NOLA MUSICON - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Co - Chair of Music Creators North America

David Kunian's writing has appeared in the Oxford American, Downbeat, Offbeat, Gambit Weekly, and Beat Street. He had completed a dozen radio documentaries on various New Orleans musical characters and institutions such as James Booker, Earl King, Lee Dorsey, Everette Maddow, the Dew Drop Inn, and Jonathan Freilich. Mr. Kunian completed his Masters in Musicology at Tulane University with a masters' thesis on the subject of modern jazz in New Orleans and Harold Battiste's All For One (AFO) Records, so you can call him a Magister, not master. He also does the "Freaknologist Lunatique" Kitchen Sink program on WWOZ-FM New Orleans HYPERLINK "http://www.wwoz.org/"www.wwoz.org on Tuesday nights at 10 PM where his careening and ecstatic musical taste and unhinged commentary is exhibited for the world to behold and excoriate. Currently most of his creativity is expressed as the Curator for the New Orleans Jazz Museum where he has curated exhibits on women in New Orleans music, a history of New Orleans drumming and drummers, painters Emilie Rhys and Noel Rockmore, Louis Prima, Professor Longhair, Pete Fountain, 300 years of New Orleans music, James Michalopoulos' music paintings, Zack Smith's Festival photography, painter Frederick Brown, King Oliver, and 16 years of Erika Goldring's photos of the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians

Dawn Richard is a musician, multimedia artist, animator, dancer, director, model, and entrepreneur. As a founding member of Danity Kane, and later with Diddy's Dirty Money, Richard has explored the ins and outs of commercial pop music. As a solo artist, she opted to self-release her music; over the span of six critically acclaimed full-length albums, she treats Louisiana Creole culture, New Orleans bounce, and Southern Swag as elemental, allowing her to weave in and out of house, footwork, R&B, and more. As she proudly proclaimed on her album Second Line: "I am the genre." Her most recent album is a collaboration with multi-instrumentalist and producer Spencer Zahn called Pigments, which is an orchestral fusion of neoclassical, ambient, and jazz. In addition to her prolific musical output, Richard is active in a number of other creative fields. She works in creative direction & creative partnerships with Adult Swim; she is passionate about emerging technologies, as well as the intersection of tech and art. She was the first independent and Black artist to do a 360 oculus performance with YouTube, and has been a tech consultant for music-driven startups, providing arts concepts and marketing pitches to help merge art and tech seamlessly. This past October, she was the Artist in Residence for a full week at NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music,marking the first time in the program's history that they've had a visiting artist for a full week of programming. She also founded and owns Papa Ted's, a vegan food truck based in New Orleans.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Executive Producer
• Founder / CEO, E. Ross Studios Ross Media Ventures

Elvin Ross is an Emmy-winning composer, director, executive producer, and studio owner who has played a significant role in Hollywood's entertainment industry. He has composed music for successful productions in film, television, and stage. One of his notable works includes creating the original music for the Disney+ film "SNEAKERELLA," released in May of 2022 in which he won the 2022 Children's & Family Creative Arts EMMY AWARD for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Live Action Program. Aside from his musical talents, Elvin Ross is also a business owner. He is the founder and CEO of e. ross studios and Ross Media Ventures, where he combines his love for music with media. Elvin is not only a composer but also a writer, director, and executive producer. He has worked on his documentary called "Kunta Kinteh Island" and is currently executive producing and hosting a new show called "You Got Next with Elvin Ross," which focuses on empowering aspiring individuals in the industry. Elvin aims to entertain and educate through his content, bringing new innovations to his media properties. Elvin Ross's directorial debut was with the thought-provoking and inspiring documentary "Kunta Kinteh Island: Coming Home Without Shackles." This impactful film tells the story of African individuals before their enslavement and explores one man's determination to find freedom. In addition to his documentary work, Elvin has partnered with KLCS PBS to host "You Got Next with Elvin Ross," a daytime talk show aimed at showcasing the talents of overachieving grade school children. With this show, Elvin provides a platform for a new generation of talented individuals to shine.

Jonathan McHugh is the newly named Hilton-Baldridge Eminent Scholar/Chair in Music Industry Studies at Loyola University in New Orleans. McHugh is a veteran independent TV and film producer/director/music supervisor who has held high…

Job Titles:

• Director of the Mayor 's Office of Cultural Economy ( OCE )

Lisa Alexis is the Director of the Mayor's Office of Cultural Economy (OCE) from 2019. Her extensive professional experience deftly combines communications and government service to her community, navigating the intricate qualities and needs of Creatives and culture bearers in New Orleans. A native of New Orleans who grew up in Gentilly, hit the ground running and led her team through four Carnival seasons, Festival Seasons, and the 2020 COVID pandemic. Lisa was and is committed to keeping cultural creativity alive. She and her team at OCE/NOTCF manage official cultural events for Mayor LaToya Cantrell, from Inauguration to Mardi Gras to a Cultural Tourism Honors Gala to appreciate the economic impact of the cultural ecosystem. Through the Embrace the Culture platform, Lisa brought digital cultural infrastructure to artists and audiences alike to amplify monetization of artist's work. Starting her journey in morning news production for CBS affiliate WWL-TV and radio, she also worked in advertising and marketing for major corporate clients such as Coca-Cola and Miller Beer and executed the development of the film apprenticeship model for the State of Louisiana. She then felt called to public administration. Lisa's government administration and civic service has led to executive roles in affordable housing, workforce collaboration, and finance management and contract administration where she worked 12 years for the City of Houston. Lisa was elected in 2020 as President/CEO of the newly established New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund Corporation, (NOTCF). NOTCF is an economic development corporation whose mission is to support cultural industries and culture bearers of the City of New Orleans through partnerships, grants, and programs to advance sustainable tourism. No one is left behind, from large festivals to individual artists, NOTCF has made diversity its mission and Culture Is Our Open Door its motto. Lisa and her teams are intentional to carry out the Mayor's vision to preserve, invest in, and promote our unique and wonderful culture and support the men, women and children who create it.

Job Titles:

• Board Member of the Tulane Association of Business Alumni
• Interim President and CEO for New Orleans Business Alliance

Louis David is the Interim President and CEO for New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA). In this role, Louis is focused on highlighting opportunities for business and economic growth within our New Orleans communities. He leads the NOLABA team efforts to create programming and initiatives that is in line with NOLABA's mission of creating inclusive and holistic economic development, so that all people of New Orleans are financially secure and prosperous through growth, opportunity and by eliminating economic disparity. Louis has been with NOLABA for eight years and formerly served as Vice President of Industry Attraction & Retention. In this role he led the organization's efforts to retain current and recruit new businesses in the technology, manufacturing, trade and transportation industries. Within the past two years, he has led the economic development support of Big Easy Bucha's acquisition by a major Latin American bev tech company, played a key role in the new launch of Propel Park at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility, and helped to create and launch the Xbox Studios Game Camp experience in New Orleans, generating tech jobs for our New Orleans workforce. Louis has continued to expand NOLABA's footprint across the nation, connecting with site selectors, hosting them in-person and virtually through the organization's ongoing Virtual Site Tours, which showcase commercial real estate opportunities in the city. He also leads NOLABA's signature Real Estate Breakfast Series in partnership with the Urban Land Institute, where industry leaders provide insight and access to the local commercial real estate, construction, insurance, architecture, and design climate. Louis serves as a board member of the Tulane Association of Business Alumni and currently serves as the Co-Chair for the Tulane Business Forum. Louis' leadership experience has been enhanced through participating in the National League of Cities Equitable Economic Development Fellowship, the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute, Bryan Bell Metropolitan Leadership Forum and the Youth Empowerment Project 40 Under 40 Cohort. A Louisiana native, Louis holds an MBA from Tulane University and an BA in Journalism from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Previously, Louis has worked in technology services at iSeatz and as a television news reporter at the ABC affiliate in Lafayette, La.

Job Titles:

• Financial Coach for Jean Chatzky 's ELearning
• Founder & Financial Coach, Life 's Jam
• Founder of Life 's Jam

Rachael Bronstein is Founder of Life's Jam, a company dedicated to helping the music touring community get financially organized. Her career started in production finance at NBC, where she developed a deep appreciation for production professionals. Motivated by the unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic, she launched Life's Jam-an initiative aimed at guiding these professionals in effectively managing their personal and professional finances. Over the past two years, Rachael has made an indelible impact by assisting touring professionals, working closely with organizations such as The Roadie Clinic and offering private coaching sessions. Her dedication to supporting the music community has led her to host workshops for MusiCares, Music Forward Foundation, Touring Career Workshop, Women in Music, and many others. Beyond her commitment to the music world, Rachael serves as the Head Financial Coach for Jean Chatzky's eLearning programs, FinanceFixx and InvestingFixx, reaching and positively impacting hundreds of women. Rachael lives in Miami, holds a finance degree from Boston University's School of Business, and is an Accredited Financial Counselor, accredited by the AFCPE (Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education).

Job Titles:

• Entertainment Executive

Randall Foster is an innovative entertainment executive and music professional. He serves as the Chief Creative Officer and General Manager of Symphonic's Nashville office, which he established in 2019. Under his leadership, the Symphonic Nashville team has experienced remarkable growth, expanding its departments in client marketing, streaming promotions, YouTube/user-generated content monetization, and publishing/publishing administration/business affairs. Randall's primary objectives include A&R, content acquisitions and distribution deals, forming strategic partnerships, overseeing rights management at Symphonic, and fostering creative growth in Symphonic Music Publishing. With two decades of experience in the music industry, Randall previously held the position of Sr. Director and Head of Creative Sync and Licensing at Anthem Entertainment (formerly ole Music Publishing). During his tenure, he achieved tremendous success in various sync licensing campaigns, featuring renowned artists like RUSH, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith, Ginuwine, Lil Dicky, Toby Keith, Eric Church, Tim McGraw, Panama Wedding, and Mother Mother. Notably, he was instrumental in the Wrigley Extra gum ad campaign, which showcased the double-platinum single "Can't Help Falling in Love" recorded by Haley Reinhart and produced by Foster. Randall Foster holds a Master's Degree in Music Business and Entertainment Industries from the University of Miami. He is an active member of esteemed music organizations such as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (GRAMMYs), where he serves as a voting member, and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), where he chairs the Nashville Chapter. Additionally, he holds leadership positions on the boards of the Nashville Film Festival and the American Bandmasters Association. Randall has been involved with nonprofit organizations dedicated to music education and philanthropic outreach, having served on the boards of the Society of Leaders In Development (SOLID) and ALIAS.

Job Titles:

• Artist

Raven Ancar, known professionally as Ray$av, is an American rapper, singer, producer, and songwriter. Originally from the culturally diverse city of New Orleans, LA, she first garnered attention when videos of her freestyling became popular on social media platforms. She is a Cum Laude graduate from Tulane University, earning her B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Africana Studies. During her undergraduate career, Ancar received many awards for her extensive experience in research, film making, and anti-racist activism. She received the Tulane 34 Award, which is the most coveted university-wide honor bestowed upon 34 graduates who are recognized for their exemplary leadership, service, and academic excellence. Ancar is the director, editor, and producer for her debut film titled The Veil, which is a documentary about the Black experience at Tulane. In January of 2019 the film debuted, and since then has been seen by thousands of people across Louisiana.Tulane continues to use Ancar's research, speeches, and films as a part of an annual mandatory anti-racism training for all faculty and staff. She is a founding member of Les Griots Violets, which is an anti-racism activism group that authored the Equity Fee that passed at Tulane's University Senate, the first bill of that nature to be passed at the university level. The bill called for an extra 3 million dollars be put to organizations that support anti-racism on campus. Ray$av is another artistic expression of her activist nature and beliefs. Of all songs composed, only about 2.8% are produced by those who identify as female. Adding to this number is Ray$av, who single-handedly produced 6 out of the 12 tracks on her mixtape. As a producer, she uses traditional New Orleans sounds in recognition to femme artists who have come before her. However, on Ray$av's debut mixtape "Short For $avage," she explores several different genres, including traditional 90's hip-hop with scratches, neo-soul R&B, Bounce music from her hometown, and New York drill. As a producer, her goal is to show that she can create any beat in the hip-hop world, and as a rapper, that she can apply her original sound and flow to any instrumental thrown her way. Short For $avage is a journey of Ray$av's self discovery as a researcher turned independent rapper through her vibrant flow and unique voice. Ray$av is a dynamite performer: she keeps the attention of the audience from the minute she steps on stage until the very end of her set. She is currently a student at NYU and is studying Music Business Industries.

Job Titles:

• President & CEO, UNO Research and Technology Foundation

As President and CEO of the UNO Research and Technology Foundation - a 501(c)3 that serves as a public-private partner with the University of New Orleans - Rebecca is charged with leading the new era of the Foundation and the management and development of its greatest asset, the newly rebranded research park - The Beach at UNO, a Sandbox for Collaboration. Working closely with the Foundation's board of directors, staff and the university, Rebecca is implementing a plan to create an environment at The Beach that is entrepreneurial and community-driven, where people come together to solve complex social, scientific and business breakthroughs for the New Orleans and Gulf region. Rebecca's career has been defined by her civic and professional leadership in service to the Greater New Orleans region. Prior to joining the Research and Technology Foundation, Conwell served as the Executive Director of the New Orleans Recreation Development Foundation, and as the Senior Advisor for Economic Development for Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the City of New Orleans where she was instrumental in strengthening the city's economic development functions, attracting new businesses, overseeing the city's incentive offerings. Additionally, Rebecca spent 14 years working at Tulane University, serving as Executive Director of State and Local Governmental Affairs, Chief of Staff for the University President, and Interim Executive Director of the Cowen Institute, a think tank for K-12 education in New Orleans. Throughout her career, Rebecca has been appointed to and served on numerous local and regional boards and advisory bodies including United Way of Southeast Louisiana's Women's Leadership Council, Son of a Saint's Inaugural Advisory Committee, NOLA BA's Board of Directors, New Orleans Regional Business Park's Board of Commissioners and Kingsley House's Board of Directors. Additionally, Rebecca was an early mentor for the Justice & Accountability Center at Propeller, a Force for Social Innovation and has been recognized by several local publications for her leadership. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Lamar University. Additionally, she is a graduate of Leadership Louisiana and Loyola University's Institute of Politics.

Job Titles:

• Tech Entrepreneur and Founder

Rémi Jourdan is a music tech entrepreneur and founder of Tunetrax, a Digital Service Provider focused on building emerging artists. Rémi has 20 years of experience booking and managing artists,…

Job Titles:

• Head of Educational Partnerships for the Mechanical Licensing Collective
• Head of Educational Partnerships, the Mechanical Licensing Collective ( the MLC )
• President of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association
• Professor, Director of the Music Industry Program

Serona Elton serves as Head of Educational Partnerships for The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC). In this role, Elton directs The MLC's efforts to engage future