LIVE NATION TO FUND FEMALE-LED CONCERT BUSINESSES

Live Nation is launching an entrepreneurial-focused equal opportunity initiative, the Women Nation Fund, described in Tuesday’s announcement as an early-stage investment fund focused on female-led businesses in the concert promotions, events and festival spaces. Live Nation is setting up the fund and will provide access to the company’s resources and capital for underrepresented female entrepreneurs, according to company head Michael Rapino.

“As the leader in live entertainment, we want to meaningfully address this issue, change the dynamic and widen the playing field,” said Rapino. “The Women Nation Fund is a first step towards empowering new entrepreneurs and creating more opportunity for women in this sector of the live music business.”

Dr. Stacy Smith, Founder/Director of USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, applauded LN for “for committing its resources in a way that can affect real change,” noting that “Women are underrepresented across the entertainment ecosystem, but we see this particularly in the music industry,” she pointed out. “One crucial way to kick-start the effort towards gender parity is to fund female entrepreneurs.”

The Women Nation evaluating team, made up of LN female execs with diverse domain expertise, includies Anna Sjolund (Co-Managing Director/Head Promoter, Live Nation Sweden), Amy Corbin (Promoter, C3), Virginia Davis (Founder, G Major Management), Amy Howe (COO, Ticketmaster), Lesley Olenik (VP Touring), Maura Gibson (President, Front Gate Tickets), Kelly Chappel (VP Touring) and Carrie Davis (Chief Communications Officer). Businesses selected by the fund will be given access to Live Nation resources such as strategic advisory, industry contacts and mentorship across lines of business and functional areas.

You can find additional info information and apply to the Women Nation Fund here.