In our latest roundup, we present eight more rising professionals from various parts of the biz whose dedication and effort make their superiors look good.
This week's entrants will also find their faces in our latest mag. Lucky for them, they can lament this mortifying experience over the long summer days to come.
Brandon Holman
Label Partnerships Manager, TikTok
Prince fans can thank Holman for working with the Purple One’s estate to bring his catalog to TikTok and hosting a livestream tour of Paisley Park for last year’s Black Music Month. He recently spearheaded TikTok for Black Creatives, a first-of-its-kind program supporting the growth of emerging culture-shifters, among them Jensen McRae, Lathan Warlick and Kirby. A MusiCares Young Ambassadors board member, Holman is also an advocate for mental-health treatment and co-founder of The Mindful Creative, the largest wellness group on Clubhouse. We’re waiting for our invite…
Siara Behar
Senior Director of A&R, Prescription Songs
Behar is thrilled to see Prescription signing Chloe George’s “Ghost Town” going viral, amassing 180m+ TikTok plays in two weeks. The veteran A&R is focused on bringing a diverse crop of new talent like George, Micah Premnath (Selena Gomez, Lady A) and 1Mind’s Seb (NBA YoungBoy, Juice WRLD) to the pubco roster, which already boasts Soaky Siren, Trey Campbell, Bham, Space Primates, Sweet Talker and Ivy Adara. A proud Cuban-American, Behar is passionate about the Latin market. Speaking of passion, those who’ve witnessed her Celine Dion impersonation were changed forever.
Femi “Shamz” Obasaju
Head of RHR (R&B/Hip-Hop/Reggae), Ingrooves Music Group
It doesn’t get much better than conversing with Patti Labelle as she holds your hand backstage at a performance by The Roots. From hanging with R&B legends to working with developing artists like Morray, G Herbo and MadeinTYO, Obasaju is living his best life building Ingrooves’ R&B, hip-hop and reggae division. “I probably have the greenest thumb in hip-hop,” he notes—take that, Snoop Dogg! Obasaju’s voice can be heard in our upcoming Black Music Month R&B special, about which we’re undoubtedly more excited than he is.
Ronny Ho
Head of Dance and Electronic Development, Spotify
Ho’s been working with Spotify’s global team to develop the platform’s AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) hub. Having just come off AAPI Heritage Month—which saw Spotify highlighting creators like Olivia Rodrigo, Rina Sawayama and Joji and promoting Audrey Nuna’s cover of South Korean rapper G-Dragon’s “That XX” as a Spotify Single—she’s especially proud of the hub’s expansion into podcasts, playlists (Jasmine, AAPI Pride) and more. An avowed Suecophile, this sourdough aficionada has traveled to Sweden to catch shows by artists like John Mayer and locals Axwell & Ingrosso.
Ryan Chisholm
GM, Work of Art Management
Chisholm has risen to the challenge of managing a client, Mike Posner, who spent six months on the road—walking across America—and now summited Mt. Everest to benefit the Detroit Justice Center. Over the last year, Chisholm and Noisemaker-alum Brandon Epstein have been busy developing TikTok breakout Tai Verdes, who went from working at the Verizon store to 200m global streams and a sold-out 2021 tour. Chisholm’s also preparing for new music by Trevor Daniel, Quadeca and Wes Period. Off-hours? “I’m nice on the basketball court,” he reveals.
Eddie Kloesel
VP of Touring and Sponsorships/Artist Manager, Why&How
Getting to see one of your artist clients open a stadium show for a superstar act is a once-in-a lifetime thrill—or in Kloesel’s case, twice; W&H’s Whiskey Myers has supported The Rolling Stones at Chicago’s Solider Field, and Chase Rice has warmed up for Garth Brooks at Detroit’s Ford Field. With live music returning, Kloesel is back on the fast track, yet he somehow finds time to operate Whiskey Boat Goods, which “takes products you use daily and handcrafts them to unique perfection” (psst—his wife helps).
Domenic Iniguez
Project Manager, Media Partnerships: Music, Entertainment, Creators, Facebook
Following a stint at Facebook, Iniguez helped build Live Nation’s first influencer network, working on artist campaigns for Lady Gaga and Marshmello and branding initiatives for Adobe and Tinder. He’s now back at Facebook, collaborating with the company’s music-partner managers on artist priorities across FB and Instagram’s suite of products. A former dancer who trained in ballet and received a scholarship to UCLA’s dance program, Iniguez is always ready to bust a move. Wish we could say the same for ourselves, but we can feel the couchlock coming on…
Jen Amendola
Senior Account Manager, FlyteVu
As a client whisperer for an agency that connects brands to consumers via pop culture, Amendola is working with an iconic spirits brand, arranging partnerships with up-and-coming artists. Account management has its privileges—she fondly recalls sitting with Jane Lynch, a brand ambassador for one of her clients, at the Palm Springs Film Festival listening to Tom Hanks give an acceptance speech. Amendola has certainly come a long way from the Okefenokee Swamp, where she grew up. Then again, she is appearing in HITS, notoriously populated by swamp creatures.
NEAR TRUTHS: REALIGNMENT AND RECOGNITION
Underscoring the year's biggest stories (11/19a)
NEAR TRUTHS: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Nervous time in the music biz and beyond. (11/16a)
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