of electronic music) which continues to drive my passion for working in this industry.”

Sydney Rogers

Sydney Rogers

Baked Up | Texas, US

Sydney Rogers is the founder, owner, and CEO of Baked Up, LLC. In early 2018 at just 21 years old, she launched Baked Up to combine her passions for electronic music, food, and bringing people together to enjoy various forms of art. From curating themed events like Weird Wubz and Candy Shop, to designing different merchandise, to baking and decorating custom desserts for performing artists, Sydney deeply appreciates being creative in various ways and sharing her creations with others. To date, Sydney has booked/worked with over 500 artists from around the world, thrown over 150 events in multiple states in the U.S., and collaborated with over 60 companies. She currently manages several artists, including Saratonin, LovelyBones, Zkosta, Lazy K, Kayten, Ghost In Real Life, Milazzo, and more with the help of her management team. Baked Up also recently added a record label under their umbrella called Hot Out Of The Oven Records, which Sydney is the CEO of as well. Her love for electronic music and the amazing people she works with as well as her deep desire to support others continues to motivate her as she strives to create a larger, stronger community that encourages people to express themselves through creative outlets.

mouna dif

Mouna Dif

Quality Goods Records | Paris, France

Head Of Operations at Quality Goods Records and Artist manager for a diverse roster of Electronic artists including UZ, Ian Munro, clavette and more! Distributed by Ingrooves/UMG, Quality Goods Records takes pride in having released a lot of artists in the trap electronic scene at the early days of their careers, their priority has always been to support the new up & comers; ATLiens, SAYMYNAME, Quix, Nitti Gritti, sumthin sumthin, Rome in Silver, TYNVN to name a few. Mouna also handles A&R, Admin, Branding, Release strategies, legal & other operation aspects for Quality goods. Music has always ran deep in her veins as she started out as hip hop singer/songwriter in the early 2000s. As she evolved into electronic music — her stage name being Moona – first in the UK house garage scene & deep house who was playlisted then by Diplo on his BBC radio show Diplo & friends in 2011, included in Shy FX official Ministry Of Sound takeover compilation. In 2014 Mouna becomes UZ’s Tour Manager and by the force of hands, a few years later became his Manager & launched his own label imprint Quality Goods Records in 2016.

gabrielle pharms

Gabrielle Pharms

Texas, US

Gabrielle Nicole Pharms is the lead copywriter for a marketing agency. She is also in the process of creating the voice identity of Our House, the world’s first museum dedicated to electronic music, specifically house. Gabrielle also contributes to outlets such as Reverb, Shondaland, and more. You can also catch her doing whiskey tastings/reviews since she’s recently expanded her beat outside of solely covering entertainment. Gabrielle has made some notable achievements in her career as she was the lead copywriter and created the tone of voice for the American edition of Mysteryland. You can also find her write-up on DJ/producer Kaytranada in this year’s GRAMMY program book. Gabrielle says, “It takes perseverance and humility. The quality of humility is so underrated. Being humble doesn’t mean letting someone walk all over you. Instead, it means not thinking more of yourself than is necessary. Also, kindness and generosity take you far. My mom always taught me that when you’re tight-fisted, you’re not letting blessings out — or in. Thus, I feel like there’s enough sun for everyone. I like sharing opportunities with other creatives in the industry.”

lily moayeri

Lily Moayeri

Los Angeles, CA

Lily has been a freelance journalist since 1992. She has contributed to numerous publications, including Billboard, NPR, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Grammy, Variety, Spin, Los Angeles Magazine, A.V. Club, and more. Lily hosts the Pictures of Lily Podcast, a bi-weekly podcast about her interviewing experiences. She has participated as moderator and panelist at numerous music conferences and is a guest speaker at Grammy Camp. She has also served as a teacher-librarian since 2004, focusing on guiding students in navigating the intersection of technology and education. She only has one item left on her journalism bucket list, and that is to interview Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees.

brianna stockman

Brianna Stockman

The Bomb Factory | Texas, US

From handing out flyers for DJs in college to managing 3 of the most prominent independent music venues in Dallas, Bri climbed the ladder quickly in just a few short years. As a college student in Orlando, she spent late nights standing outside a local club handing out flyers and occasionally working the front door, all for free. This is where she found her passion for live music. As the Box Office Manager, Bri works closely with artists teams to set up events online by backend building the event that actually allows guests to purchase tickets, additional experiences and see any necessary information for the occasion. She also oversees Meet & Greet / VIP experiences, organizes merchandise sales, and ensures guests have some of the most memorable nights of their lives at events. Being personable, energetic, and goal-oriented has allowed Bri to continuously evolve professionally, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon.

Page 3 of 304« First...234...10...Last »
Featured Updates
Latest Photos
Latest Videos