2026 Global Summit Speakers
The Women in Music Canada Global Summit brings together an international lineup of artists, executives, creators, and industry leaders shaping the future of music. Across panels, keynotes, workshops, and mentorship sessions, our speakers share real-world insight, lived experience, and forward-thinking perspectives on creativity, equity, and sustainability in today’s global music ecosystem.
From emerging voices to established leaders, this year’s speakers represent a wide range of disciplines and career stages, offering attendees meaningful conversations, practical takeaways, and the opportunity to learn directly from those doing the work.
Adel Hattem
Adel Hattem is the CEO and Founder of DMusicMarketing (DMM), an agency focused on the Latin American market for both Latin and non-Latin talent. Operating from Miami and across Latin America, DMM provides comprehensive solutions designed to help artists navigate the region’s market.
With over 25 years of music industry experience, Adel is a bicultural marketing professional. Before founding DMM in 2013, she held senior roles, including Marketing Director for Universal Music Mexico and VP of Marketing for Latin America at EMI, contributing to market strategies for global artists like Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Robbie Williams, and Katy Perry.
Under Adel’s leadership, DMM has expanded, now with a local team across Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and more. DMM partners with respected labels such as the Beggars Group and Secretly Group, representing a roster that includes Mitski, Björk, Laufey, Radiohead, and Sofi Tukker. DMM serves as a key partner for artists looking to grow their presence in the Latin American market.
Albina Cabrera
Albina Cabrera is a Latin American music curator, radio host, and content strategist from Argentina based in Seattle, WA. She is the Latin Partnerships & Editorial Manager at KEXP, where she leads bilingual and Latin-focused content across radio, digital, and podcast platforms. Albina is the host and producer of El Sonido, KEXP’s flagship Latin music show, and El Sonido: Cancioneros, a bilingual narrative podcast amplifying the voices and sounds of Latin American artists around the world.
Born in Mendoza, Argentina, Albina’s work bridges continents and communities. She has led international activations and live sessions in Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Spain, and collaborates closely with artists, festivals, and music platforms throughout Latin America. Her storytelling blends cultural commentary with deep musical curation, always centering the global Latin diaspora.
Alex Simpson
Alex Simpson is a National Festival Manager for Live Nation Canada whose work sits at the intersection of large-scale operations and world-building. She designs environments where audiences feel connected, represented, and part of something bigger than the event itself. Since joining Live Nation as an intern in 2015, Alex has built an eleven-year career spanning festivals, show bookings, and temporary venue builds, including the operations launch and ongoing delivery of Rogers Stadium. Her expertise includes fan experience, marketing, branding, ticketing, production, and lineup curation, with oversight across properties such as FVDED In The Park, Badlands Music Festival, and Chasing Summer.
Alex is the founder of lavender wild, a queer music festival dedicated to elevating 2SLGBTQ+ artists and creating community-driven spaces rooted in representation and belonging. She also serves as Festival Producer for All Things Go Toronto, known for intentional curation and female-forward programming. Her work is grounded in authenticity and creating memories that last a lifetime.
Alexa Silverman
Alexa Silverman is an artist manager specializing in fan engagement strategy and digital marketing. Based in New York City, they champion artists who use their platforms for social impact, particularly in support of musicians advocating for social justice and queer communities. Currently serving as a Senior Day-to-Day Manager at ATC Management, Alexa drives career strategy for a diverse roster of artists, including Hayley Kiyoko, Kelela, and Danielle Ponder.
Their expertise lies in developing data and culture-driven campaigns that build authentic communities around artists committed to meaningful change. Alexa holds an M.A. in Global Entertainment & Music Business from the Berklee College of Music and a B.S. in Business: Marketing from the University of Rochester.
Amanda Walther
Amanda Walther (she/her) is a Juno-nominated singer-songwriter, award-winning composer, and proudly queer artist based in Toronto. She first gained recognition as one half of the folk-roots duo Dala, touring North America for over 20 years and is a founding member of the jazz project Dizzy & Fay.
Her music has appeared in television and film, including her award-winning score for the LGBTQ+ indie film Walk With Me. A multidisciplinary artist, Amanda also creates music videos, visual art, and digital storytelling for her own projects and others, bringing a handcrafted, deeply personal touch to everything she does.
Amy Hersenhoren
Amy Hersenhoren has worked in the music business since 1989. Her first job was as the contract administrator for a booking agency whose clients included Alice Cooper and Max Webster tribute acts. She has spent time working in management (King Cobb Steelie, Change of Heart, Ui, Ida, Trina Shoemaker) and on the label side (Sub Pop, Nettwerk) before moving to NYC to run producer Bill Laswell’s Orange Music Sound Studios. There she worked with Bernie Worell, Bootsy Collins, John Zorn and many others. Since returning to Toronto in 2000 Hersenhoren has promoted concerts across Canada. She is currently co-owner of We Are In The Future in Toronto.
Andrea England
Andrea England is fully immersed in both the creative and business sides of the music industry. She is the Associate Director of Publisher Engagement and Strategy at the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA), a SoundExchange company, where she brings a unique and holistic perspective – as a creator, educator, and analyst – to support CMRRA’s publisher and self-published songwriter clients.
Andrea is an award-winning singer-songwriter, has released three albums of her own in addition to landing cuts/cowrites with Juno & Grammy award winning artists. Andrea is also the founder and curator of Toronto’s critically-acclaimed songwriter series, Four Chords & the Truth, and a Director on the Board of the Songwriters Association of Canada (S.A.C.).
Most recently, Andrea was recognized by Billboard Canada in their 2025 Women in Music Honours “Industry Spotlight” list and as a 2026 Women in Music Canada Honours nominee for Excellence in Live Music.
Angela Dorgan
Angela Dorgan is the CEO of www.firstmusiccontact.com (FMC), the Arts Council funded national resource organization for the popular music sector in Ireland. FMC runs www.musicfromireland.org, www.breakingtunes.com, www.irelandmusicweek.com . Angela is on the board of EMEE, the European Music Exporters Exchange, where she was part of a group that devised a global music export strategy for European Music for the European Commission. She is a founder and board member of AIM Ireland and former chair of NCFA, she was instrumental in the design and lobbying for the Basic Income for Artists trial in Ireland.
Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe
Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe is a broadcasting professional with over 20 years of experience with an expertise in music, entertainment & culture and news & current events. Her career has taken her into multiple Canadian markets where she has left a lasting legacy. A graduate of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology RTA program, she was recently awarded an Honorary Bachelor of Technology Degree recognizing her accomplishments in broadcasting. She is the creator, producer and host of the only National Radio platform for Black music in Canada, The Block
Anne Stirk
Anne Stirk is Director of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Republic Live, overseeing marketing for the company’s festivals and its RLive artist roster. Her work spans live and recorded music, including Boots & Hearts—Canada’s leading country festival—and All Your Friends Fest, as well as marketing strategy for developing and established artists. She leads brand positioning, integrated campaign strategy, paid media, PR and communications, and partner execution across Republic Live’s properties.
Anne began her career at Universal Music Canada during the industry’s transition to streaming and later spent several years at Spotify Canada, working closely with artist teams, labels, and platforms across the local and international markets.
At Republic Live, she applies audience, consumer, and performance data to build campaigns that drive ticket sales, grow artists, and strengthen long-term fan engagement.
Ariel Loh
Ariel Loh is a Grammy Award winning (Iman Jordan’s Deliver) and platinum record (Yoke Lore’s Beige) producer, engineer, and mixer based out of NYC and LA. Ariel has also worked in film as a composer (The Eyes Of My Mother) and film score mixer (Lia Ouyang Rusli, Alex Weston, Angélica Negron). She is also the co-founder of Trans Music Archive, a nonprofit organization focused on preserving the legacy of trans musicians on vinyl.
Akita Lynch
Atika Lynch is a marketing executive and cultural strategist operating at the intersection of entertainment, culture, digital innovation, and brand storytelling. Currently a Marketing Director at AWAL, Sony Music’s artist services division, she leads data-driven, digital-first campaigns for emerging and global artists, transforming creative momentum into scalable, fan-driven businesses. Most notably, Atika architected Julia Wolf’s breakthrough album campaign PRESSURE and the viral single “In My Room,” driving explosive audience growth, sold-out global tours, and sustained cultural relevance. Her work also spans global projects including Afrobeats star CKay and breakout artist Aaron Page, with a sharp focus on short-form storytelling, audience development, and community-building ecosystems.
Previously at RCA Records, Atika helped shape marketing and financial strategy across campaigns for artists including SZA, Doja Cat, Normani, Alicia Keys, and Jazmine Sullivan. She is also the co-founder of cltr;shft, a creative agency helping artists and brands turn cultural moments into lasting impact.
Bhav Toor Kang
Bhav Toor Kang is a Creative Director and Cultural Producer shaping South Asian representation across North America. With over a decade in marketing, she bridges ideas and industries through campaigns that blend cultural authenticity with commercial impact.
Bhav’s work has deepened artists and brands connections with South Asian audiences through authentic storytelling, strategic partnerships and mindful leadership. She has led industry-first campaigns for global brands and has played a pivotal role in bringing Punjabi artists to mainstream stages in Canada.
Brenley MacEachern
Brenley MacEachern is a Canadian singer-songwriter and producer with over 25 years of experience creating, recording, and touring original music internationally. Best known as one half of the folk-roots duo Madison Violet, she has released multiple critically acclaimed albums and performed across North America and Europe.
Alongside her work as an artist, Brenley produces her own projects and collaborates closely with songwriters in studio and camp settings, focusing on performance-driven production. Her work spans folk, roots, indie, and ambient textures. Brenley is passionate about supporting artists, particularly women, in developing sustainable, self-directed creative practices.
Carlie Webbert
Drawn to the power of music community, Carlie Webbert has always been immersed in the talent that surrounds her. Born to build stages—both literal and figurative—she began her career in live venues, worked with a record label in the Czech Republic, managed indie bands, and helped lead the DC chapter of Women in Music.
Today, Carlie is a core force behind All Things Go, the nation’s largest and gayest independent music festival. As Director of Partnerships and Experiential, she has helped expand the festival from a single day to a multi-day experience across DC, New York, and most recently, Toronto. Ask about her in the DC/Baltimore area and you’ll learn that she has already cemented her reputation and ability to make anything happen—even magic. Especially magic.
Catherine Harrison
Catherine Harrison, MA, PCC, CPSA, is a Canadian musician, mental health strategist, leadership expert, author, coach, and scholar with 35 years of corporate and entrepreneurial experience across music and other sectors. In 2025, she authored Soundcheck, the first national Canadian study on mental health in the music ecosystem, providing unprecedented data on the realities facing workers across all roles and career stages.
As President of Revelios, Catherine advises national and international music and nonprofit organizations, helping leaders drive high performance while building healthy, high-trust cultures. She is founder and CEO of Soundcheck Collective, a Canadian federal nonprofit providing free, community-based, research-backed training and skill development and peer support programs. Catherine also chairs the International Music Industry Care Collective (IMICC), connecting like-minded changemakers to share best practices and collaborate across borders. Her new book, Leading in Stereo: Reimagining Leadership in the Music Industry, releases Spring 2026.
Claudia Campos Jugo
Claudia Campos Jugo is an Account Executive at DISCO.ac, where she helps music teams streamline their workflows and stay in sync. With a background in artist management and deep expertise in metadata, she specializes in bridging the gap between creative and operational teams. Claudia is passionate about helping users unlock the full potential of DISCO to connect siloed processes and keep projects moving smoothly.
Danica Bansie
Danica Bansie is a music supervisor at PIRATE SOUND, a full-service audio house based in Toronto. With over a decade of music industry experience, Danica is a former music photographer, writer, and marketer. With a foundation in media & communications, English literature, and film, Danica brings her love of culture and storytelling to all of the projects she works on.
Danica is passionate about the sweet spot where underground DIY music meets the music business at large. She aims to champion the indie, and underrepresented musician in any way she can. Danica is a proud juror for the Polaris Music Prize, and a member of the Guild of Music Supervisors Canada.
Ebonnie Rowe
Ebonnie Rowe is the Founder and Executive Director of Honey Jam, a national non-profit artist development program for emerging female artists of all cultures and musical genres that provides mentoring, networking, educational, promotional and performance opportunities. For 30 years they have fostered a welcoming, supportive community, a sisterhood and a safe space for young women to improve their skills and knowledge, build self-esteem, and form long-lasting relationships.
Alumni include artists such as Grammy Award winners Nelly Furtado and Melanie Fiona, along with Juno winners Jully Black, LU KALA, Haviah Mighty, Kellylee Evans, and Savannah Re, and many others.
Among many honours for her work, Ebonnie has been named to the Order of Canada, included in the Billboard Canada Women in Music Honours lists, received the Roy Thompson Award of Recognition and CIMA’s Trailblazer Award and was featured in the book “Canada 150 Women – Conversations with Leaders, Champions, and Luminaries”.
Element Everest-Blanks
Element Everest-Blanks is an award-winning cultural power strategist, media leader, and international speaker with nearly two decades of experience across performance, radio, music advocacy, and cultural programming. Everest-Blanks serves as Program Director of HYFIN, Milwaukee’s premier Black music and Culture platform, and is among the 1% of Black women globally holding program-director–level leadership roles in media. At HYFIN, she leads music strategy, on-air content, and community-driven programming centered on equity, artist development, and cultural impact.
As a professional member of the Recording Academy, Element is a Music Advocate and Grammy U mentor, as well as a two-time Telly Award and UNITY Award winner. Grounded in data, lived experience, and institutional leadership, her work examines how radio continues to shape music careers, where equity shows up—or fails to—in programming decisions, and how media can evolve alongside streaming without losing its cultural power, particularly for women and Black artists.
Emilie Hanskamp
Emilie Hanskamp is a Montreal-born, Toronto-based music journalist. At the intersection of her passion for storytelling and a lifelong obsession with music, she’s built a career dedicated to the discovery, analysis and celebration of artists along the indie to mainstream spectrum. You can catch her cultural commentary on CBC and CTV, read it in the pages of The Toronto Star and Exclaim!, and follow her on TikTok and Instagram to stay up to date on the latest music releases and industry news.
Eve Horne
Eve Horne is a pioneering figure in the music industry, renowned for her over 20 years of experience as a singer, songwriter, and producer. Eve is founder of We Are The Unheard CIC, an organisation amplifying underrepresented voices in music. As a mixed-race, gay, neurodivergent single parent, she advocates for equity, access, and lasting change in the industry.
Her efforts have garnered significant recognition, including being named a SheSaid.So ALT List 2020 Honorée and serving as an innovator for the UK on the Keychange 2022 program. Eve is a representative on the UK Music Diversity Taskforce and was enlisted into the Music Week Women In Music Roll Of Honour in 2022.
She leads The Unheard Academy, a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner, providing inclusive music production education for marginalised creatives. Eve also created Mother’s Write, the UK’s first songwriting camp for mothers, and partners with BLiM to deliver Turn It Up, a sound engineering programme for women and gender-expansive people of colour.
Eve serves on the Board and senate of The Ivors Academy, the Keychange Advisory Committee, is an Equity and Justice Advisory Group member for the BPI and a Business Advisor for Help Musicians. She has previously served as an Executive Director of the Music Producers Guild, where she is the first person of colour to serve.
Faryal Khan-Thompson
Faryal Khan-Thompson is a seasoned music executive with a background spanning marketing and international strategy & expansion. She is a first-generation Pakistani American, and grew up being exposed to many different musical sounds: her mother is a trained North Indian Classical Vocalist, she herself studied musical theatre for 20 years and her brother is an independent hip-hop artist.
She is passionate about breaking down barriers for all underserved and underrepresented communities in the music industry, especially South Asian women, as she continues her commitment to creating a more equitable ecosystem for all. She is also particularly interested in how music crosses borders and transcends language and culture. She currently leads South Asian expansion at EMPIRE.
Hallie Anderson
Hallie Anderson is co-founder of Rareform, a boutique artist services company built for independent musicians. Rareform has worked with global artists such as Royel Otis, Julia Jacklin, L’Imperatrice, The Blaze, Windser, Genesis Owusu, among others to build custom direct marketing, digital, DSP, and release strategy campaigns that support long-term growth. Prior to co-founding Rareform with her business partner Jess Page, Hallie served as co-General Manager of Mom+Pop Music alongside Page working with artists such as Flume, Courtney Barnett and Tash Sultana.
Anderson’s experience traverses all areas of the music business, from labels to live to management, having cut her teeth at AEG Northwest and Foundations Artist Management. A native of Seattle and a Fordham MBA, Anderson is an expert in comprehensive release strategy with a keen understanding of the symbiotic relationship between US and global music markets. Her scrappy approach and entrepreneurial spirit has helped support strategic development for GRAMMY-winning artists and emerging creators alike.
Heather Gardner
As Head of Music Supervision + Licensing at Vapor Music and Long Division, Heather Gardner’s credits span television series, feature films, TV movies, advertising campaigns and video games that have been seen worldwide, including global Top 10 hit ‘Bet’ for Netflix (an adaptation of the Japanese manga Kakegurui), season 2 of ‘Mistletoe Murders’ for Hallmark, and TIFF-premiering feature films ‘Hell of a Summer’ (directed by Stranger Things’s Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk), ‘Young Werther’ (dir. José Lourenço), and ‘Paying For It’ (dir. Sook-Yin Lee). She is a multi-Canadian Sync Award winner and nominee.
Heather serves as President of the Guild of Music Supervisors, Canada, a non-profit organization with the mission to promote the craft of music supervision. In 2025, Heather was named to Billboard Canada’s inaugural 40 Under 40 list, honouring the next generation of innovators shaping the future of music.
Heather Gibson
Heather Gibson is responsible for all of the non-orchestral music programming at Canada’s National Arts Centre. Her and her team present over 300 shows annually on four stages ranging from 150 to 2100 capacity. Heather aims to bring the best of the world to the National Arts Centre Stage and the best of Canada to the world stage.
Additionally Heather founded the Global Network for Women Music Producers and continues to grow that network and fight for equality for women artists in the studio.
She is a proud feminist and member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Ila Barker
Anishinaabe indie folk-soul artist Ila Barker pairs soaring vocals with wave-like lyricism, creating music rooted in reflection, release, and emotional honesty. Based in Winnipeg, MB, and a member of Berens River First Nation, Ila has showcased internationally at Reeperbahn and SXSW. Her 2022 LP Fool Under Water topped campus radio charts, with lead single “Intuition” earning a SOCAN Foundation TD Indigenous Songwriter Award Honourable Mention, reaching #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown, and landing a national Travel Manitoba sync.
Dr. Jada Watson
Dr. Jada Watson is an associate professor of digital humanities in the School of Information Studies at the University of Ottawa. Her research aims to harness the potential of music industry data to study how popular music genres form, develop and change over time. She leads SongData, a research program that investigates racial and gender inequity in the popular music industry, with much of her work centred on the North American country music industry. In 2024, she released Share the Air: A Study of Gender Representation on Canadian Radio (2013-2023) in partnership with Women in Music Canada and the National Arts Centre. Her research has influenced legislation around radio ownership in the USA and was cited in reports by the Grammy Recording Academy and the Black Music Action Coalition.
Jen Ochej
Jen Ochej has spent the last decade-plus on the road throughout North America and Europe with Lights, Jessie Reyez, Rupi Kaur, Amanda Rheaume, The Dears, The Summer Set, Ria Mae, and many others. In 2023 she was named Road Warrior (Tour Manager) of the Year at the Canadian Live Music Industry Awards, and now she’s on a mission to share everything she’s learned in her years on the road with aspiring and early-career TM’s, DIY artists, and everyone in between.
You can find Jen on Instagram @jenochej, and on her website at jenochej.com. Born and raised in Canada, Jen currently lives outside Amsterdam.
Photo credit: Lindsey Blane
Jinting Zhao
Jinting Zhao is a producer, songwriter, engineer, and sector builder based in Edmonton, Alberta. She is the founder of SHE-Q Audio, a national organization advancing women and gender-diverse producers and engineers through high-level professional development, partnerships, resources, opportunities, and public policy advocacy.
Jinting’s creative work spans R&B, pop, EDM, and musical theatre. Recent successes include placement on Koichi Domoto’s #1 charting album “Raise” in Japan in 2025, and a Sterling Award nomination for the score of the hit musical theatre production Bear Grease.
Her work has also been featured across film/TV including Amazon Prime, City TV, Crave and the NHL. A former senior-level public policy leader, Jinting brings her strategic lens to roles including the board of the Polaris Music Prize and Juno Awards Producer of the Year committee. In 2025, Jinting was nominated for Changemaker of the Year by Women in Music Canada.
Josie Cheng
As an avid concertgoer and music listener, Josie Cheng was always intrigued by a career in music. A graduate of Durham College’s Entertainment Administration program, Josie got her start in the industry with the operations team at MapleMusic.com where she worked on various projects including VIP programs for Canadian touring musicians. After eight years at Maple, Josie decided she needed a change and joined The Feldman Agency in 2014.
During her time at TFA, she’s been working closely with President Tom Kemp to develop the careers of The Glorious Sons, Charlotte Cardin, Valley, and more. In 2025, she was named TFA’s Managing Director – Administration where she oversees the implementation of new policies and procedures within the company, administrative training, and shares her wealth of knowledge with new staff.
Kate Stevens
One of Western Canada’s finest vocalists and songwriters, Kate Stevens, uses her songs to be unapologetic and her best self
Her signature style of funk, soul and rock merges with her love of early R&B, mixed with Kate’s storytelling abilities and sultry voice; her songs are capable of single-handedly transporting listeners to the moment where they first make eye contact with a potential significant other.
A 7 time YYCMA winner, Kate has won numerous awards for her songwriting, and performing at venues such as the National Music Centre, and the Calgary Folk Music Festival and opening for Leon Bridges, Jim Cuddy, Katie Tupper. A champion for the arts, Kate shares her love of music as a host on CKUA, showcasing local artists and cementing herself as one of the voices synonymous with Alberta broadcasting.
Katie Lorenz
Katie Lorenz is an Artist Brand & Marketing Strategist working at the intersection of storytelling, growth, and fan connection. She partners closely with artists and managers to shape cohesive strategies across marketing, publicity, touring, and merchandising — turning authentic narratives into campaigns that drive both cultural and commercial impact.
Previously, Katie worked day-to-day at Good Harbor Music, supporting artists including Lucius, Lucy Dacus, SYML, and DISPATCH, where she built a strong foundation in tour marketing, social strategy, and fan experience. Based in Boston, she brings a data-informed, artist-first approach to building sustainable, long-term careers.
Kaya Pino
Kaya Pino is a Canadian music supervisor working at Twenty Below Music in London, UK. She takes an anthropological approach to music supervision, blending a deeply personal understanding of music’s effect on both audience and art form and with an ability to create relationships between movement, musicality, rhythm and sound. Over her 9-year career, Kaya has amassed an impressive portfolio of across tv, film and advertising.
Her recent film and tv credits include Down Cemetery Road (AppleTV+/60Forty Films), Dreaming Whilst Black (BBC/A24) and BIFA award winning films My Father’s Shadow (Element Pictures/MUBI) and Pillion (Element Pictures/A24). In the advertising space Kaya has worked across a variety of categories and brands including Hennessy, IKEA, Ford, YouTube, Bumble and Habitat to name a few.
Kayla Diamond
Kayla Diamond is a producer, songwriter, and label owner based between Toronto, LA, and Montreal. She left law school after signing her first record deal in 2016, debuting with “Carnival Hearts,” which reached the Canadian Billboard Top 30 and earned her a Canadian Radio Music Award nomination. She followed with “What You’re Made Of,” her first Canadian Billboard Top 10. Her background as an artist informed her transition into songwriting, production, and artist development, where she’s become known for her musical fluency, multi-instrumental skill set, and instinct for pop structure and hook-driven writing. Kayla’s catalog has surpassed 100 million streams, with steady radio play and praise from artists including Tiësto and Armin van Buuren. With credits ranging from the Strumbellas, to Jamie Fine, to Dom Vallie, her work has also appeared on The Voice, Superbowl, My Little Pony, The Ultimatum, The Kardashians, and more.
In 2024, she became Canada’s youngest female label owner, launching Kolossal Records, a JV with Awesome/The Orchard. Her recent accolades include a SOCAN Alt Rock Award #1 for “Hold Me” by The Strumbellas, a 2025 Juno nomination for Rap Album of the Year (See You When I See You by Dom Vallie), a Breakthrough Songwriter nomination from the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, recognition as one of Splice’s Producers to Watch in 2025, and a nomination for Excellence in Sound Production by Women in Music Canada.
Kerry Clarke
Community radio was Kerry Clarke’s entry into the independent music world 38 years ago. She’s artistic and marketing director of the 46 year ‘post-folk’ Calgary Folk Music Festival, the winter Block Heater festival and an off-season concert series. She spent some time on the skins in an all-female lo-fi band decades ago, is on several non-profit arts boards, has served on many arts juries, is a proud part of WRAD (western roots artistic directors) and NApresenters, co-founded Rwanda’s KigaliUp festival, and produces/hosts weekly CKUA and CJSW radio programs when she’s not traveling to conferences and festivals to see music from a vast range of genres.
Keziah Myers
Keziah Myers is a national force, who defends that radical intentionality is integral to business success. Her recent accolades include Changemaker of the Year in 2022 by The Globe and Mail, Distinguished Leader by Women in Music Canada in 2023, a top Woman in Music by Billboard in 2024 & 2025, and a part of the 2025 Women in Entertainment Power List by Hollywood Reporter.
Keziah has worked in public relations, marketing, royalties and copyright, label operations and management with names like LU KALA, Maroon 5, OVO, Deborah Cox, XO, Jessie Reyes, Boi 1da and over 100 more.
As the Executive Director of ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective, Keziah works with the Canadian government and businesses to shine a light on Black music business professionals. Keziah’s role is to support the 1400 ADVANCE members through advocacy, programming, community building and investing.
Further to ADVANCE, Keziah teaches music business at Toronto Metropolitan University, and is the creator of the Capstone Music Business course for the Bachelor of Professional Music program. She can also be seen on panels, as a keynote speaker and currently on three Boards in the music industry. This gives an opportunity to download knowledge to the next generation, centre intentionality and impact, and give perspectives and insight for the betterment of the global music industry.
Lindsay Lynch
Lindsay Lynch is Director, Marketing & Social at Warner Music Canada, where she drives artist growth and fan engagement through content and creator partnerships. Based in Toronto, she brings extensive experience at the intersection of music, technology, and culture, having previously held leadership roles at TikTok, Shopify, and Twitter. Lindsay is known for building collaborative teams, scaling artist-first digital strategies, and connecting creators with global audiences.
Lou Lanser
Lou Lanser is the Director of Creative Sync and A&R for the award winning independent sync licensing company, The Greater Goods Co. While she now lives in Los Angeles, she originally hails from the small western city of Boise, Idaho (Boy-see) where the vibrant indie energy of the local scene made her passion for music what it is today. Her infatuation for sound has followed her as karaoke host, vocalist, music stylist, festival programmer and freelance music supervisor.
In her time at Greater Goods, Lou and her team have landed placements in The Bear, Pluribus, Yellowjackets, Abbot Elementary, and Spiderman: Across The Spiderverse, as well as international brand campaigns for Apple, Absolute, Samsung and Target. When not making playlists or in the dark of a movie theater, you can catch Lou thrifting, baking and fussing over her many plants.
Maddy Oliver
Maddy Oliver, Founder of Young Music Professionals, is a community-builder and arts advocate. She is a member of the Board of Directors at Women in Music Canada and Humber’s Music Business program. She previously worked with the Canadian Live Music Association and the Music Office, Economic Development & Culture Division at City of Toronto. She can be found nodding with her arms crossed at the back of the show.
Maggie Evans
Maggie Evans is a Dora nominated actor and producer. Previous roles include Artistic Associate in the Performing Arts Department at Harbourfront Centre and World Stage, Festival Curator for HarbourKids, and Coordinator for the Hatch Emerging Artists Residency. Margaret was Associate Producer at Crow’s Theatre as part of the core team for many productions, partnerships, and community events. She led Crow’s Theatre’s first programming and education series for Children and Families.
She is the Advocacy and Partnerships Lead for Balancing Act Canada, a national initiative that aims to increase equality, accessibility, and employment opportunities in Canada for artists and cultural workers with caring responsibilities, and also the Managing Producer for SpiderWebShow Performance, the producing company behind the Festival of Live Digital Art (FOLDA). A graduate of the University of King’s College (Halifax) and the Actors Studio Drama School (New York), Maggie is also mama to two inspiring and hilarious young souls.
Maïa Davies
Maïa Davies is a bilingual, Juno-winning producer, songwriter, and recording artist from Montréal, Québec. Davies has written multiple Top 10 Canadian radio hits, is a SOCAN #1 Songwriter Award recipient, and an ECMA and CCMA nominee.
An imaginative producer working across alternative pop, rock, and folk, Davies has spent 15 years developing artist identity, mentoring artists in songwriting, performance, and branding. She is an active member of the National Arts Centre’s Global Network for Women and Non Binary Producers and a committed supporter of women’s initiatives in the music industry.
One half of the award-winning production duo Vaūlts, Davies is an accomplished musician and singer whose 2025 Juno Award–winning album Lovers’ Gothic marked a major career milestone. She is also one half of Montréal indie group Darkometro, a founding member of Ladies Of The Canyon (Warner Music), and a sought-after collaborator on recordings by Yukon Blonde, PUP, Kevin Hearn, etc.
Mara MacDonald
Mara MacDonald is a Sr. Brand Manager at A3 Merch, specializing in building revenue-driven merchandise and touring strategies for artists and live events across North America and Europe. Known for turning ideas into results, she has helped launch international product lines and increase on-tour sales through creative strategy and strong partnerships.
A member of the Keychange US cohort, Mara is passionate about championing women in music and creating pathways for leadership through collaboration and transparency. She believes the industry thrives when creativity meets smart business practices—and when women are empowered to lead both.
Margaret McGuffin
Margaret McGuffin is the CEO of Music Publishers Canada. Margaret’s career has focused on research and policy development, and she has worked with a large number of music industry trade and collective management organizations.
She currently sits on the Board of Canada’s Theatre Museum, the External Advisory Board of York and Queen’s Universities (Canada) Connected Minds Program, the Advisory Committee at MusiCounts, and the Policy Committee of the Ontario Nonprofit Network. She previously was the Chair of the Board at Work In Culture.
Margaret is also always happy to talk to you about how music publishers are leading the way in making sure Canadian songs are heard around the world.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Western University and an MBA in Arts, Media and Entertainment Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University.
Marta Pallarès Olivares
Marta Pallarès Olivares is a communications professional and cultural advocate from Barcelona with a master’s degree in cultural journalism. Her career has evolved from music journalism into strategic leadership roles within the music industry.
At Primavera Sound, she served as Project Manager for the festival’s live stream with Red Bull TV, later leading international communications and coordinating seven PR agencies globally. As Head of Press, she managed media strategy and served as official spokesperson for the festival’s gender-balanced lineups, anti-harassment protocols, and sustainability initiatives. Since 2019, she has coordinated Primavera Sound’s partnership with the UN Sustainable Development Goals campaign, and championed the festival’s pioneering initiatives in diversity and inclusion. As Head of Institutional and Corporate Relations until October 2025, she spoke at major conferences worldwide and at official hearings including the UK Parliament.
Pallarès serves on the board of YOUROPE, representing 131 festivals across 31 countries. She received the 2024 Iberian Festival Awards Excellence Award and was named to Pollstar’s Women of Live 2024 list.
Mary Ditta
Mary Ditta is a Talent Buyer/Promoter at Live Nation, where she helps drive concert strategy for some of Toronto’s most iconic venues, including the Opera House and the Mod Club. With a focus on artist development, Mary partners with breakout talent to shape their career paths, uplifting both local and international artists from their first support slots to headline shows.
Melyssa Hardwick
Melyssa Hardwick is an accomplished music supervisor and executive with extensive experience across television and streaming. She is the Founder and Owner of Sassy Cat Music, launched in 2024. Prior to establishing her own company, Melyssa held senior leadership roles at major studios, including Head of Music, Series (U.S. and Latin America) at MGM/Amazon Studios and TV Music Executive at Disney/ABC Studios.
Throughout her two decade career, Melyssa has served as the executive in charge of music on numerous high-profile and critically acclaimed series, including Grey’s Anatomy, Nashville, The Boys, Fallout, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. Most recently, she pivoted from music executive to music supervisor for the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Her work spans a wide range of genres and is recognized for its role in shaping the creative and emotional identity of some of today’s most influential television productions.
Outside of her professional work, Melyssa is an active volunteer and avid traveler who can often be found attending concerts, spending time with friends and getting caffeinated. When she’s not out gallivanting, she enjoys quieter moments at home with her cats who are, in fact, very sassy.
Mica Hourbeigt
Mica Hourbeigt is a music producer, recording and mix engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. She produces, records, and mixes for artists and audiovisual projects, blending artistic direction with technical precision to preserve identity, character, and sonic clarity.
Her work spans studios and production environments including Abbey Road (London), CIAM and Tecnópolis (Buenos Aires), and Igloo Music (Los Angeles). She has also composed and delivered music for advertising, television, video games, film, and theatre, collaborating with brands such as ESPN and Billiken.
As an artist, a music video for one of her singles was selected for screenings in the U.S., U.K., Italy, and Argentina, and was featured at Buenos Aires’ VideoDanza BA Festival. She released her debut solo album Princesa (2021), earning ASCAP’s “Tú Música” scholarship as the first Latina studying in the U.S. to receive it, and followed with Silencio (2024).
Mica holds a Berklee Online degree (2022) and a Berklee NYC master’s (2023), and was invited to teach in the same program. She co-founded RMS (Red MultiSonora) and is a Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY voting member.
Miranda Mulholland
Miranda Mulholland is a JUNO nominated Canadian Musician, Label Owner and Artistic Director of the Muskoka Music Festival. Her touring and recording credits include Great Lake Swimmers, Belle Starr, Bowfire, Harrow Fair, Alan Doyle, The Jim Cuddy Band and many more. She has performed on over 100 albums as well as TV shows and film scores. She runs a boutique record label out of Toronto called Roaring Girl Records which is the home to a select group of diverse artists.
Over the past decade, Miranda has emerged as one of the World’s foremost Artist Advocates speaking at the WTO and WIPO in Geneva, a CUSMA negotiating round in Washington, CMW, MIDEM, Banff World Media Festival and was the first creator to take the podium at the Economic Club of Canada.
She was presented with the Global IP Champion award from the US Chamber of Commerce and was Runner up to Margaret Atwood for Artist of the Year in the Globe and Mail. Miranda was awarded the ABJ Fellowship for the Banff Forum.
Miranda serves as the Creative Culture Advisor for Music Canada, the trade association for the major labels in Canada, where she contributes to policy discussions and strategy with a focus on giving artists a seat at the table.
She is Chair of The Music Canada Advisory Council and is the Vice Chair Emerita of the Board of Governors for Massey Hall/Roy Thomson Hall.
M'Lissa Baker
M’Lissa Baker (she/her) is a marketing generalist with a music-industry soul and a career grounded in field experience, brand strategy, and creative problem-solving. She began in commercial radio before building a multidisciplinary career across music, technology, retail, and nonprofit work. Her experience is defined by community-building, thoughtful storytelling, and amplifying voices that are often overlooked.
M’Lissa has developed and scaled field marketing programs, led regional and national campaigns, and translated complex ideas into compelling experiential and multimedia initiatives, including immersive storytelling formats. She brings a strategic, artist-first perspective to conversations shaping today’s music ecosystem. She is a Keychange U.S. Innovator and a member of The Recording Academy (Texas Advocacy Committee), Women in Music, and Music Managers Forum–US.
Neesha Hothi
Neesha Hothi is a widely recognized cultural strategist and communications leader with more than 20 years of experience working across music, media, and large-scale cultural platforms. Her work focuses on advancing South Asian representation within Canada’s creative industries and helping artists and organizations move from visibility to viability by building the narratives, partnerships, and systems that make careers sustainable.
As Founder and CEO of Neesh Communications, her work spans across entertainment, nonprofit, and hospitality brands. She is also the Executive Director of 5X Fest, a core member of the South Asian Music Accelerator (SAMA), and an Advisory Board Member for the Women in Music BC Chapter and the Guru Nanak Institute of Global Studies, home to Canada’s only Gurmat Music Diploma program.
Throughout her career, Neesha has contributed to national platforms including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games and the JUNO Awards, while remaining deeply rooted in community. Her goal has always been to build the long-term infrastructure that ensures South Asian creativity is not treated as a moment, but as an essential and enduring part of Canada’s cultural identity. She believes cultural fluency is this generation’s superpower, and works to create spaces where South Asian creatives are seen, heard, and celebrated.
Throughout her career, Neesha has contributed to national platforms including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games and the JUNO Awards, while remaining deeply rooted in community-led cultural work. Her goal has always been to build the long-term infrastructure that ensures South Asian artistry is recognized not as a trend, but as an essential and enduring part of Canada’s cultural landscape. She believes cultural fluency is this generation’s superpower and is committed to creating spaces where creatives are seen, heard, and celebrated.
Nyeesha Williams
Nyeesha Williams is an entertainment executive and board-certified practitioner supporting artists’ mental health and longevity on and off the stage.
Rebecca Windjack
Rebecca Windjack is an artist manager and director of artist relations at Birthday Cake; a Winnipeg based artist management, record label and publishing company working with some of Canada’s top artists including The Brothers Landreth, Leith Ross, Begonia, Mariel Buckley, FONTINE, Sam Lynch, and many more. Rebecca has been working in arts, entertainment and music for over 15 years. Beginning as a backstage festival volunteer, later working in radio, film, and as the Program and Education Coordinator for SaskMusic. In 2016 she gained international experience with Devil Duck Records in Hamburg Germany, before returning to Canada to work with Pandyamonium (now ArtHaus) and artists like Serena Ryder and Dear Rouge.
In 2018, she became day to day manager for The Sheepdogs during the release of their album “Changing Colours.” At Birthday Cake since 2020, Rebecca has been pivotal in launching Leith Ross’s career, overseeing the release of their breakout song “We’ll Never Have Sex” and their debut album “To Learn,” followed by their highly anticipated sophomore release in 2025, in collaboration with Grammy award winning producer Rostam (Vampire Weekend). Throughout her career Rebecca has managed numerous high level festival performances, tours and sold-out shows across North America, UK, and Europe.
Over the years Rebecca has been invited to share her experience as a panel speaker, juror, and mentor for numerous industry events and organizations. In 2022, she joined the advisory board for Music Canada, and recently was elected on to the MMF Canada board where continues to serve the community as a mentor and advocate for equity, accountability, sustainability and wellness within Canadian Music.
Samantha Chong
Samantha Chong (she/her) is Chinese Canadian and was born and raised in Toronto. She attended Toronto Metropolitan University (previously Ryerson) and graduated with an emphasis on Graphic Communications Management & Marketing. It was during that time she first entered the music industry while completing an internship at a record label.
Now with over a decade of experience in music marketing, she is currently working at BMG as Director, Marketing, Recorded Music Canada. Her previous experience includes Artist Marketing at both Sony Music Canada & Universal Music Canada. She has defined creative strategy, successfully executed national marketing plans, and contributed to breaking artists in the market.
She serves on the Board of Directors with Women in Music Canada, and prides herself in being a mentor for people within the industry and also by pushing boundaries to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Sara Martin
Sara Martin is a live audio engineer, musician, and trans activist based in Kjipuktuk (Halifax, NS). She also sits on the board of directors of Women in Music Canada and is the first trans woman to do so in the organizations history.
Sara is the 2025 recipient of the Sound, Tech and Production award from Music Nova Scotia.
Saskhia Menendez
A resilient force in the music industry, innovator, recording artist and songwriter Saskhia Menendez is breaking barriers, championing diversity, and fostering inclusion. With over 15 years of experience, she amplifies underrepresented voices, ensuring marginalized communities are heard and represented across the global music landscape.
As an artist, her music reflects her lived experience, blending authenticity, empowerment, and storytelling. She continues to write and release new music, and in 2025 launched the Global Trans Charter.
Seny Kassaye
Seny Kassaye is a multi-hyphenate music industry professional, working across both the recorded and live verticals of the music biz. Having started her pursuit in music right in the midst of the pandemic in 2020, the Montreal native now leads a team of paid media strategists, overseeing global digital advertising campaigns for major labels like Warner Music Group & Universal Music Group. She has planned, strategized and executed major digital ad campaigns for artists such as Kehlani, Burna Boy, Benson Boone, Omah Lay, to name a few, resulting in a few #1 charting projects in the US and global charts.
Simar
Simar is a Toronto-based Punjabi singer, songwriter, and composer who’s redefining what it means to be a modern South Asian artist. Her music fuses the energy of hip hop, the soulfulness of R&B, and the brightness of pop, always anchored by her Punjabi roots. Every track is a reflection of her unique voice—authentic, bold, and unmistakably her own.
Simar stands out not just for her talent, but for her story. As one of the few Punjabi women writing, singing, and composing in both Punjabi and English, she brings rare perspective and presence to her music. Since childhood, she’s turned her experiences into lyrics and melodies that connect across borders.
Trina Smith
Trina Smith is Founder of Sourcery Collective, a London-based music consultancy working across artist management, strategy, partnerships and deal-making at the intersection of music, media and culture. She also leads Electric Pineapple Media Group, specialising in music for media, sync and production music.
With over a decade in the music industry, Trina supports artists, managers and rights holders in developing careers, negotiating partnerships and unlocking long-term value through creative and commercial strategy.
Alongside her consultancy work, Trina serves as Co-Chair of Women in Music UK and sits on the Executive Board of the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM), advocating for a more equitable and sustainable music industry. Her work bridges creative development and commercial execution, connecting talent, companies and opportunities across the UK, US and international markets.
Vivek Shraya
Vivek Shraya is an artist whose body of work crosses the boundaries of music, literature, visual art, theatre, TV, film, and fashion. A three-time Canadian Screen Award winner, Vivek is the creator and writer of the CBC Gem Original Series How to Fail as a Popstar, which had its international premiere at Cannes. She was nominated for the Polaris Music Prize and has collaborated with musical icons Jann Arden, Peaches, and Jully Black. Vivek has been a brand ambassador for MAC Cosmetics and Pantene, a guest host on The Social and CBC’s q, and she is a director on the board of the Tegan and Sara Foundation. Vivek’s 11th solo studio recording, New Models, was released October 2025 on Twin Fang Records.
