BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//WOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA - ECPv6.15.14//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:WOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://womeninmusic.ca X-WR-CALDESC:Events for WOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Edmonton BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20250309T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20251102T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20260308T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20261101T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20270314T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20271107T080000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20260310T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20260310T210000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20260227T171224Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T171224Z UID:10000040-1773165600-1773176400@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:Women in Music Canada and Alberta Music Present: Amplify Your Confidence with Carmen Leibel DESCRIPTION:Celebrate International Women’s Day with an inspiring evening designed to empower\, connect\, and elevate women in the music community. Women in Music Canada and Alberta Music are proud to present Amplify Your Confidence\, an engaging keynote and conversation featuring media professional turned entrepreneur Carmen Leibel. \nAfter more than 17 years in broadcast journalism with CTV — working as a producer\, reporter\, and anchor — Carmen has shifted her focus to helping people of all ages become confident\, compelling communicators. In 2023\, she launched Project Five\, a coaching platform built around five key steps to stronger communication. \nJoin us for this special International Women’s Day event to gain practical tools for confident communication and negotiating\, while connecting with industry professionals and celebrating International Women’s Day. The event will include the keynote with Carmen Leibel\, with food\, drinks\, and socializing to follow. \nRSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/SutVJVrJkSN3HCxq8 \n📍 Edmonton\, AB\n🗓 March 9\, 2026 | 6 PM\n📌 Dolly’s– 9902 109 St NW\, Edmonton \n📍 Calgary\, AB\n🗓 March 10\, 2026 | 6 PM\n📌 The Prairie Emporium – 300\, 334-53 Ave SE\, Calgary URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/women-in-music-canada-and-alberta-music-present-amplify-your-confidence-with-carmen-leibel/2026-03-10/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/unnamed-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Edmonton:20260309T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Edmonton:20260309T210000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20260227T171224Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T171224Z UID:10000039-1773079200-1773090000@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:Women in Music Canada and Alberta Music Present: Amplify Your Confidence with Carmen Leibel DESCRIPTION:Celebrate International Women’s Day with an inspiring evening designed to empower\, connect\, and elevate women in the music community. Women in Music Canada and Alberta Music are proud to present Amplify Your Confidence\, an engaging keynote and conversation featuring media professional turned entrepreneur Carmen Leibel. \nAfter more than 17 years in broadcast journalism with CTV — working as a producer\, reporter\, and anchor — Carmen has shifted her focus to helping people of all ages become confident\, compelling communicators. In 2023\, she launched Project Five\, a coaching platform built around five key steps to stronger communication. \nJoin us for this special International Women’s Day event to gain practical tools for confident communication and negotiating\, while connecting with industry professionals and celebrating International Women’s Day. The event will include the keynote with Carmen Leibel\, with food\, drinks\, and socializing to follow. \nRSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/SutVJVrJkSN3HCxq8 \n📍 Edmonton\, AB\n🗓 March 9\, 2026 | 6 PM\n📌 Dolly’s– 9902 109 St NW\, Edmonton \n📍 Calgary\, AB\n🗓 March 10\, 2026 | 6 PM\n📌 The Prairie Emporium – 300\, 334-53 Ave SE\, Calgary URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/women-in-music-canada-and-alberta-music-present-amplify-your-confidence-with-carmen-leibel/2026-03-09/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/unnamed-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260307T220000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260308T060000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20260221T122228Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260221T122228Z UID:10000034-1772920800-1772949600@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:Women Of The Industry (5th edition) DESCRIPTION:WOMEN OF THE INDUSTRY\n5e édition\n7 mars · S.A.T · Montréal \nJoin us on March 7th for the 5th edition of WOMEN OF THE INDUSTRY at S.A.T. \nThis year\, like all our previous editions\, we continue to highlight women DJs\, digital artists\, performers\, scenographers\, creatives\, entrepreneurs\, and us: event producers.\nMontréal is defined by an incredible nightlife. There is no shortage of events to attend\, yet there are still too few produced by women and even fewer celebrating women.\nThat’s why we’ve poured our hearts into this event: because we believe deeply in the women around us and in all of you who join us to celebrate them.\nThey deserve it. We deserve it. March 7th is about all of us. \nLine up:\nC Lia (CAN)\nBisouBizou (CAN)\nSUCHI (NOR)\nMolyness (MAR) \nVJ : Myriam Boucher\nScenographe: Georgia Newsam URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/women-of-the-industry-5th-edition/ LOCATION:Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]\, 1201 Boul. Saint-Laurent\, Montréal\, QC\, H2X 2S6\, Canada ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Banner-WOI-1-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Women Of The Industry":MAILTO:womenoftheindustry@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260307T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260307T160000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20260221T122238Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260221T122238Z UID:10000029-1772888400-1772899200@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:Miss Emily's International Women's Day Showcase DESCRIPTION:In celebration of International Women’s Day\, the Kingston Music Office is thrilled to present an unforgettable afternoon of music\, conversation\, and community. Taking place on Saturday March 7 from 1 to 4 PM at the Broom Factory\, this event shines a spotlight on the remarkable talents of women and non-binary songwriters in Kingston. \nThe event\, hosted by acclaimed musician Miss Emily\, will feature performances by Piner\, Luella\, Atiari\, and Kyra. Margaret Evans of Balancing Act will moderate fireside chat exploring songwriting\, creativity\, and the challenges of navigating the music industry as underrepresented voices. \nIn addition to the music\, the event will showcase women-owned businesses aligned with the creative industries\, further fostering collaboration and support. If you seek a meaningful way to celebrate International Women’s Day\, this showcase promises an afternoon of inspiration and artistry. \nThis event is presented by Miss Emily and the Kingston Music Office\, with additional support provided by CFRC and Balancing Act. URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/miss-emilys-international-womens-day-showcase/ LOCATION:Broom Factory\, 305 Rideau Street\, Kingston\, Ontario\, K7K3A7\, Canada ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IWD_BROOM.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Kingston Music Office":MAILTO:music@tourismkingston.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260306T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260306T120000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20260221T110014Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260221T122645Z UID:10000035-1772791200-1772798400@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:Brunch des Compositrices DESCRIPTION:À l’occasion de la Journée internationale des droits des femmes le 6 mars prochain\, la SPACQ-AE\, en collaboration avec la SOCAN\, la SCGC et Women in Music\, ont le plaisir de vous inviter à un brunch spécialement dédié aux compositrices de musique de commande. \nCe moment privilégié réunira créatrices\, professionnelles de l’industrie et partenaires autour d’un repas convivial\, propice aux rencontres\, aux échanges et à l’inspiration. \n📅 Vendredi 6 mars 2026\n🕙 De 10 h à midi – Ouverture des portes dès 9h30\n📍 Bureaux de la SOCAN — 33\, rue Milton\, bureau 500\, Montréal (Québec) H2X 1V1 \nCet événement se veut une occasion unique de célébrer le talent et le parcours des femmes qui créent la musique d’aujourd’hui et de demain. \nLes places étant gratuites et limitées\, nous vous invitons à réserver la vôtre dès maintenant : RSVP URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/brunch-des-compositrices/ LOCATION:Bureaux de la SOCAN — 33\, rue Milton\, bureau 500\, Montréal (Québec) H2X 1V1\, 33\, rue Milton\, bureau 500\,\, Montreal\, Quebec\, H2X 1V1\, Canada ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1x1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260305 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260306 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251019T132800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T163052Z UID:10000002-1772668800-1772755199@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:WIM Canada With Honours - 2026 DESCRIPTION:WOMEN IN MUSIC 2026 HONOURS RECIPIENTS CELEBRATED\nDURING GALA EVENT AT TORONTO’S\nQUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE\nPERFORMANCES BY BILLIANNE\, ANNABEL ORESTE\,\nDJ ME TIME\, DJ MELBOOGIE AND SIMAR\nTORONTO\, ON – March 6\, 2026 – The 4th Annual Women in Music Canada Honours took place last night at Toronto’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre.  The WIM Canada Honours program is designed to celebrate and support Canadian innovators and creators who have had outstanding success in their field in the eligibility year (December 2024 through December 2025 for the annual based categories).   \nHosted by CBC’s Saroja Coelho\, Honours were presented to sixteen individuals across the following categories: Artist of the Year (Presented by Amazon Music)\, Change Maker of the Year (Presented by the National Arts Centre)\, Entrepreneur of the Year (Presented by Believe and TuneCore)\, Excellence in Live Music\, International Leader of the Year (Presented by Loft Entertainment)\, Organization of the Year\, Career Achievement\, Rising Leaders\, and new this year\, Excellence in Sound Production (Presented by Fearless Creative\, Music Publishers Canada and National Arts Centre). The evening’s live performances\, sponsored by Ontario Creates and SiriusXM\, included Billianne\, Annabel Oreste\, DJ Me Time\, DJ MelBoogie and Simar. \nWords from Career Achievement Honour Recipients \n“It’s wonderful to be recognized\, acknowledged and honoured by my peers for my contribution to Canadian music.   It’s so important as women to continue to support each other in this industry! Thank you so much!”  – Simone Denny \n“All facets of this industry demand focus and tireless dedication to thrive. I commend Women in Music Canada’s commitment to both enrich and celebrate individuals and their life’s work. It is an honour to be recognized alongside such a broad spectrum of talent based in Canada.” – Patti-Anne Tarlton \n“I am grateful to receive this Career Achievement Honour.  I feel privileged to have had rewarding work promoting and supporting women music creators in their careers. I am happy to have been part of organizations including the Winnipeg Folk Festival\, the West End Cultural Centre and Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous that contributed to this goal. Thank you very much.” – Ava Kobrinsky \n“Throughout my career in this industry\, it hasn’t been quiet\, safe\, or conventional—This award represents every risk taken\, every boundary pushed\, and every voice we’ve fought to turn up louder. I’m deeply grateful to all of our clients—past and present—who trusted us with their vision and allowed us to be part of their journey. Your art is the reason we exist. I accept this honor with pride\, gratitude\, and absolutely no compromise.” – Sarah Lutz \n“The Career Achievement Award from Women in Music Canada is an award I receive with reflection and immense appreciation. I accept this honour not just for myself\, but for every woman building her path inthis industry. Music is Powerful!”– Sharon Hinds  \nThe Honours Event was the icing on the cake of a monumental week\, following the extraordinary\, and first ever\, three-day 2026 WIM Global Summit taking place in Toronto.  The summit boasted over 70 speakers from 11 countries across the globe\, and more than 680 summit attendees (in person and virtually) converging on the Allied Music Centre and TD Music Hall for workshops\, keynotes\, panel discussions and networking opportunities focused on music industry topics impacting women and gender diverse individuals. For a summit recap please visit Women in Music Canada’s website. \n“Coming to the close of this week\, I can\, with no hesitation\, say my cup is full.” Says executive director Robyn Stewart. “The WIMCanada team planned this week with intention\, curiosity\, care and perhaps a bit of dream. We aimed to uplift women and gender diverse sheros who constantly inspire us. Thank you to all of the nominees\, honourees\, speakers\, sponsors and the whole team who made this possible. Let’s get together again next year.” \n2026 WOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA HONOURS RECIPIENTS \nARTIST OF THE YEAR (Presented by Amazon Music): \nElisapie \nCHANGE MAKER OF THE YEAR (Presented by the National Arts Centre): \nBass Coast Festival and Good Night Out – Stacey Forrester\, Andrea Graham and Liz Thomson \nENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR (Presented by Believe and TuneCore): \nWednesday Management – Laurie Lee Boutet \nEXCELLENCE IN LIVE MUSIC: \nFour Chords and the Truth Inc. – Andrea England \nEXCELLENCE IN SOUND PRODUCTION (Presented by Fearless Creative\, Music Publishers Canada and National Arts Centre): \nHill Kourkoutis \nINTERNATIONAL LEADER OF THE YEAR (Presented by Loft Entertainment): \nMiranda Mulholland – Letters to the Future \nORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR: \nManitoba Music \nCAREER ACHIEVEMENT HONOUR RECIPIENTS: \nSimone Denny \nSharon Hinds \nAva Kobrinsky \nSarah Lutz \nPatti-Anne Tarlton \nWOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA RISING LEADER RECIPIENTS: \nLaurie Chouinard – CULT NATION \nKentya Kurban \nJalyssa Mills – BAMMY Fridays; Do Me Nice \nAmber Still – Polaris Music Prize \nKaty Venneri – CARAS \nThe 2026 list of nominees began with an open call for submissions which included 490 entries.  The nominees and honourees were determined through a juried process including category juries\, with a total of 43 industry jurors weighing in\, and verified by the Women In Music Canada Board of Directors Honours Committee. Submissions for consideration were made by the prospective honouree or another Canadian colleague.  The final Honours recipients were curated from the list of nominees by a finalist jury\, with the Artist of the Year category being decided on by public vote. \nThe WIM Canada Honours event is made possible by the generous support of our award partners – Amazon Music\, Believe\, Fearless Creative\, Music Publishers Canada\, National Arts Centre\, TuneCore\, and The Loft Entertainment.  We also thank Ontario Creates and SiriusXM for their support of the night’s showcase performances and The Orchard for supporting the night’s opening reception. \nhttps://vimeo.com/1175297618?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/wim-canada-with-honours-2026/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/wim_sponsordeck8-74bc2682-scaled.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260302T093000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260302T225000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20260207T153545Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260207T155751Z UID:10000032-1772443800-1772491800@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:PANEL: Music Festivals – The State of the Stage: Equity\, Funding & the Future of Live Music DESCRIPTION:Monday\, March 02 – 9:30 AM – 10:50 AM – TD Music Hall \nPresented by TuneCore / Believe \nWe’re bringing together festival leaders and industry innovators to examine the state of music festivals today\, from representation on stages to the funding\, structures\, and solutions shaping the future of live events. \nThe session opens with a 10-minute presentation from TuneCore\, sharing key insights from the Ruidosa x USC Annenberg report\, one of the most comprehensive studies on gender equity and diversity in the live music ecosystem. Building on these findings\, we will discuss the current trends in festival programming\, funding realities\, the role of data in shifting booking practices\, and strategies for building more inclusive and equitable stages. \nSpeakers: Kerry Clarke (Calgary Folk Festival)\,  Carlie Webbert (All Things Go)\, Marta Pallares (Primavera Sound)\,  Francisca Valenzuela (Artist / Ruidosa Fest) Moderated by Paula Silva Diaz (Venues Manager for the District Institute of the Arts – Idartes\, Bogota) \n  URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/panel-music-festivals-the-state-of-the-stage-equity-funding-the-future-of-live-music/ LOCATION:TD Music Hall\, 178 Victoria St\, Toronto\, Ontario\, M5B 1T7\, Canada END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260302 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260305 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251017T072209Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260304T142448Z UID:10000001-1772409600-1772668799@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:2026 International Women's Week Summit DESCRIPTION:The first Women in Music Global Summit will take place in Toronto from March 2–4\, 2026\, coinciding with International Women’s Week. The event will be held in person at the Allied Music Centre and TD Music Hall in downtown Toronto and available virtually through Zuddl.   \nThe three-day event will bring together women and gender-diverse leaders from across the global music industry. This marks the first time the annual Global Summit will be hosted in Canada\, reflecting the growing international presence and achievements of Women in Music Canada. \nBecome a member to receive early access & discounts to Summit!\n \n REGister now\n \n \n Location & Hotels\n \n \n View summit schedule\n \n \n View Summit Speakers\n \n \n BECOME A WIMCANADA MEMBER\n \n \n BECOME A WIM GLOBAL MEMBER\n \nThe Global Summit is made possible because of the generous support of the Government of Canada\, the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR)\, and Ontario Creates. We are also excited to have the support of sponsors – Amazon Music\, Believe\, CIMA\, City of Toronto\, CMRRA\, DISCO\, EMPIRE\, National Arts Centre\, Senyk Investment Management Ltd\, SOCAN\, TD Bank\, Toronto Musicians Union\, and TuneCore. Your commitment to equity in the music industry makes this possible. \n \n2026 Global Summit Schedule\n\n\n Monday\, March 2nd\, 2026\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n Tuesday\, March 3rd\, 2026\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n Wednesday\, March 4th\, 2026\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n In Person Mentorship Schedule\n \n \n \n \n\n\n Book a Mentor Session – Opens Feb 20th\, 2026 *IN PERSON ONLY*\n \n \n Click here to book a mentor session\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Click here to book a mentor session\n \nView summit speakers\nLocation & Hotel\nEvent Location\nProgramming will be held in Downtown Toronto at Allied Music Centre: \n  \n178 Victoria St\,Toronto\, ONM5B 1T7 \n  \nalliedmusiccentre.mhrth.com \n \nHotel\nHotel rooms are now sold out. Please email info@womeninmusic.ca if you need assistance finding accommodations.  \n \nSONGWRITER IN THE ROUND\nAs part of the 2026 Women in Music Canada Summit\, we invite Summit delegates to a special\, intimate artist showcase celebrating the creative voices shaping our industry today. \nJoin us for a powerful afternoon of live music featuring four exceptional women and gender-diverse artists: CJ Wiley\, Molly Johnson\, Billianne\, and Ila Barker. Through deeply personal performances\, each artist will share songs rooted in empowerment and resilience\, offering insight into how songwriting and artistry have helped them navigate challenges\, celebrate successes and tell their truths.\nAccess to the artist showcase is included with your Summit pass. Join us and partners SOCAN and TD Bank for a powerful afternoon of live music.\n \nAFEM + WIM + CIMA Mixer\n \nAs part of the annual Women in Music Global Summit\, AFEM x WIM x CIMA Industry Mixer brings together leaders and professionals from across the music ecosystem for an evening of connection and conversation.\nJoin AFEM\, Women in Music\, and CIMA on Tuesday\, March 3rd\, 2026 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM ET at Muse Bar for a curated industry mixer designed to foster meaningful relationships across the global music community.\nRepresentatives from all three organizations will be in attendance\, creating space for cross-sector dialogue and new opportunities. Drink tickets will be available for early entry attendees. Presented with special support from AFTR DARK.\n \n RSVP HERE!\n \nIN person MENTOR SESSIONS- Click To book\n \n \n \n \n \n \nPlease click image above to read  instructions before booking the sync pitch sessions. \n \n \nWIMC British Columbia showcase\n \nThe Women in Music Canada British Columbia Chapter invites Summit delegates and guests to an evening Mixer & Showcase celebrating connection\, creativity\, and the dynamic voices shaping today’s music landscape.\nJoin us on March 4 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at The Rivoli for a night of community and powerful live performances featuring Darrian Gerard\, Lowkita\, Rebecca Sichon\, and Kailee Duggan. Each artist brings a distinct creative lens to the stage\, offering performances that range from bold and genre-defying to intimate and reflective.\nBeyond the music\, the evening creates space to connect with fellow artists and industry professionals\, strengthen relationships\, and celebrate the depth of women and gender-diverse talent shaping the industry today.\n  \nRSVP HERE URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/2026-international-womens-week-summit/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Hero_Banner_Based_on_Requirements_Option-SaveTheDate_2026summit_v1-1-64296495.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260207T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260207T150000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20260202T235948Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T235948Z UID:10000030-1770465600-1770476400@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:Galentine's Day Arts & Crafts Social DESCRIPTION:Manifest an amazing 2026 with Toronto Music Gals Network! Join us for our Galentine’s arts and crafts mixer to create your 2026 vision board! All art supplies will be provided – just bring your ideas and inspiration. Connect with other driven musicians\, share goals\, and take time to reflect\, create\, and set intentions for the year ahead in a supportive\, welcoming space. URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/galentines-day-arts-crafts-social/ LOCATION:Bampot Tea House\, 201 Harbord St.\, Toronto\, Ontario\, M5S 1H6\, Canada ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Feb7GaletinesPoster.png ORGANIZER;CN="Toronto Music Gals Network":MAILTO:torontomusicgalsnetwork@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251109T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251109T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251110T000839Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260310T172936Z UID:10000027-1762675200-1762707600@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:2025 Honours Awards DESCRIPTION:March 06th\, 2025\nQueen Elizabeth Theatre \nToronto\, Ontario\nThank you to all who joined us for the 3rd Annual Women in Music Canada Honours awards\, March 6. \nThis was a powerful night of celebration recognizing incredibly talented music industry and creators\, making the industry more equitable for all. \nCheck out our highlight video and more information on the winners below!  \n \n \n NOMINEES\n \n \n LOCATION & HOTELS\n \n \n PERFORMERS\n \nPerformers\n \n \nKIMMORTAL\n \n \nCOZMIC CAT\n \n \nNYSSA\n \n \nKIBRA\nWOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA\nHONOUREES\n \n ARTIST OF THE YEAR\nPresented by Amazon Music \nNemahsis\n \n CAREER ACHIEVEMENT HONOUR\nLeela Gilday\n \nCAREER ACHIEVEMENT HONOUR\nLisa Logutenkow\n \nCAREER ACHIEVEMENT HONOUR\nVeronica Syrtash\n \nCHANGE MAKER OF THE YEAR\nPresented by National Arts Centre\n \nDr. Charlie Wall-Andrews- Toronto Metropolitan University/ SOCAN Foundation\n \n ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR\nPresented by Believe and TuneCore \nEbonnie Rowe – Honey Jam Canada\n \n EXCELLENCE IN LIVE MUSIC\nCarly McFadden – Folk On The Rocks\n \n INTERNATIONAL LEADER OF THE YEAR\nAlysha Brilla\n \n ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR\nArthaus Community\n \nWOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA RISING LEADER\nAlexandra Idiart-Benavides – The Vault\n \nWOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA RISING LEADER\nHarpo Mander – 5x Fest\n \n WOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA RISING LEADER\nAlex Simpson – Live Nation / Lavender Wild\n \nWOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA RISING LEADER\nKingsley Swim – Project Warp and the Framework\n \n WOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA RISING LEADER\nLaura Wilson-Lewis – Warner Music Canada\nLocation & Hotel\nEvent Location\n AWARDS: QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE190 Princes’ Blvd\, Toronto\, Ontario CELEBRATION RECEPTION: ANNABEL’S MUSIC HALL \n200 Princes’ Blvd\, Toronto\, Ontario \n \nHotel\nTraveling from out of town? WIMC has partnered with The Anndore House to offer a discounted block of rooms for your convenience.  \nBook using this link  \nOr use the Group Code: G-MUSI URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/2025-honours-awards/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251109T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251109T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251109T144333Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260207T174926Z UID:10000025-1762675200-1762707600@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:2025 International Women's Week Summit DESCRIPTION:WIM Canada\n2025 Summit\nWIM Canada presents an exciting 2-day event full of speaker sessions\, workshops\, and networking opportunities\, March 6-7\, 2024 at TD Music Hall in Toronto. \nCome ask questions\, meet others in the industry\, and be inspired by our amazing slate of leaders.  \nTickets on sale now! Passes can be purchased for either day separately or bundle both days together and save. \nPremium WIMC members receive 60% off! Not a member? Join here today. \n \n BUY TICKETS\n \n \n LOCATION & HOTELS\n \n \n VOLUNTEER\n \n \n SONGWRITER IN THE ROUND\n \n \n DAY 1 SCHEDULE\n \n \n DAY 2 SCHEDULE\n \n\n For Ticketholders \n \n \n*For Ticketholders only* \nSongwriter in the Round\nHave you ever been deeply moved by a song? Whether it’s the lyrics\, the rhythm\, or the whole experience\, music has the power to inspire and heal. In celebration of International Women’s Week\, Women in Music Canada invites you to an afternoon of profound musical experiences. \nJoin us for intimate performances by four incredible women and gender-diverse artists as they share songs of empowerment\, resilience\, and transformation. Hear firsthand how songwriting has helped them navigate life’s challenges and rise above adversity. \nHosted by the dynamic multidisciplinary artist Kinnie Starr\, the event will feature powerful performances from spoken word and hip-hop artist Kimmortal\, up-and-coming singer-songwriter Kyra Daniel\, and genre-hopping powerhouse Nyssa. \n\nPresented with the generous support of TD Bank\, SOCAN\, and SiriusXM (as part of the EQLive project)\, and funded in part by Ontario Creates. \n\nTickets are only $15 (plus fees)—an incredible value for a day of inspiration! \nPlus\, entry is included with a full International Women’s Week Summit ticket. \nDon’t miss out on this celebration of creativity\, resilience\, and the power of music. \nBUY TICKETS HERE \n \nSchedule\n DAY 1 – March 4\, 2025\n9:30 – 11:00 AM\nPANEL – From Pitch to the Preview: An artist’s journey to a sync deal\nThis panel offers artists a hands-on opportunity for artists to witness and refine their sync pitching skills from the start of the process to a completed deal in real time. Attendees can submit their pitches to two different sync briefs\, which will be reviewed and critiqued by leading sync and publishing experts during the panel. Panelists will provide valuable feedback on the entiriety of your pitch and music submitted. The session will culminate with a look at how a completed sync placement is secured\, complete with the chosen music played with the film scenes. \n \nWORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Kim Temple\n \n \n President\, High Priestess Publishing Director of Sync & Licensing\, Six Shooter RecordsKim has over 20 years of experience in the music industry specializing in creative sync\, music rights\, royalty management\, and business affairs.  Through her work with Music Publishers Canada she manages the Women In The Studio national accelerator\, providing women-identifying\, non-binary and gender non-conforming producer-songwriters with skills training\, mentorship and networking opportunities.  As a passionate advocate for creators’ rights and fair compensation\, she fosters cross-sector collaboration with an emphasis on nurturing and mentoring emerging talent. \n \n\n\n Claudia Campos Jugo\n \n \n \n\n\n Michelle Allman- Esdaille\n \n \nMichelle Allman-Esdaille is a visionary leader at the forefront of the music industry\, spearheading initiatives that transform how artists and music professionals connect\, grow\, and thrive. As the CEO and Founder of The HOOK & Company\, she has created a dynamic online marketplace where artist managers and industry professionals can connect directly with artists and music creators to support a wide range of projects\, from business development to creative growth. The platform not only helps artists but also provides visibility to the industry’s game-changers\, building a pipeline of work for freelancers to live sustainably while fostering artist success. The newest version of the marketplace is set to re-open March 2025. The HOOK & Company is the parent company to Sustainable Creative Living and The HOOK Sync Group. The HOOK Sync Group\, the first Black female-owned sync agency in Canada\, specializes in sync placements and sync licensing\, working to ensure that diverse voices are represented across the entertainment landscape. Under Michelle’s leadership\, the company has secured placements on major platforms such as BET+\, HGTV\, TLC\, VH1\, Bravo\, and CNN\, showcasing her commitment to elevating underrepresented talent in the BIPOC\, LGBTQ+\, and recognized-as-female communities. Under Sustainable Creative Living\, Michelle leads an education platform that offers application-based courses tailored for career advancement in sync music production\, songwriting\, and composing for TV\, film\, commercials\, and games. These courses include the flagship Sync Music Production Accelerator\, export-readiness training\, ethical AI music production courses\, and The Singing Speaker program\, which trains artists to infuse their music into keynote speaking engagements. As a consultant\, Reiki practitioner\, and co-author of “You Have So Much Potential – Inspiring Generational Healing & Transformation\,” Michelle’s multifaceted work reflects her deep commitment to holistic success\, mental health advocacy\, and empowerment for underrepresented communities in the music industry. \n\n\n\n Danica Bansie\n \n \nDanica Bansie is a Canadian 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 and communications\, and English Literature\, Danica brings her love of culture and storytelling to all of the projects she works on\, whether that be commercial work\, film\, or TV. Exceeding the scope of music supervision\, Danica is passionate about the sweet spot where underground\, DIY music meets the music business at large; her goal is to champion the indie\, 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. \n\n \n President\, High Priestess Publishing Director of Sync & Licensing\, Six Shooter RecordsKim has over 20 years of experience in the music industry specializing in creative sync\, music rights\, royalty management\, and business affairs.  Through her work with Music Publishers Canada she manages the Women In The Studio national accelerator\, providing women-identifying\, non-binary and gender non-conforming producer-songwriters with skills training\, mentorship and networking opportunities.  As a passionate advocate for creators’ rights and fair compensation\, she fosters cross-sector collaboration with an emphasis on nurturing and mentoring emerging talent. \n \n \nMichelle Allman-Esdaille is a visionary leader at the forefront of the music industry\, spearheading initiatives that transform how artists and music professionals connect\, grow\, and thrive. As the CEO and Founder of The HOOK & Company\, she has created a dynamic online marketplace where artist managers and industry professionals can connect directly with artists and music creators to support a wide range of projects\, from business development to creative growth. The platform not only helps artists but also provides visibility to the industry’s game-changers\, building a pipeline of work for freelancers to live sustainably while fostering artist success. The newest version of the marketplace is set to re-open March 2025. The HOOK & Company is the parent company to Sustainable Creative Living and The HOOK Sync Group. The HOOK Sync Group\, the first Black female-owned sync agency in Canada\, specializes in sync placements and sync licensing\, working to ensure that diverse voices are represented across the entertainment landscape. Under Michelle’s leadership\, the company has secured placements on major platforms such as BET+\, HGTV\, TLC\, VH1\, Bravo\, and CNN\, showcasing her commitment to elevating underrepresented talent in the BIPOC\, LGBTQ+\, and recognized-as-female communities. Under Sustainable Creative Living\, Michelle leads an education platform that offers application-based courses tailored for career advancement in sync music production\, songwriting\, and composing for TV\, film\, commercials\, and games. These courses include the flagship Sync Music Production Accelerator\, export-readiness training\, ethical AI music production courses\, and The Singing Speaker program\, which trains artists to infuse their music into keynote speaking engagements. As a consultant\, Reiki practitioner\, and co-author of “You Have So Much Potential – Inspiring Generational Healing & Transformation\,” Michelle’s multifaceted work reflects her deep commitment to holistic success\, mental health advocacy\, and empowerment for underrepresented communities in the music industry. \n \nDanica Bansie is a Canadian 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 and communications\, and English Literature\, Danica brings her love of culture and storytelling to all of the projects she works on\, whether that be commercial work\, film\, or TV. Exceeding the scope of music supervision\, Danica is passionate about the sweet spot where underground\, DIY music meets the music business at large; her goal is to champion the indie\, 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. \n10:00 AM – 12:00 PM\nWORKSHOP: PRODUCTION 101\nPart 1: \nJoin Jinting Zhao\, a renowned songwriter\, producer\, engineer\, and founder of SHE-Q Audio\, for an inspiring workshop on building a sustainable career in music production and engineering. In this session\, she’ll share valuable insights from her journey—discussing how to navigate the music ecosystem\, overcome industry challenges\, and leverage opportunities for career growth. Whether you’re a producer\, engineer\, or aspiring music professional\, Jinting’s expertise and passion for closing the gender gap in production will empower you to take your career to the next level. \nPRESENTED BY MIX WITH THE MASTERS \nPart 2: \nJoin us for a “track deconstruction” and learn about Jeia’s music-making process using Ableton Live. \nIndonesian-born producer\, composer\, and instrumentalist Jeia (pronounced: JAY-uh) is a versatile force creating expansive soundscapes across genres. Currently splitting her time between Los Angeles and Toronto\, she has collaborated with artists like Bryson Tiller\, chriseanrock\, Curren$y\, Beenie Man\, and KALLITECHNIS. \nPRESENTED BY ABLETON \n*Please note workshops are not livestreamed. \n \n SIGN UP HERE\n \n \nWORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS\n\n\n Jinting Zhao\n \n \n President\, High Priestess Publishing Director of Sync & Licensing\, Six Shooter RecordsKim has over 20 years of experience in the music industry specializing in creative sync\, music rights\, royalty management\, and business affairs.  Through her work with Music Publishers Canada she manages the Women In The Studio national accelerator\, providing women-identifying\, non-binary and gender non-conforming producer-songwriters with skills training\, mentorship and networking opportunities.  As a passionate advocate for creators’ rights and fair compensation\, she fosters cross-sector collaboration with an emphasis on nurturing and mentoring emerging talent. \n \n\n\n Jeia\n \n \nIndonesian-born producer\, composer and instrumentalist Jeia (pronounced: JAY-uh) is a passionate force creating vast soundscapes across all genres and timelines. \nCurrently splitting time between Los Angeles and Toronto\, Jeia’s recent credits and collaborations includes Bryson Tiller\, chriseanrock\, Curren$y\, Beenie Man\, KALLITECHNIS\, Destin Conrad\, Saint Harison\, and more. \nFormerly a drummer\, guitar player\, and touring DJ\, her musical versatility in sound design and composition can be prominently heard from her productions to her sample packs distributed through Kingsway Music Library and Splice. \nRecently signed to 3020 Management based in Los Angeles led by Grammy-winning songwriter Tayla Parx\, Jeia marks a new chapter in her career as she continues to consistently deliver captivating work while doing her part in shaping the sound of our generation and beyond. \nMore about Jeia: http://thisisjeia.com \nListen to songs produced by Jeia: http://bit.ly/prodbyJeia \nConnect with Jeia on Youtube and Instagram: @thisisjeia \n\n \n President\, High Priestess Publishing Director of Sync & Licensing\, Six Shooter RecordsKim has over 20 years of experience in the music industry specializing in creative sync\, music rights\, royalty management\, and business affairs.  Through her work with Music Publishers Canada she manages the Women In The Studio national accelerator\, providing women-identifying\, non-binary and gender non-conforming producer-songwriters with skills training\, mentorship and networking opportunities.  As a passionate advocate for creators’ rights and fair compensation\, she fosters cross-sector collaboration with an emphasis on nurturing and mentoring emerging talent. \n \nIndonesian-born producer\, composer and instrumentalist Jeia (pronounced: JAY-uh) is a passionate force creating vast soundscapes across all genres and timelines. \nCurrently splitting time between Los Angeles and Toronto\, Jeia’s recent credits and collaborations includes Bryson Tiller\, chriseanrock\, Curren$y\, Beenie Man\, KALLITECHNIS\, Destin Conrad\, Saint Harison\, and more. \nFormerly a drummer\, guitar player\, and touring DJ\, her musical versatility in sound design and composition can be prominently heard from her productions to her sample packs distributed through Kingsway Music Library and Splice. \nRecently signed to 3020 Management based in Los Angeles led by Grammy-winning songwriter Tayla Parx\, Jeia marks a new chapter in her career as she continues to consistently deliver captivating work while doing her part in shaping the sound of our generation and beyond. \nMore about Jeia: http://thisisjeia.com \nListen to songs produced by Jeia: http://bit.ly/prodbyJeia \nConnect with Jeia on Youtube and Instagram: @thisisjeia \n11:15 AM – 12: 15 PM\nPANEL- KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: Maximize Your Music’s Value\nA comprehensive guide to understanding rights management\, effectively collecting your income\, and preparing for all uses of your music in the evolving landscape. \n \n SIGN UP HERE\n \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Andrea England\n \n \nAndrea 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\, a SoundExchange company\, where she brings a unique and holistic perspective – as a creator\, educator\, and music business analyst – to support CMRRA’s publisher and self-published songwriter clients; a member of the Board of Directors of the Songwriters Association of Canada; and an active member of both the Canadian and American Recording Academies\, and many national and international music industry/music publishing associations\, including the CCMA. \nAndrea is also an award-winning songwriter landing cuts / cowrites with a wide variety of artists\, from CCMA Award winners\, Meghan Patrick and Don Amero\, to international Popstar/Pussycat Doll\, Nicole Scherzinger (for which Andrea received a UK Gold Record); the founder\, curator\, and host of critically-acclaimed songwriter series\, Four Chords & the Truth (now at TD Music Hall within Toronto’s Massey Hall / AMC complex); and an artist who has released three albums (most recently\, Evidence of Love\, produced by JUNO Award-winning recording engineer / producer Hill Kourkoutis). \n\n\n\n Bonnie Fedrau\n \n \nBonnie Fedrau is an accomplished music industry veteran\, working in multiple areas of the music industry for over 25 years:  artist development\, publishing\, artist management\, retail\, and DJing.  As a music scout (A&R)\, for Warner Music\, EMI\, and Jive Records\, Fedrau signings included Sarah Harmer\, Kos\, Sky\, and Three Days Grace.   \nFedrau then helped build EBA Inc\, one of the first companies to provide the services of a business affairs department for small-to-medium music companies and artist entrepreneurs that were too small to have a business affairs department of their own. Company services include royalty and copyright administration\, grant writing\, and music contracts.  \nNow at ACTRA RACS Fedrau continues her long-standing support for artists & musicians\, in the membership services department.  ACTRA RACS collect neighboring rights royalties world-wide\, representing tens of thousands of recording artists across all genres and distributing over $150 million to artists and session musicians around the world. \n\n\n\n Kit Wheeler\n \n \nAs VP of Royalty Collections at SOCAN\, Kit Wheeler ensures music creators and publishers receive the royalties they’ve earned. Her leadership in licensing both traditional broadcasters and digital platforms\, and leading the distribution team has given her a deep understanding of how royalties flow from performance to payout. Her time at SOCAN reflects her commitment to supporting music creators maximize their income. \n\n\n\n Sarah Falzon\n \n \nSarah Falzon (she/her) is an associate at Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP. She currently practices in the areas of music and entertainment law\, primarily working with and representing talent and music services companies navigating through varying stages of their careers and businesses. Sarah is a graduate of McMaster University (Hons. B.Sc. in Mathematics & Statistics) and Osgoode Hall Law School (J.D.). During her time at Osgoode\, Sarah was a case-worker with the Innocence Project and Innocence Canada (formerly AIDWYC). Sarah is a contributing author to Canadian Musician magazine\, a former member of the Music Den advisory committee at Toronto Metropolitan University\, and has been a guest speaker for various events and organizations\, including Canadian Music Week\, Canada’s Music Incubator\, Honey Jam\, Law in Action Within Schools\, and Toronto Metropolitan University. Sarah is a musician herself\, and has been playing the violin for over 30 years. \n\n\n\n Annesta Duodu\n \n \nAnnesta Duodu is a Toronto-based lawyer who is both Associate Counsel to Music Canada\, the trade association representing Canada’s major record labels\, and CONNECT Music Licensing\, a copyright collective that licenses the majority of sound recordings and music videos produced and distributed in Canada. Having studied music from a young age\, she is passionate about the arts and the intersection of intellectual property and creative industries. Through her work\, she advocates for a healthy and vibrant Canadian music ecosystem and negotiates licensing agreements on behalf of rightsholders\, ensuring that they are compensated for the use of their music. \n\n \nAndrea 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\, a SoundExchange company\, where she brings a unique and holistic perspective – as a creator\, educator\, and music business analyst – to support CMRRA’s publisher and self-published songwriter clients; a member of the Board of Directors of the Songwriters Association of Canada; and an active member of both the Canadian and American Recording Academies\, and many national and international music industry/music publishing associations\, including the CCMA. \nAndrea is also an award-winning songwriter landing cuts / cowrites with a wide variety of artists\, from CCMA Award winners\, Meghan Patrick and Don Amero\, to international Popstar/Pussycat Doll\, Nicole Scherzinger (for which Andrea received a UK Gold Record); the founder\, curator\, and host of critically-acclaimed songwriter series\, Four Chords & the Truth (now at TD Music Hall within Toronto’s Massey Hall / AMC complex); and an artist who has released three albums (most recently\, Evidence of Love\, produced by JUNO Award-winning recording engineer / producer Hill Kourkoutis). \n \nBonnie Fedrau is an accomplished music industry veteran\, working in multiple areas of the music industry for over 25 years:  artist development\, publishing\, artist management\, retail\, and DJing.  As a music scout (A&R)\, for Warner Music\, EMI\, and Jive Records\, Fedrau signings included Sarah Harmer\, Kos\, Sky\, and Three Days Grace.   \nFedrau then helped build EBA Inc\, one of the first companies to provide the services of a business affairs department for small-to-medium music companies and artist entrepreneurs that were too small to have a business affairs department of their own. Company services include royalty and copyright administration\, grant writing\, and music contracts.  \nNow at ACTRA RACS Fedrau continues her long-standing support for artists & musicians\, in the membership services department.  ACTRA RACS collect neighboring rights royalties world-wide\, representing tens of thousands of recording artists across all genres and distributing over $150 million to artists and session musicians around the world. \n \nAs VP of Royalty Collections at SOCAN\, Kit Wheeler ensures music creators and publishers receive the royalties they’ve earned. Her leadership in licensing both traditional broadcasters and digital platforms\, and leading the distribution team has given her a deep understanding of how royalties flow from performance to payout. Her time at SOCAN reflects her commitment to supporting music creators maximize their income. \n \nSarah Falzon (she/her) is an associate at Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP. She currently practices in the areas of music and entertainment law\, primarily working with and representing talent and music services companies navigating through varying stages of their careers and businesses. Sarah is a graduate of McMaster University (Hons. B.Sc. in Mathematics & Statistics) and Osgoode Hall Law School (J.D.). During her time at Osgoode\, Sarah was a case-worker with the Innocence Project and Innocence Canada (formerly AIDWYC). Sarah is a contributing author to Canadian Musician magazine\, a former member of the Music Den advisory committee at Toronto Metropolitan University\, and has been a guest speaker for various events and organizations\, including Canadian Music Week\, Canada’s Music Incubator\, Honey Jam\, Law in Action Within Schools\, and Toronto Metropolitan University. Sarah is a musician herself\, and has been playing the violin for over 30 years. \n \nAnnesta Duodu is a Toronto-based lawyer who is both Associate Counsel to Music Canada\, the trade association representing Canada’s major record labels\, and CONNECT Music Licensing\, a copyright collective that licenses the majority of sound recordings and music videos produced and distributed in Canada. Having studied music from a young age\, she is passionate about the arts and the intersection of intellectual property and creative industries. Through her work\, she advocates for a healthy and vibrant Canadian music ecosystem and negotiates licensing agreements on behalf of rightsholders\, ensuring that they are compensated for the use of their music. \n12:45 PM – 1:45 PM\nLEADERSHIP INSPIRATION SERIES: LAURIE LEE BOUTET\nJoin us for an engaging conversation with Laurie Lee Boutet\, Managing Director of Wednesday Management\, as part of our Leadership Inspiration Series. In an industry where women and gender-diverse leaders remain underrepresented in executive roles\, Laurie is making waves both as a manager of artists who have experienced meteoric success and as a thriving entrepreneur. In this interactive session\, Laurie will sit down with host Sara Martin to reflect on her journey\, share career highlights\, and discuss the key lessons she’s learned throughout her leadership path. \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n Laurie Lee Boutet\n \n \nLaurie Lee Boutet\, founder of Toronto’s Wednesday Management\, leads a roster including The Beaches\, pop artist Alex Porat\, producer Connor Seidel\, and UK drum & bass artist Venbee. \nWednesday Management has achieved significant success in recent years\, including The Beaches’ chart-topping single Blame Brett\, a sold-out global tour (70\,000+ tickets)\, and Venbee’s Brit-nominated hit Messy In Heaven\, which went double platinum in the UK. Laurie was named 2024 Manager of the Year by Billboard Canada’s Women In Music and Canada Music Week\, and featured in Billboard Canada’s inaugural Power Players list. \n\n\n\n HOST: Sara Martin\n \n \nSara Martin (She/They) is an audio engineer\, journalist\, and arts worker based in Kjipuktuk. Joining the board of Women in Music Canada in 2023\, Sara directs her effort towards advocating for trans rights as an essential part of equitable access to the arts. She began writing about music for a local publication in high school. This led her to pursuing a Bachelors of Journalism (Honours) with a Minor in Music from the University of King’s College\, graduating in 2022. \n\n \nLaurie Lee Boutet\, founder of Toronto’s Wednesday Management\, leads a roster including The Beaches\, pop artist Alex Porat\, producer Connor Seidel\, and UK drum & bass artist Venbee. \nWednesday Management has achieved significant success in recent years\, including The Beaches’ chart-topping single Blame Brett\, a sold-out global tour (70\,000+ tickets)\, and Venbee’s Brit-nominated hit Messy In Heaven\, which went double platinum in the UK. Laurie was named 2024 Manager of the Year by Billboard Canada’s Women In Music and Canada Music Week\, and featured in Billboard Canada’s inaugural Power Players list. \n \nSara Martin (She/They) is an audio engineer\, journalist\, and arts worker based in Kjipuktuk. Joining the board of Women in Music Canada in 2023\, Sara directs her effort towards advocating for trans rights as an essential part of equitable access to the arts. She began writing about music for a local publication in high school. This led her to pursuing a Bachelors of Journalism (Honours) with a Minor in Music from the University of King’s College\, graduating in 2022. \n1:00 PM – 2:30 PM\nWORKSHOP: Introduction to Accounting Principles for Artists and Entrepreneurs\nDemystify the essentials of bookkeeping and learn practical tips for organizing your accounts.This session is designer for musicians and music industry entrepreneurs to support developing your financial wellness. Make gig working\, grant applications and reporting\, and all facets of your career finances clearer. \n  \n*Please note workshops will not be live streamed. \n \n SIGN UP HERE\n \n \nWORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR\n\n\n ANNE MARIE SMITH\n \n \nAnne-Marie attended Harris Institute majoring in production/engineering and was hired by Warner/Chappell Music Publishing in 1992 as the A&R Coordinator. She was promoted to Creative Manager two years later and signed various songwriters including Glenn Lewis\, Kardinal Offishall\, Jully Black & Saukrates to the company. \nFrom 2010-2015\, Anne-Marie was the Associate Producer at Clear Lake Historical Productions and worked on two documentaries entitled ‘Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story’ & ‘AKA Doc Pomus’.She currently teaches four courses for the Artist Management program at Harris Institute and two courses for Seneca College’s Independent Professional Songwriter program and Independent Music Producer Program. \nAnne-Marie owns Lonestar Music Services\, which provides business support to various clients including Polaris Music Prize Inc.\, NXNE\, USS\, and Iskwé\, and has held positions both on the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) Board of Directors and the Canadian Independent Recording and Production Association Board (CIRPA). \n\n \nAnne-Marie attended Harris Institute majoring in production/engineering and was hired by Warner/Chappell Music Publishing in 1992 as the A&R Coordinator. She was promoted to Creative Manager two years later and signed various songwriters including Glenn Lewis\, Kardinal Offishall\, Jully Black & Saukrates to the company. \nFrom 2010-2015\, Anne-Marie was the Associate Producer at Clear Lake Historical Productions and worked on two documentaries entitled ‘Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story’ & ‘AKA Doc Pomus’.She currently teaches four courses for the Artist Management program at Harris Institute and two courses for Seneca College’s Independent Professional Songwriter program and Independent Music Producer Program. \nAnne-Marie owns Lonestar Music Services\, which provides business support to various clients including Polaris Music Prize Inc.\, NXNE\, USS\, and Iskwé\, and has held positions both on the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) Board of Directors and the Canadian Independent Recording and Production Association Board (CIRPA). \n2:00 PM – 3:00 PM\nPANEL: Balancing the Unseen: Navigating Invisible Challenges in the Workplace\nThis panel brings together women leaders from the music industry and mental health advocacy to explore how to create inclusive environments that support professionals facing invisible physical\, mental\, and social challenges. Topics will include navigating neurodiversity\, chronic conditions\, mental health\, and unique abilities in the workplace\, balancing disclosure with privacy\, and the importance of self-advocacy. Panelists will share practical tools for managing stress\, chronic illness\, and improving well-being at work\, while fostering allyship\, addressing misconceptions\, and promoting flexible\, empathetic leadership that helps everyone thrive. \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Catherine Harrison\n \n \nCatherine Harrison\, M.Psych.\, P.C.C.\, is a Canadian musician\, mental health at work consultant\, leadership expert\, author\, certified executive coach\, scholar and advocate for inclusive and equitable well-being. Catherine aims to improve our collective mental health literacy and social fitness through education\, reducing stigma\, and facilitating open\, courageous conversations.She is currently leading the first-ever Canadian national study (Soundcheck) to quantify and more fully understand the unique mental health challenges faced by all members of the industry.  Catherine is a trusted advisor to several national and international non-profit music organizations and is president of Revelios\, helping cross-sector organizations create\, integrate\, measure and sustain meaningful human-centred leadership strategies\, including psychological safety. \n\n\n\n Kinnie Starr\n \n \nKinnie Starr has been blazing her own influential trail since 1996. She was nominated for a Juno in 2004 as Best New Artist. She is acknowledged as one of British Columbia’s Most Interesting People by the Royal British Museum of Victoria\, BC (2008) and earned a Juno Award as a producer on Digging Roots’ album\, We Are (2010). \nStarr is the published author and illustrator of How I Learned to Run\, House Of Parlance (2008) and is recognized as a Pioneer in Canadian Hip Hop by Manifesto Hip Hop Summit\, Toronto (2011). She co-wrote\, conceived of\, and executive produced the feature film\, Play Your Gender (2016)\, and has 8 studio albums under her belt. \n\n\n\n Catharine Saxberg\n \n \nCatharine Saxberg is Vice President\, International Relations for SOCAN\,  responsible for leading SOCAN’s International team to maximise member royalties from partner performing rights organizations and managing SOCAN’s presence and role round the world. \nPrior to joining SOCAN eleven years ago\, Catharine has had a long career of leadership in music and radio\, including as Executive Director of the Canadian Music Publishers Association (CMPA\, now Music Publishers Canada)\, Executive Director of the Radio Starmaker Fund\, and Director of Marketing\, Canadian Broadcast Sales. Catharine has also served in a variety of other industry leadership roles\, including two terms on the Board of Directors of the International Confederation of Music Publishers\, two terms as Co-chair of ICMP’s pop bureau\, Co-chair of Canadian Music Week\, director with the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame\, a member of the Cultural Human Resources Council\, and as a member of the National Advisory Board of FACTOR. She is currently the Chair of the international Music Repertoire Group\, a committee of CISAC\, the international body representing creative collective rights management. \nCatharine is the co-founder of the Unison Fund\, a not for profit organization dedicated to supporting the music industry in times of crisis. As co-founder\, she served as a board member\, board chair and chair of the Allocations committee for the first ten years of the organisation’s existence. In addition\, she has served on boards of community organisations providing services to those in need\, and has co-sponsored a number of refugees to Canada. \nShe is ABD in History from York University\, earned an Honors BA in French and History and a Masters in History from the University of Toronto\, and has a BAA in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University). \n\n\n\n Dr. Angeline Yee\n \n \nDr. Angelina Yee is a trailblazing healthcare professional devoted to helping women transform midlife burnout into ageless vitality through her signature program\, Ageless Alchemy. She received her medical degree from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Family and Hospitalist Medicine.  Dr. Yee subsequently expanded her expertise by earning a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine from the University of Arizona. She has further advanced her knowledge through training in Functional Medicine with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and hormone optimization with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M)\, allowing her to provide a true science-backed integrative and holistic approach to women’s health. \n  \nDr. Yee is passionate about inspiring women to embrace midlife as a catalyst for renewal and growth. She believes that vitality is not defined by age but by mindset\, energy\, and intentional living. Her mission is to empower women to feel radiant\, resilient\, and confident as they redefine aging on their own terms. \nDr. Yee champions the belief that every woman’s well-being matters because what she brings to the world is invaluable. With her guidance\, women can reconnect with their authentic selves\, rediscover purpose\, and thrive with grace and vitality. \n\n \nCatherine Harrison\, M.Psych.\, P.C.C.\, is a Canadian musician\, mental health at work consultant\, leadership expert\, author\, certified executive coach\, scholar and advocate for inclusive and equitable well-being. Catherine aims to improve our collective mental health literacy and social fitness through education\, reducing stigma\, and facilitating open\, courageous conversations.She is currently leading the first-ever Canadian national study (Soundcheck) to quantify and more fully understand the unique mental health challenges faced by all members of the industry.  Catherine is a trusted advisor to several national and international non-profit music organizations and is president of Revelios\, helping cross-sector organizations create\, integrate\, measure and sustain meaningful human-centred leadership strategies\, including psychological safety. \n \nKinnie Starr has been blazing her own influential trail since 1996. She was nominated for a Juno in 2004 as Best New Artist. She is acknowledged as one of British Columbia’s Most Interesting People by the Royal British Museum of Victoria\, BC (2008) and earned a Juno Award as a producer on Digging Roots’ album\, We Are (2010). \nStarr is the published author and illustrator of How I Learned to Run\, House Of Parlance (2008) and is recognized as a Pioneer in Canadian Hip Hop by Manifesto Hip Hop Summit\, Toronto (2011). She co-wrote\, conceived of\, and executive produced the feature film\, Play Your Gender (2016)\, and has 8 studio albums under her belt. \n \nCatharine Saxberg is Vice President\, International Relations for SOCAN\,  responsible for leading SOCAN’s International team to maximise member royalties from partner performing rights organizations and managing SOCAN’s presence and role round the world. \nPrior to joining SOCAN eleven years ago\, Catharine has had a long career of leadership in music and radio\, including as Executive Director of the Canadian Music Publishers Association (CMPA\, now Music Publishers Canada)\, Executive Director of the Radio Starmaker Fund\, and Director of Marketing\, Canadian Broadcast Sales. Catharine has also served in a variety of other industry leadership roles\, including two terms on the Board of Directors of the International Confederation of Music Publishers\, two terms as Co-chair of ICMP’s pop bureau\, Co-chair of Canadian Music Week\, director with the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame\, a member of the Cultural Human Resources Council\, and as a member of the National Advisory Board of FACTOR. She is currently the Chair of the international Music Repertoire Group\, a committee of CISAC\, the international body representing creative collective rights management. \nCatharine is the co-founder of the Unison Fund\, a not for profit organization dedicated to supporting the music industry in times of crisis. As co-founder\, she served as a board member\, board chair and chair of the Allocations committee for the first ten years of the organisation’s existence. In addition\, she has served on boards of community organisations providing services to those in need\, and has co-sponsored a number of refugees to Canada. \nShe is ABD in History from York University\, earned an Honors BA in French and History and a Masters in History from the University of Toronto\, and has a BAA in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University). \n \nDr. Angelina Yee is a trailblazing healthcare professional devoted to helping women transform midlife burnout into ageless vitality through her signature program\, Ageless Alchemy. She received her medical degree from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Family and Hospitalist Medicine.  Dr. Yee subsequently expanded her expertise by earning a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine from the University of Arizona. She has further advanced her knowledge through training in Functional Medicine with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and hormone optimization with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M)\, allowing her to provide a true science-backed integrative and holistic approach to women’s health. \n  \nDr. Yee is passionate about inspiring women to embrace midlife as a catalyst for renewal and growth. She believes that vitality is not defined by age but by mindset\, energy\, and intentional living. Her mission is to empower women to feel radiant\, resilient\, and confident as they redefine aging on their own terms. \nDr. Yee champions the belief that every woman’s well-being matters because what she brings to the world is invaluable. With her guidance\, women can reconnect with their authentic selves\, rediscover purpose\, and thrive with grace and vitality. \n3:15 PM – 4:15 PM\nPANEL: Authentic Marketing and Real Connections\nIn today’s uncertain digital landscape\, leveraging data to personalize the fan experience is essential—but how can this be done while staying true to your artistry? This session will explore how to balance analytics-driven strategies with genuine storytelling to cultivate fan loyalty that lasts beyond a viral moment. \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Elise Milani\n \n \nElise Milani is an industry leader with over a decade of experience in the music business. She currently serves as the Head of Music Marketing at Monstercat\, one of North America’s leading independent electronic music labels. She oversees an ambitious schedule of 300 releases annually\, leading teams that work with global talent such as Alan Walker and Virtual Riot. \nBefore Monstercat\, Elise served as Senior Artist & Operations Manager at 2+2 Management\, where she managed and helped develop with award-winning Canadian artists like REZZ\, Zeds Dead\, and Keys N Krates. \nElise also chairs the Dance Recording of the Year committee for the JUNO Awards\, celebrating and supporting exceptional Canadian talent. \n\n\n\n Hallie Anderson\n \n \nHallie 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. \n\n\n\n Shantel Noel\n \n \n Shantel Noel is a music industry powerhouse dedicated to elevating artists and amplifying culture. As an Artist & Label Partnerships Manager at Spotify\, she has helped put Canadian music on the global stage while fostering deep connections within the industry. \nHer passion for storytelling and brand partnerships has led her to collaborate with major brands such as Nike\, ASICS\, Converse\, and Bumble. She has also worked behind the scenes at OVO Fest\, supporting some of the most sought-after artists in the world. \nBeyond partnerships\, Shantel has a background in public relations and journalism\, where she has championed both rising stars and industry icons. With every project\, she’s shaping the future of music—one artist\, one story\, and one unforgettable campaign at a time.  \n\n\n\n Brooke Morgan\n \n \nBrooke Morgan is a Toronto-based “music suit\,” for lack of a better term\, wearing a number of hats in the industry. Brooke is part of the wonderful music distribution team at The Orchard acting as Senior Manager of Artist & Label Services. In this role she works with a wide range of clients such as Glassnote Records\, Dine Alone Records\, R&B artist Dylan Sinclair\, and rising singer-songwriter Billianne. Brooke brings her previous experience as Label Director at Paper Bag Records to this role and to the development of the independent record label Wavy Haze Records. And to add one final music hat\, Brooke has delved into the world of artist management\, having previously worked with the acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer and indie duo Ice Cream. \n\n\n\n Tara Barnes\n \n \nTara Barnes is a passionate artist manager\, marketer\, and storyteller dedicated to amplifying diverse voices in music\, film\, television\, and social media. As a queer settler-ally\, she founded Thunderhaus\, a management company focused on brand-building\, digital marketing and representation. She manages breakout singer Tia Wood (nominated for WIM Artist of the Year) and a dynamic roster of Indigenous creators and artists. \nWith over a decade in marketing\, Tara served as VP of Marketing for Indigenous-owned Manitobah Mukluks\, helping build the brand into an industry leader. Her work encompassed all marketing\, community-building\, digital and retail\, contributing to Manitobah’s recognition on the GROWTH 500 list of Canada’s fastest-growing companies for five consecutive years and its placement among Canada’s 150 Most Iconic Brands of all time.  \nGuided by an education in fine arts and engineering\, Tara brings a visual and digital-first approach to modern brand-building. She empowers artists and founders to shape their unique stories around their art\, community and impact. She is dedicated to helping artists become entrepreneurs\, equipping them with the teams\, tools and strategies to build sustainable\, long-term careers in the arts. Her contributions to business and media earned her a 40 Under 40 Award for excellence from the Ottawa Business Journal.  \n\n\n\n Dreyuh Safo\n \n \nDreyuh is a dynamic and results-driven Senior Marketing Executive with over 10 years of experience in music business\, specializing in marketing\, brand development\, and creative strategy. A proven leader with a track record of driving high-impact marketing initiatives that elevate artist visibility\, increase audience engagement\, and accelerate brand growth. Expert in developing and executing innovative\, data-driven strategies across digital platforms\, social media\, and influencer partnerships. Highly skilled in leading cross-functional teams\, managing high-profile releases\, and optimizing campaigns to exceed organizational objectives. \nAdept at forming strategic alliances with key industry stakeholders\, including social platforms\, influencers\, and DSPs\, to amplify brand presence and create meaningful fan connections. Known for providing visionary leadership\, fostering a collaborative\, solution-oriented team culture\, and delivering results in fast-paced\, high-pressure environments. \n\n \nElise Milani is an industry leader with over a decade of experience in the music business. She currently serves as the Head of Music Marketing at Monstercat\, one of North America’s leading independent electronic music labels. She oversees an ambitious schedule of 300 releases annually\, leading teams that work with global talent such as Alan Walker and Virtual Riot. \nBefore Monstercat\, Elise served as Senior Artist & Operations Manager at 2+2 Management\, where she managed and helped develop with award-winning Canadian artists like REZZ\, Zeds Dead\, and Keys N Krates. \nElise also chairs the Dance Recording of the Year committee for the JUNO Awards\, celebrating and supporting exceptional Canadian talent. \n \nHallie 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. \n \n Shantel Noel is a music industry powerhouse dedicated to elevating artists and amplifying culture. As an Artist & Label Partnerships Manager at Spotify\, she has helped put Canadian music on the global stage while fostering deep connections within the industry. \nHer passion for storytelling and brand partnerships has led her to collaborate with major brands such as Nike\, ASICS\, Converse\, and Bumble. She has also worked behind the scenes at OVO Fest\, supporting some of the most sought-after artists in the world. \nBeyond partnerships\, Shantel has a background in public relations and journalism\, where she has championed both rising stars and industry icons. With every project\, she’s shaping the future of music—one artist\, one story\, and one unforgettable campaign at a time.  \n \nBrooke Morgan is a Toronto-based “music suit\,” for lack of a better term\, wearing a number of hats in the industry. Brooke is part of the wonderful music distribution team at The Orchard acting as Senior Manager of Artist & Label Services. In this role she works with a wide range of clients such as Glassnote Records\, Dine Alone Records\, R&B artist Dylan Sinclair\, and rising singer-songwriter Billianne. Brooke brings her previous experience as Label Director at Paper Bag Records to this role and to the development of the independent record label Wavy Haze Records. And to add one final music hat\, Brooke has delved into the world of artist management\, having previously worked with the acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer and indie duo Ice Cream. \n \nTara Barnes is a passionate artist manager\, marketer\, and storyteller dedicated to amplifying diverse voices in music\, film\, television\, and social media. As a queer settler-ally\, she founded Thunderhaus\, a management company focused on brand-building\, digital marketing and representation. She manages breakout singer Tia Wood (nominated for WIM Artist of the Year) and a dynamic roster of Indigenous creators and artists. \nWith over a decade in marketing\, Tara served as VP of Marketing for Indigenous-owned Manitobah Mukluks\, helping build the brand into an industry leader. Her work encompassed all marketing\, community-building\, digital and retail\, contributing to Manitobah’s recognition on the GROWTH 500 list of Canada’s fastest-growing companies for five consecutive years and its placement among Canada’s 150 Most Iconic Brands of all time.  \nGuided by an education in fine arts and engineering\, Tara brings a visual and digital-first approach to modern brand-building. She empowers artists and founders to shape their unique stories around their art\, community and impact. She is dedicated to helping artists become entrepreneurs\, equipping them with the teams\, tools and strategies to build sustainable\, long-term careers in the arts. Her contributions to business and media earned her a 40 Under 40 Award for excellence from the Ottawa Business Journal.  \n \nDreyuh is a dynamic and results-driven Senior Marketing Executive with over 10 years of experience in music business\, specializing in marketing\, brand development\, and creative strategy. A proven leader with a track record of driving high-impact marketing initiatives that elevate artist visibility\, increase audience engagement\, and accelerate brand growth. Expert in developing and executing innovative\, data-driven strategies across digital platforms\, social media\, and influencer partnerships. Highly skilled in leading cross-functional teams\, managing high-profile releases\, and optimizing campaigns to exceed organizational objectives. \nAdept at forming strategic alliances with key industry stakeholders\, including social platforms\, influencers\, and DSPs\, to amplify brand presence and create meaningful fan connections. Known for providing visionary leadership\, fostering a collaborative\, solution-oriented team culture\, and delivering results in fast-paced\, high-pressure environments. \n3:15 PM – 4:15 PM\nSONGWRITERS IN THE ROUND\nJoin us for intimate performances by four incredible women and gender-diverse artists as they share songs of empowerment\, resilience\, and transformation. Hear firsthand how songwriting has helped them navigate life’s challenges and rise above adversity. \nHosted by the dynamic multidisciplinary artist Kinnie Starr\, the event will feature powerful performances from spoken word and hip-hop artist Kimmortal\, up-and-coming singer-songwriter Kyra Daniel\, and genre-hopping powerhouse Nyssa. \nDoors to TD Music Hall open at 3:30 PM so feel free to come and network with attendees before and after the show! \nDAY 2 – March 5\, 2025\n9:30 AM – 10:30 AM\nPANEL: NAVIGATING AI\nExplore what the future of the music industry looks like with AI and the impact it will make on artists and the industry as a whole. \nPRESENTED BY CFM \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Dusty Kelly\n \n \nDusty Kelly’s early experiences in the film and television industry shaped her into a tireless advocate for workers’ rights and fair treatment. During her 20+ years at IATSE Local 891\, she navigated the complexities of labour relations\, developing a deep commitment to ensuring those behind the scenes received the respect and protection they deserved. As she took on increasingly pivotal roles\, Dusty became known for her ability to turn every situation into an opportunity for improvement—constantly pushing to enhance working conditions\, safety\, and opportunities for all. \nNow serving as the Executive Director of the Toronto Musicians’ Association\, Dusty leads over 3\,000 musicians in one of North America’s most vibrant cultural hubs. Her extensive background in labour relations informs her leadership as she advocates for fair wages\, collective agreements\, and the rights of Toronto’s musicians. Her personal connection to the challenges musicians face—the uncertainty of gigs\, the demand for fair compensation\, and the need for community support—fuels her commitment to creating a better future for her members. \nBeyond her work with the TMA\, Dusty’s influence spans the wider arts community. In 2023\, she was elected to the International Executive Board of the American Federation of Musicians\, where she continues to fight for the rights of artists on a broader stage. She served as a trustee on the IATSE 891 Health Benefits Plan and on several other boards\, including the BC Lottery Corporation and Performing Arts Lodges Vancouver\, always bringing her relentless drive for improvement and fairness to every role. \nDusty’s career is a testament to her belief in the power of collective action and her passion for making the creative industry more inclusive and supportive. Whether advocating for workers at the bargaining table or mentoring the next generation of industry professionals\, she approaches every challenge with empathy\, determination\, and a vision for constant improvement. For Dusty\, it’s never just about solving problems—it’s about leaving every situation better than she found it. \n\n\n\n Aileen Crowley\n \n \nAileen Crowley is a Partner at Lark42 and Co-President of Sureel AI. Aileen has a record of success developing new business models in the music industry. Which includes DigSin\, a new model record label\, and DigMark\, the industry’s first playlist promotion company. Crowley also established the first global streaming team at Universal Music Group. In 2025\, as Co-President of Sureel AI\, Aileen is focusing on AI attribution solutions for the music industry. Aileen has been recognized on the Billboard 40 under 40 list. And has spoken on industry panels internationally. Aileen’s breadth of experience from artist management to music startup to major label\, positions her in a unique way to help artists and the industry adopt new ideas in an ever evolving business. \n\n\n\n Robyn McMurdy\n \n \nRobyn McMurdy is a Manager on the Account Management team at Wavo.me. She joined Wavo after graduating from Queen’s University in 2021\, initially as a Media Analyst. While at Wavo\, she’s had the pleasure of working on major releases across a wide variety of genres\, including Jungkook’s GOLDEN and KAROL G’s Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season). Robyn got her start in music marketing while in undergrad at the campus radio station and continues to be a CanCon stan. \n\n\n\n Julia Werneburg\n \n \nJulia Werneburg is legal counsel to the Society of Composers\, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). She has over a decade of experience as an intellectual property lawyer protecting creator rights. In that time\, she has acted as in-house counsel to two national copyright collectives and in private practice at a leading international law firm.    \n\n\n\n Sandra Woo\n \n \nSandra is an A&R Manager at Snafu Records based in Stockholm\, Sweden. With a keen ear for emerging talent\, she leverages AI driven insights to scout\, fund\, and develop the next generation of artists. Before transitioning into the music industry\, Sandra spent five years in corporate banking and financial technology. Her background brings a unique perspective to artist development\, blending financial acumen with creative vision. \nOutside of her A&R role\, Sandra is a DJ\, giving her firsthand insight into the artist’s journey and the evolving soundscape of the industry. With a deep understanding of the business and musical aspects of the industry\, she is dedicated to shaping the future of music.  \n\n \nDusty Kelly’s early experiences in the film and television industry shaped her into a tireless advocate for workers’ rights and fair treatment. During her 20+ years at IATSE Local 891\, she navigated the complexities of labour relations\, developing a deep commitment to ensuring those behind the scenes received the respect and protection they deserved. As she took on increasingly pivotal roles\, Dusty became known for her ability to turn every situation into an opportunity for improvement—constantly pushing to enhance working conditions\, safety\, and opportunities for all. \nNow serving as the Executive Director of the Toronto Musicians’ Association\, Dusty leads over 3\,000 musicians in one of North America’s most vibrant cultural hubs. Her extensive background in labour relations informs her leadership as she advocates for fair wages\, collective agreements\, and the rights of Toronto’s musicians. Her personal connection to the challenges musicians face—the uncertainty of gigs\, the demand for fair compensation\, and the need for community support—fuels her commitment to creating a better future for her members. \nBeyond her work with the TMA\, Dusty’s influence spans the wider arts community. In 2023\, she was elected to the International Executive Board of the American Federation of Musicians\, where she continues to fight for the rights of artists on a broader stage. She served as a trustee on the IATSE 891 Health Benefits Plan and on several other boards\, including the BC Lottery Corporation and Performing Arts Lodges Vancouver\, always bringing her relentless drive for improvement and fairness to every role. \nDusty’s career is a testament to her belief in the power of collective action and her passion for making the creative industry more inclusive and supportive. Whether advocating for workers at the bargaining table or mentoring the next generation of industry professionals\, she approaches every challenge with empathy\, determination\, and a vision for constant improvement. For Dusty\, it’s never just about solving problems—it’s about leaving every situation better than she found it. \n \nAileen Crowley is a Partner at Lark42 and Co-President of Sureel AI. Aileen has a record of success developing new business models in the music industry. Which includes DigSin\, a new model record label\, and DigMark\, the industry’s first playlist promotion company. Crowley also established the first global streaming team at Universal Music Group. In 2025\, as Co-President of Sureel AI\, Aileen is focusing on AI attribution solutions for the music industry. Aileen has been recognized on the Billboard 40 under 40 list. And has spoken on industry panels internationally. Aileen’s breadth of experience from artist management to music startup to major label\, positions her in a unique way to help artists and the industry adopt new ideas in an ever evolving business. \n \nRobyn McMurdy is a Manager on the Account Management team at Wavo.me. She joined Wavo after graduating from Queen’s University in 2021\, initially as a Media Analyst. While at Wavo\, she’s had the pleasure of working on major releases across a wide variety of genres\, including Jungkook’s GOLDEN and KAROL G’s Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season). Robyn got her start in music marketing while in undergrad at the campus radio station and continues to be a CanCon stan. \n \nJulia Werneburg is legal counsel to the Society of Composers\, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN). She has over a decade of experience as an intellectual property lawyer protecting creator rights. In that time\, she has acted as in-house counsel to two national copyright collectives and in private practice at a leading international law firm.    \n \nSandra is an A&R Manager at Snafu Records based in Stockholm\, Sweden. With a keen ear for emerging talent\, she leverages AI driven insights to scout\, fund\, and develop the next generation of artists. Before transitioning into the music industry\, Sandra spent five years in corporate banking and financial technology. Her background brings a unique perspective to artist development\, blending financial acumen with creative vision. \nOutside of her A&R role\, Sandra is a DJ\, giving her firsthand insight into the artist’s journey and the evolving soundscape of the industry. With a deep understanding of the business and musical aspects of the industry\, she is dedicated to shaping the future of music.  \n10:00 AM – 11:45 AM\nWORKSHOP: KNOW YOUR WORTH- CHARGING WHAT YOU DESERVE\nThis workshop equips creators and entrepreneurs with the tools they need to make effective rate-setting decisions that maximize profitability. Discover alternative payment methods and gain the confidence to articulate your unique selling points\, ensuring you bill all hours effectively. \nPRESENTED BY CIMA \n*Please note workshops will not be livestreamed \n \n SIGN UP HERE\n \n \nWORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR:\n\n\n The Thoughtful Co.\n \n \nThe Thoughtful Co.™ supports women in negotiating their compensation\, and advises employers on improving gender equity in the workplace. \nJillian Climie\, Co-Founder (she/her)​Jillian Climie\, Co-Founder of The Thoughtful Co.\, has spent her career advising and leading teams in executive compensation and corporate governance\, both as a consultant\, and in-house at two global retailers. Most recently at Lululemon\, she led the global equity compensation and executive compensation programs. After taking a pause\, she realized she wanted more of three things in her professional life: thoroughness\, passion and freedom. She Co-Founded The Thoughtful Co so she can leverage her niche experience to empower women to get paid what they deserve\, and to build more inclusive workplaces. \n\n \nThe Thoughtful Co.™ supports women in negotiating their compensation\, and advises employers on improving gender equity in the workplace. \nJillian Climie\, Co-Founder (she/her)​Jillian Climie\, Co-Founder of The Thoughtful Co.\, has spent her career advising and leading teams in executive compensation and corporate governance\, both as a consultant\, and in-house at two global retailers. Most recently at Lululemon\, she led the global equity compensation and executive compensation programs. After taking a pause\, she realized she wanted more of three things in her professional life: thoroughness\, passion and freedom. She Co-Founded The Thoughtful Co so she can leverage her niche experience to empower women to get paid what they deserve\, and to build more inclusive workplaces. \n10:45 AM – 12:00 PM\nPANEL – Road Ready : Tour Smarter\, Not Harder\nTouring is a necessary but arduous process. This panel will discuss everything from effective strategic tour planning to preparation and budgeting to best on the road practices and tips for maximizing revenue. \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Gabrielle Roubaine\n \nGabrielle is an agent of change. As a performing artist who opened for acts like Mos Def & Snoop Dogg\, she found support was lacking for Black female hip hop artists. This became the catalyst for a career path on the business side of the industry. She’s since managed Remix Project alumnae\, Honee Haye\, acted as Marketing Director of #BigTicket – a curated monthly live music event for the hip hop community showcasing artists like Junior-T\, Haviah Mighty & Maestro Fresh Wes.Her company Rubaine Consulting Co. is a strategic branding and artist development powerhouse proudly working behind the scenes to help empower the next gen of artists. She has helped usher in systematic change within the Canadian music industry curating the online hip hop radio show\, “Queens of the Game” for female identifying talent (2014-2017) where she received the “Women in Media” International Women’s Achiever Award. Founded the 3 day INT’L Women’s Day Music Summit for creators in the hip hop\, reggae\, pop\, and indigenous music genres with acts such as Aphrose\, LU Kala\, TRP.P\, Xentury Sam\, Kara Jade\, Denise Dion(2017 -2021) As the first of its kind in Toronto it aimed to provide a safe space\, educational programming such as grant writing workshops and conversations such as “moms In music” and providing showcasing opportunities for marginalized communities. \nGabrielle worked at FACTOR in a variety of roles all focusing on outreach and diversity – implementing initiatives that continue to this day. She was Chair of Membership for ADVANCE Music Canada 2022-2023\, is currently Outreach Director for MMF Canada and is the proud mother of two boys aged 6 and 17 years old.She has since facilitated independent songwriting camps for upcoming artists at the JUNOS for 3 years in a row with artists such Blk Orchid\, Rooky & Apryll Aileen and is currently the proud co-founder of The Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurial Society Hub (FLESH) providing educational advancement of financial literacy and entrepreneurship for creatives and small business owners who identify as Women\, Black\, POC or 2SLGBTQIA+. \n\n\n\n Kathleen Reid\n \n \nKathleen has always had a passion for live music\, starting her career in Halifax NS\, booking shows for Dalhousie University. Since then she has gained invaluable experience working at The Feldman Agency in Toronto ON for the last 8 years. Today as Agent and Managing Director\, she works with notable acts like Allison Russell\, Tom Morello\, Devon Cole\, The Blue Stone and many more. This year she signed several internationally acclaimed artists Hollow Coves\, Lu Kala\, and Alicia Moffet. While developing her roster\, she is also the head of touring and festivals for the East Coast of Canada\, as well as international Campus bookings. \nAs Managing Director at TFA\, Kathleen works on internal staff development and hiring\, focusing on coaching and bettering the administrative team. She is a contributing member of the management team TFA furthering the future success of the company. \n\n\n\n Elise Roller\n \n \n Elise Roller is the founder and CEO of multi-award-winning Misfit Music Inc.\, a Winnipeg-based artist development and management company\, and umbrella of the newly launched Odd Doll Records.\nMisfit’s full-time roster aims to prioritize\, motivate\, develop\, and amplify the voices of equity-seeking artists while their Artist Evolution program provides accessible\, holistic mentorship\, and empowers music creators with confidence\, strategies\, and networks necessary to manage their own careers.\nActively involved in the global music scene since 2008 as an artist\, tour manager\, stage manager\, Pride festival stage producer\, and Industry Development Coordinator at Manitoba Music\, Roller excels at fostering artist development and building strategic industry connections.\nShe’s a social butterfly\, master networker\, and has an innate ability to connect with anyone and everyone. Her passion to support\, inspire\, and show appreciation for music creators has positioned her as a beloved leader and mentor within the global music community.\n \n\n\n Jen Ochej\n \n \n Jen Ochej stumbled into tour management by accident. Sticking up her hand to pitch in for local musicians on the East Coast turned into an award-nominated music blog\, which turned into a gig as publicist for In the Dead of Winter Festival\, which led to a series of fortuitous conversations with Basia Bulat\, Jim Bryson\, and Kathleen Edwards\, and before she knew it she was interning at Eggplant Entertainment\, a Toronto-based music management company whose roster included artists like The Tragically Hip\, Sam Roberts Band\, Sarah Harmer\, Hannah Georgas\, and more. She’s still not entirely sure how it all happened but she wouldn’t change a thing.After her internship Jen dove headfirst into live music as a Tour Manager and has spent the better part of the last decade 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 TM’s\, DIY artists\, and everyone in between.You can find Jen on Instagram @jenochej\, and on her website at jenochej.com. Born in Kingston and raised on Air Force bases across Canada\, Jen currently lives outside Amsterdam.\n \n\n\n Denise De’ion\n \n \nDenise De’ion is a Juno Award-winning Producer\, Artist\, and Songwriter\, crafting a genre-blending sound rooted in R&B\, Soul\, Pop\, Caribbean\, and Hip Hop — but truly\, it’s a vibe of its own. She produced on Haviah Mighty’s Juno-winning album Stock Exchange (2022) and was selected for Bacardi’s Music Liberates Music campaign (2021)\, where she collaborated with Boi-1da to release the NFT single “Juice.” Her music has been featured in commercials for Bulleit Whiskey and TV shows like Ginny & Georgia and Kim’s Convenience. \n\nGabrielle is an agent of change. As a performing artist who opened for acts like Mos Def & Snoop Dogg\, she found support was lacking for Black female hip hop artists. This became the catalyst for a career path on the business side of the industry. She’s since managed Remix Project alumnae\, Honee Haye\, acted as Marketing Director of #BigTicket – a curated monthly live music event for the hip hop community showcasing artists like Junior-T\, Haviah Mighty & Maestro Fresh Wes.Her company Rubaine Consulting Co. is a strategic branding and artist development powerhouse proudly working behind the scenes to help empower the next gen of artists. She has helped usher in systematic change within the Canadian music industry curating the online hip hop radio show\, “Queens of the Game” for female identifying talent (2014-2017) where she received the “Women in Media” International Women’s Achiever Award. Founded the 3 day INT’L Women’s Day Music Summit for creators in the hip hop\, reggae\, pop\, and indigenous music genres with acts such as Aphrose\, LU Kala\, TRP.P\, Xentury Sam\, Kara Jade\, Denise Dion(2017 -2021) As the first of its kind in Toronto it aimed to provide a safe space\, educational programming such as grant writing workshops and conversations such as “moms In music” and providing showcasing opportunities for marginalized communities. \nGabrielle worked at FACTOR in a variety of roles all focusing on outreach and diversity – implementing initiatives that continue to this day. She was Chair of Membership for ADVANCE Music Canada 2022-2023\, is currently Outreach Director for MMF Canada and is the proud mother of two boys aged 6 and 17 years old.She has since facilitated independent songwriting camps for upcoming artists at the JUNOS for 3 years in a row with artists such Blk Orchid\, Rooky & Apryll Aileen and is currently the proud co-founder of The Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurial Society Hub (FLESH) providing educational advancement of financial literacy and entrepreneurship for creatives and small business owners who identify as Women\, Black\, POC or 2SLGBTQIA+. \n \nKathleen has always had a passion for live music\, starting her career in Halifax NS\, booking shows for Dalhousie University. Since then she has gained invaluable experience working at The Feldman Agency in Toronto ON for the last 8 years. Today as Agent and Managing Director\, she works with notable acts like Allison Russell\, Tom Morello\, Devon Cole\, The Blue Stone and many more. This year she signed several internationally acclaimed artists Hollow Coves\, Lu Kala\, and Alicia Moffet. While developing her roster\, she is also the head of touring and festivals for the East Coast of Canada\, as well as international Campus bookings. \nAs Managing Director at TFA\, Kathleen works on internal staff development and hiring\, focusing on coaching and bettering the administrative team. She is a contributing member of the management team TFA furthering the future success of the company. \n \n Elise Roller is the founder and CEO of multi-award-winning Misfit Music Inc.\, a Winnipeg-based artist development and management company\, and umbrella of the newly launched Odd Doll Records.\nMisfit’s full-time roster aims to prioritize\, motivate\, develop\, and amplify the voices of equity-seeking artists while their Artist Evolution program provides accessible\, holistic mentorship\, and empowers music creators with confidence\, strategies\, and networks necessary to manage their own careers.\nActively involved in the global music scene since 2008 as an artist\, tour manager\, stage manager\, Pride festival stage producer\, and Industry Development Coordinator at Manitoba Music\, Roller excels at fostering artist development and building strategic industry connections.\nShe’s a social butterfly\, master networker\, and has an innate ability to connect with anyone and everyone. Her passion to support\, inspire\, and show appreciation for music creators has positioned her as a beloved leader and mentor within the global music community.\n \n Jen Ochej stumbled into tour management by accident. Sticking up her hand to pitch in for local musicians on the East Coast turned into an award-nominated music blog\, which turned into a gig as publicist for In the Dead of Winter Festival\, which led to a series of fortuitous conversations with Basia Bulat\, Jim Bryson\, and Kathleen Edwards\, and before she knew it she was interning at Eggplant Entertainment\, a Toronto-based music management company whose roster included artists like The Tragically Hip\, Sam Roberts Band\, Sarah Harmer\, Hannah Georgas\, and more. She’s still not entirely sure how it all happened but she wouldn’t change a thing.After her internship Jen dove headfirst into live music as a Tour Manager and has spent the better part of the last decade 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 TM’s\, DIY artists\, and everyone in between.You can find Jen on Instagram @jenochej\, and on her website at jenochej.com. Born in Kingston and raised on Air Force bases across Canada\, Jen currently lives outside Amsterdam.\n \nDenise De’ion is a Juno Award-winning Producer\, Artist\, and Songwriter\, crafting a genre-blending sound rooted in R&B\, Soul\, Pop\, Caribbean\, and Hip Hop — but truly\, it’s a vibe of its own. She produced on Haviah Mighty’s Juno-winning album Stock Exchange (2022) and was selected for Bacardi’s Music Liberates Music campaign (2021)\, where she collaborated with Boi-1da to release the NFT single “Juice.” Her music has been featured in commercials for Bulleit Whiskey and TV shows like Ginny & Georgia and Kim’s Convenience. \n1:00 PM – 2:00 PM\nLEADERSHIP INSPIRATION SERIES:\nExecutive roles in the music industry continue to see far less women and gender diverse leaders. However\,it is with change at a leadership level that we can make sustainable change in the culture of a company. In an interactive conversation\, Sharon Hinds\, the Revenue Operations Manager of Rogers Sports and Media\, and Annie Cantin Label Leader at Believe will share insight on their career paths\, their successes and how they both have come to their career successes. Learn what drives them\, what they are proud of and why they prioritize a work culture that celebrates equity and diversity and gives back to the music community. And maybe what’s next in their trajectory. \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n Sharon Hinds\n \n \nSharon Hinds is a seasoned thought leader with over a decade of experience across multiple industries – specializing in project management\, organizational development\, and philanthropy. Originally from Guyana\, South America\, Sharon’s global perspective has shaped her career with a steadfast belief in the power of diversity and collaboration. \nHer impressive career highlights include being the first Black woman appointed to the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) board and launching operational teams for several niche broadcasting radio formats.  \nSharon’s leadership extends to her previous board roles with Women in Film and Television (WIFT+) and receiving recognition for 2024’s Women in Communications & Technology Leadership Trailblazer Award and 2020 Award Recipient as one of Canada’s Accomplished Black Women ( ABC) for Leadership in Community Philanthropy initiatives.  \nSharon has consistently demonstrated the ability to bridge cultural gaps fostering environments where diverse voices are not only heard but celebrated. \nSharon currently works at Rogers Sports & Media as a Revenue Operations Manager. \n\n\n\n Annie Cantin\n \n \n Annie Cantin has spent almost four decades immersed in the world of music\, blending her passion for the industry with a sharp business acumen. Starting out in record retail at iconic stores like HMV\, she developed a deep understanding of music consumption and merchandising. Her career then evolved into music distribution\, where she worked with companies such as BMG\, DEP Distribution\, Outside Music Distribution\, and now Believe\, playing a key role in bringing artists’ work to wider audiences.As a woman in the music industry\, Annie has navigated an evolving landscape with resilience and determination\, carving out a space in label management\, marketing\, and business development. She has championed artists and labels while fostering strong industry relationships\, advocating for fair opportunities\, and driving sustainable growth. With a wealth of experience and deep industry insight\, she remains a dedicated force in shaping a more inclusive and forward-thinking music business.\n \n\n\n MODERATOR: Laura Holtebrinck\n \n \n Laura is the Manager\, Communications & Sponsorships at Music Publishers Canada (MPC). Laura is proud to be involved in MPC’s many initiatives\, especially its Women In The Studio National Accelerator\, which offers women\, gender fluid\, non-binary and gender non-conforming participants a series of curated workshops\, educational sessions\, and networking opportunities with music industry leaders\, as well as NXTGen\, MPC’s membership tier building community for the next generation of music publishers. Prior to MPC\, Laura worked in the music tech space for a number of years\, where she first began developing her interest in music publishing.  In addition to her work with MPC\, Laura is also the Manager\, Communications at the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC)\, advocating for making Canada’s private copying regime tech-neutral.\n \n \nSharon Hinds is a seasoned thought leader with over a decade of experience across multiple industries – specializing in project management\, organizational development\, and philanthropy. Originally from Guyana\, South America\, Sharon’s global perspective has shaped her career with a steadfast belief in the power of diversity and collaboration. \nHer impressive career highlights include being the first Black woman appointed to the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) board and launching operational teams for several niche broadcasting radio formats.  \nSharon’s leadership extends to her previous board roles with Women in Film and Television (WIFT+) and receiving recognition for 2024’s Women in Communications & Technology Leadership Trailblazer Award and 2020 Award Recipient as one of Canada’s Accomplished Black Women ( ABC) for Leadership in Community Philanthropy initiatives.  \nSharon has consistently demonstrated the ability to bridge cultural gaps fostering environments where diverse voices are not only heard but celebrated. \nSharon currently works at Rogers Sports & Media as a Revenue Operations Manager. \n \n Annie Cantin has spent almost four decades immersed in the world of music\, blending her passion for the industry with a sharp business acumen. Starting out in record retail at iconic stores like HMV\, she developed a deep understanding of music consumption and merchandising. Her career then evolved into music distribution\, where she worked with companies such as BMG\, DEP Distribution\, Outside Music Distribution\, and now Believe\, playing a key role in bringing artists’ work to wider audiences.As a woman in the music industry\, Annie has navigated an evolving landscape with resilience and determination\, carving out a space in label management\, marketing\, and business development. She has championed artists and labels while fostering strong industry relationships\, advocating for fair opportunities\, and driving sustainable growth. With a wealth of experience and deep industry insight\, she remains a dedicated force in shaping a more inclusive and forward-thinking music business.\n \n Laura is the Manager\, Communications & Sponsorships at Music Publishers Canada (MPC). Laura is proud to be involved in MPC’s many initiatives\, especially its Women In The Studio National Accelerator\, which offers women\, gender fluid\, non-binary and gender non-conforming participants a series of curated workshops\, educational sessions\, and networking opportunities with music industry leaders\, as well as NXTGen\, MPC’s membership tier building community for the next generation of music publishers. Prior to MPC\, Laura worked in the music tech space for a number of years\, where she first began developing her interest in music publishing.  In addition to her work with MPC\, Laura is also the Manager\, Communications at the Canadian Private Copying Collective (CPCC)\, advocating for making Canada’s private copying regime tech-neutral. \n2:15 PM – 4:15 PM\nPANEL: Global Development Case Studies: Latin America\nExecutive roles in the music industry continue to see far less women and gender diverse leaders. However\,it is with change at a leadership level that we can make sustainable change in the culture of a company. In an interactive conversation\, Sharon Hinds\, the Revenue Operations Manager of Rogers Sports and Media\, and Annie Cantin Label Leader at Believe will share insight on their career paths\, their successes and how they both have come to their career successes. Learn what drives them\, what they are proud of and why they prioritize a work culture that celebrates equity and diversity and gives back to the music community. And maybe what’s next in their trajectory. \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Mercedes Caxaj\n \n \nMercedes Caxaj is the Artistic Co-Director for Sunfest-London Committee for Cross Cultural Arts\, which presents thoughtful\, innovative global arts programming in London\, Ontario\, and works collectively with national and international organizations. \nIn addition\, Mercedes has served as a jury member and panellist for both national and international music meetings\, conferences and major granting agencies where she discusses artistic programming\, community program development\, cultural advocacy and strategy\, and prioritizing representation. \nMercedes serves as a board member of Tourism London (London\, Canada)\, the Association for Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)(Washington\, DC) and the Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto\, Canada). \n\n\n\n Adel Hattem\, DMusicMarketing\n \n \nAdel Hattem is the CEO and Founder of DMusicMarketing\, an agency that develops both non-latin and latin talent in the Latin American market. Based in Miami and across Latin America\, DMM offers efficient\, dynamic and all-encompassing solutions to its clients in order to overcome and conquer the intricacies of the region. \nA bicultural marketing specialist with 25+ years of experience in the music industry\, Adel Hattem held senior positions with industry giants before founding DMM in 2013. She worked as Marketing Director for Universal Music Mexico\, \nVice President of Marketing for Latin America at EMI and Marketing Manager at BMG Entertainment. While working with the majors\, Adel helped develop and set a footprint in the market for talent such as Arctic Monkeys\, Placebo\, Coldplay\, Robbie Williams\, David Guetta\, Norah Jones\, and Katy Perry\, among others. \nWith DMM she now works with renowned labels like the Beggars Group\, Domino Recordings\, Ultra\, and the Secretly Group\, and has a diverse portfolio of artists such as Mitski\, Björk\, Laufey\, Idles\, Radiohead\, Helado Negro\, Ela Minus\, The XX\, Bon Iver\, Interpol\, Arca\, Steve Aoki and Jungle among others. DMM has seen exponential growth in the last couple of years with a local team in Mexico\, Brazil\, Colombia\, Uruguay\, Argentina\, Peru\, Ecuador\, and Miami. \n\n\n\n Daniela Santamaria Herran\n \n \nDaniela Santamaria is a seasoned music executive and growth marketing strategist with over eight years of experience shaping the global music industry. With a career spanning the U.S.\, Latin America\, and Spain\, she has collaborated with top-tier companies such as Live Nation\, Amuse\, and WK Records\, driving impactful strategies across digital marketing\, brand partnerships\, and artist development. \nAs the founder of Beyond Music\, Daniela leads strategy-driven digital campaigns and high-impact alliances for independent record labels\, artists\, and music businesses. Her expertise lies in Direct-to-Fan strategies and strategic partnerships\, pioneering innovative approaches that empower artists and brands to thrive in today’s fast-evolving music landscape. \nOriginally rooted in brand marketing\, Daniela transitioned into the music industry to merge her passion for music with cutting-edge digital growth strategies. Today\, she is a thought leader in music marketing and audience development\, frequently sharing insights as a speaker and mentor at industry conferences. Her work is dedicated to driving innovation\, fostering meaningful connections\, and shaping the future of the music business. \n\n\n\n Itzel González\n \n \nProfessional with over 18 years of experience in booking\, national and international talent management\, and mass entertainment\, specifically in concerts and festivals within OCESA\, the leading entertainment company in Mexico.Experience in concert promotion in venues such as halls\, theaters\, auditoriums\, arenas\, and stadiumswith Latin American rock artists\, as well as nationwide tours across Mexico.Expertise in talent coordination\, contracting\, follow-up\, promotional agreements\, and logisticaldevelopment with managers and musicians for various festivals. \nCurrent Festivals: \n\nVive Latino México\nTecate Pa´l Norte\nPulso GNP\nTecate Sonoro\nVive Latino España\nHera HSBC\n\n\n \nMercedes Caxaj is the Artistic Co-Director for Sunfest-London Committee for Cross Cultural Arts\, which presents thoughtful\, innovative global arts programming in London\, Ontario\, and works collectively with national and international organizations. \nIn addition\, Mercedes has served as a jury member and panellist for both national and international music meetings\, conferences and major granting agencies where she discusses artistic programming\, community program development\, cultural advocacy and strategy\, and prioritizing representation. \nMercedes serves as a board member of Tourism London (London\, Canada)\, the Association for Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)(Washington\, DC) and the Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto\, Canada). \n \nAdel Hattem is the CEO and Founder of DMusicMarketing\, an agency that develops both non-latin and latin talent in the Latin American market. Based in Miami and across Latin America\, DMM offers efficient\, dynamic and all-encompassing solutions to its clients in order to overcome and conquer the intricacies of the region. \nA bicultural marketing specialist with 25+ years of experience in the music industry\, Adel Hattem held senior positions with industry giants before founding DMM in 2013. She worked as Marketing Director for Universal Music Mexico\, \nVice President of Marketing for Latin America at EMI and Marketing Manager at BMG Entertainment. While working with the majors\, Adel helped develop and set a footprint in the market for talent such as Arctic Monkeys\, Placebo\, Coldplay\, Robbie Williams\, David Guetta\, Norah Jones\, and Katy Perry\, among others. \nWith DMM she now works with renowned labels like the Beggars Group\, Domino Recordings\, Ultra\, and the Secretly Group\, and has a diverse portfolio of artists such as Mitski\, Björk\, Laufey\, Idles\, Radiohead\, Helado Negro\, Ela Minus\, The XX\, Bon Iver\, Interpol\, Arca\, Steve Aoki and Jungle among others. DMM has seen exponential growth in the last couple of years with a local team in Mexico\, Brazil\, Colombia\, Uruguay\, Argentina\, Peru\, Ecuador\, and Miami. \n \nDaniela Santamaria is a seasoned music executive and growth marketing strategist with over eight years of experience shaping the global music industry. With a career spanning the U.S.\, Latin America\, and Spain\, she has collaborated with top-tier companies such as Live Nation\, Amuse\, and WK Records\, driving impactful strategies across digital marketing\, brand partnerships\, and artist development. \nAs the founder of Beyond Music\, Daniela leads strategy-driven digital campaigns and high-impact alliances for independent record labels\, artists\, and music businesses. Her expertise lies in Direct-to-Fan strategies and strategic partnerships\, pioneering innovative approaches that empower artists and brands to thrive in today’s fast-evolving music landscape. \nOriginally rooted in brand marketing\, Daniela transitioned into the music industry to merge her passion for music with cutting-edge digital growth strategies. Today\, she is a thought leader in music marketing and audience development\, frequently sharing insights as a speaker and mentor at industry conferences. Her work is dedicated to driving innovation\, fostering meaningful connections\, and shaping the future of the music business. \n \nProfessional with over 18 years of experience in booking\, national and international talent management\, and mass entertainment\, specifically in concerts and festivals within OCESA\, the leading entertainment company in Mexico.Experience in concert promotion in venues such as halls\, theaters\, auditoriums\, arenas\, and stadiumswith Latin American rock artists\, as well as nationwide tours across Mexico.Expertise in talent coordination\, contracting\, follow-up\, promotional agreements\, and logisticaldevelopment with managers and musicians for various festivals. \nCurrent Festivals: \n\nVive Latino México\nTecate Pa´l Norte\nPulso GNP\nTecate Sonoro\nVive Latino España\nHera HSBC\n\nLocation & Hotel\nEvent Location\nProgramming for both days will be held in Downtown Toronto at Allied Music Centre: \n178 Victoria St\,Toronto\, ONM5B 1T7 \nalliedmusiccentre.mhrth.com\n \nHotel\nTraveling from out of town? WIMC has partnered with The Anndore House to offer a discounted block of rooms for your convenience.  \nBook using this link  \nOr use the Group Code: G-MUSI URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/2025summit/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251109T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251109T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251109T070920Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251109T100245Z UID:10000023-1762675200-1762707600@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:2023 Honours Winners & Gallery DESCRIPTION:2023 WIM CANADA HONOURS GALLERY\n \n Photo Credits: Liz Beddall Photography URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/2023-honours-winners-gallery/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251108T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251108T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251108T052247Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T223230Z UID:10000021-1762588800-1762621200@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:2024 Honours Winners & Gallery DESCRIPTION:Meet the 2024 Honourees\n \nMeet the 2024 Women in Music Canada Honourees\n \nOrganization of the Year – Music Nova Scotia\n\nThis honour is given to a company making significant strides in equity in the workplace. Music Nova Scotia has demonstrated exceptional dedication to fostering the development of women and non-binary folks within the music industry. 83% of their team are women or gender diverse\, the organization’s events have had a positive impact on the local music community and since the pandemic\, have been a leader the provincial music industry by fighting for artist and industry support through increases in project grants\, bringing legacy events to their market\, presenting music focussed anti-oppression training\, developing a Builders Camp\, and Beyond the Board live sound project for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community\, and using resources whenever possible to elevate other community organizations to foster industry-wide growth. Their impact reaches far beyond its local community\, resonating with the broader mission of Women in Music Canada to create a more inclusive and equitable music industry. \n \n Read More\n \n \nExcellence in Live – Mira Silvers\, FORT Agency\nThe Excellence in Live Honour recognizes a music professional working in a live production or touring environment making significant impact in their field. Working with a global music roster of clients from Canada\, US\, United Kingdom\, India\, and Africa\, she has contributed to the careers of Cardi B\, Megan Thee Stallion\, Charli XCX\, Backxwash\, and more. She takes pride in creating a culture of cultivating a path for the next generation of music executives. mentoring and broadening opportunities for brilliant young music executives with a particular focus on those from marginalized and underserved communities. More recently she co-created FEMINAE NOX — a platform and program that seeks to prioritize equity for BIPOC+ women\, femme\, nonbinary folks working in and seeking to work in live music and nightlife\, both on and off the stage.  \n \n Read More\n \n \nChangemaker of the Year presented by the National Arts Centre – Erin Benjamin\nErin Benjamin has led the live music industry through the darkest period in its history with fierceness\, diplomacy\, and incredible empathy\, with industry members often citing her work as the reason their businesses survived. She has spearheaded research and advocacy for underserved communities in music\, led her team in professional development training programs for young leaders in Live Music careers\, and has been touted as the “patron saint” for the Live Music Industry\, for her unwavering passion and support. Erin has been a champion of Women her whole career\, and as a mentor\, has been a catalyst in the careers of many other Women in Music. \n \n Read More\n \n \nEntrepreneur of the Year presented by Believe and TuneCore – Lisa Patterson\n\nAn endorsee of YSL Pro\, Lisa Patterson is an award-winning music creator and entrepreneur who has been championing collaboration and inclusion across 3 continents for the past 25 years. At her LPM studio in Toronto\, Canada she works as a producer-engineer\, songwriter-musician\, string-horn arranger as well as running an innovative Artist Development Program whose successes include Warner Records signing Alex Frew & ISC semi-finalist Nova Carver-Cook. \nLisa specializes in electro-acoustic songwriting and sound design for Contemporary Pop\, Roots\, Folk\, Indigenous and cross-cultural artists. Recent release highlights include Alysha Brilla’s album Circle and two single co-prods with 2 X Juno-award winning Producer-Songwriter Michael Lantz (Charmaine\, Jazz Cartier). 2022 was a banner year for producing & co-writing indie released singles (5) and EPs (2). Currently she’s collaboratively producing & engineering a record with Juno & Polaris Prize winning Producer-Engineer Michael Wojewoda; formerly as an active recording & touring artist\, Lisa released 4 albums and 5 videos of original music – including a Top Ten charting single in The Benelux that garnered a Rough Trade European distribution deal. \nIn 2022 Lisa launched the Create Fearlessly brand to reflect her reputation for providing welcoming studio environment and empathetic vocal production for female\, queer\, BIPOC creatives: esteemed artists over the years include Elliot Page (piano coaching); Melissa Laveaux (No Format-Universal); Lido Pimienta (Polaris Prize winner); Calypso Rose (WOMEX 2016 Artist of the Year); Kale Reid (LGBTQ activist songwriter); Shanika Maria (indie rising star); Medicine Song Woman Brenda MacIntyre (Juno nominee); Lillian Allen (Juno winner). \nAn inclusionist trailblazer\, Lisa presented the first-ever Canadian music industry discussion panel of female & non-binary producers in 2017. Spring of 2018 she curated & moderated a first CMW gender inclusive producer panel\, followed in fall 2018 with H.E.R. studio Sound Production monthly series for women & non-binary audio workers. In 2019 Music Publishers Canada selected Lisa for their inaugural Women In The Studio Program. In 2022 Lisa co-created The Listening Party – a new public showcase series for underrepresented producers. \n \n Read More\n \n \nArtist of the Year presented by Amazon Music – The Beaches\nThis award recognizes an artist whose music demonstrates excellence with an exceptional year as a result of radio chart successes\, media exposure\, industry recognition\, and/or touring success. The Beaches\, Kylie\, Jordan\, Leandra\, Eliza\, have had an incredible breakthrough year. They have written and released the best album they’ve done in their 10-year careers\, “Blame My Ex”. Released independently through AWAL\, the lead single “Blame Brett” currently sits at 25million streams\, spent 15 weeks at #1 at alternative radio\, is currently #29 at Alternative Radio in America (and climbing)\, & in less than 6 months\, is already gold in Canada. This success has also translated to their live business\, selling out their worldwide tour in a matter of hours\, including Toronto’s Massey Hall x2 (5400 tickets)\, Vancouver’s Orpheum (2750 tickets)\, Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Music Hall x2 (1300 tickets)\, Los Angeles’s Troubador x2 (1000 tickets) & London\, UK’s Outernet (1300 tickets). All of the success came from the band finally being in control of their own destiny\, which is an absolute inspiration to young women in the industry. \n \n Read More\n \nInternational Leader of the Year – Maylee Todd\nMaylee Todd has produced and released a science fiction record “MALOO” in which she learned and built 3-D models and worlds that she motion tracked live. It was featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk as the first avatar performance and won the AIM award for best creative campaign in the UK. This performance was then showcased at The Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts in New York. More recently\, Maylee figured out how to use an EEG headband to read her brainwaves and then play her synthesizers live. She has now recorded a brain wave record that will tour this Spring in Japan\, Canada\, US and Philippines. She teaches and mentors women and non-binary professionals in tech and is typically the only female in ALOT of the spaces she excels in\, music\, comedy\, and tv. \n \n Read More\n \nRising Leader – Angie Randisi – Recording Engineer\n\nAngie has been making her mark in the global hip-hop scene as an in-demand audio engineer and was featured in the Spring 2022 issue of XXL magazine’s ‘Behind the Boards’ article. Her career took her to work on PARTYNEXTDOOR’s third album PARTYMOBILE\, debuting at #8 on the US Billboard 200 chart.   Angie was ranked in the Top 5 Woman Producers of 2021\, nominated for Forbes 30 Under 30 list\, and achieved a #1 single Billboard with Lil Baby and Nicki Minaj with hit Do We Have A Problem?. Angie now works full time as Grammy-winning artist Lil Baby’s main engineer. \n \n Read More\n \n \nRising Leader – Good + Plenty Producer’s Club\nThe Good + Plenty Producer’s Club is a space for Manitoba’s women\, 2Spirit\, and non-binary music producers and audio engineers to learn\, share\, encourage\, and grow. The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released in 2020 stated that less than 2% of producers in North America are women. This number is even smaller for 2Spirit and non-binary producers. In Winnipeg and Manitoba specifically\, there are very few women\, 2Spirit\, and non-binary producers and audio engineers working in the recording industry. The Good + Plenty Producer’s club seeks to be a safe place for gender minorities to interact (on Instagram and through our Facebook group) by sharing knowledge\, encouraging\, providing resources\, and supporting one another. The group will also be working as a collective to find ways to mentor the next generation of up-and-coming music producers. \n \n Read More\n \n \nRising Leader – Katrina Kernaghan – TikTok Canada Head of Music\nKatrina graduated from Western University with a Bachelor of Arts\, Honours Specialization in Media\, Information and Technoculture\, and an Honours Bachelor of Administration from the Ivey School of Business. She’s completed internships at Jeff Turner Entertainment Group\, Coastal Jazz\, and Corus Entertainment. Katrina acted as Head of Marketing for Wax Records\, an award winning independent record label\, for 3 years before joining the TikTok Canada team\, focusing on Record Label & Industry Partnerships. \nKat is always looking to try something new and push herself outside of her comfort zone. She believes that success comes from humility\, unrelenting curiosity\, and the constant pursuit of personal and professional growth. She takes pride in giving back to the music community\, and am currently a Factor Jury Member and a MusiCounts Delegate. \n \n Read More\n \n \nRising Leader – Seny Kassaye – FORT Agency\nSeny Kassaye is an Ethiopian-Guinean music touring agent at FORT Agency becoming one of the few Black female talent agents in Canada in history according to the Canadian Live Music Association. Seny is breaking barriers and is an exponentially rising star in music\, especially in live music. \nIn 2023 alone\, Seny was shortlisted as nominee for the prestigious Arthur Award for Young Executive of the Year 2023 in London\, UK at the International Live Music Conference\, a globally recognized and one of the biggest trade live music conference for agents\, agency\, and promoters. She was the only Canadian and only Black music executive to be nominated for this award globally this year. In Fall 2022\, Seny was also an honoree as the Top 20 Bosses of 2022 listed by IQ Magazine in London\, UK. \n \n Read More\n \n \nCareer Achievement Honour – Katrina Lopes – President of KL Management\nKatrina Lopes is the president of KL Management whose roster includes platinum selling\, Juno Award winning artist/producer Shawn Desman\, pop duo and production team RadioClub\, soul artist/film composer/Sephora collaborator TiKA\, and pop singer/songwriter/producer Kayla Diamond. \nTogether with its clients KL Management has garnered numerous accolades including MMVA Video of the Year\, Socan #1 Award\, Socan Pop Song of the Year\, as well as numerous platinum and gold certified singles. \nKL also executive produced the film “ALIVE” in partnership with MUCH which starred Shawn Desman\, Kaitlyn Leeb (Heartland)\, Melinda Shankar (Degrassi)\, and K.C. Collins (Lost Girl). The film was the cornerstone of an innovative campaign to promote Desman’s album of the same name. \nKL serves on the board for: Manifesto\, a youth arts organization that creates space (physical and digital) that inspires\, develops\, and amplifies diverse communities through arts\, culture and media; Music Managers Forum Canada (MMF); Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA); is a mentor with Femme it Forward\, a female-led music and entertainment company and joint venture with Live Nation that celebrates\, educates and empowers the industry’s most creative and accomplished female visionaries. KL also teaches Music Industry classes through F-You: The Forgiveness Project to youth and young men in custody. She is an innovator w/ Keychange\, a global network working towards a total restructure of the music industry in reaching full gender equality. She was also named as an honouree on the global “Alternative Power 100 Music List 2020”. \n \n Read More\n \n \nCareer Achievement Honour – Melissa Langley – DJ MelBoogie\nMelBoogie recently celebrated her 30th anniversary working in radio as a host and DJ. She was the first female DJ on the 2023 Juno Awards\, this year highlighting 50 years of hip hop\, alongside Canadian music heavy weights Kardinal Offishall\, Haviah Mighty\, Dream Warriors\, and Michie Mee. She’s been the tour DJ for Michie Mee\, Maestro Fresh Wes and The Sorority. \nAdditionally\, she was the first female Chair of the Rap Committee for the Juno Awards\, and is currently a judge for Polaris\, doing community outreach to artists across the country to create awareness of how they can be recognized as part of these prestigious awards. \nDedicated to developing and supporting Black Music in Canada\, she’s also done publicity for a multitude of Canadian artists and is the founder of the Black Music Brunch – an annual brunch designed to highlight and celebrate the music artists in many of Canada’s underserved communities. \n \n Read More\n \n \nCareer Achievement Honour – Lisa Zbitnew – President and Owner / Operator of The Phoenix Concert Theatre and Bronsen Centre Music Theatre in Ottawa.\nShe was the CEO of War Child North America from 2008 to 2011. Zbitnew was the President and CEO of Sony BMG Music Canada from the original merger in September 2004 until January 2007. She served as President of BMG Music Canada beginning in 1996 where she reported to Tim Bowen\, who oversaw Sony BMG’s operations in the U.K\, Canada\, Australia\, New Zealand and South Africa.[3] She was the first female executive to hold the position of a major record label President in Canada. \nZbitnew has had a longstanding career in the Canadian music industry\, beginning in as Managing Director of Alert Records\, one of Canada’s most successful independent labels. In 1990\, she joined Sony Music Canada/CBS Records Canada as Marketing Director until 1993 when she became Vice President of Marketing at EMI Music Canada until 1996. \n \n Read More\n \n \nCareer Achievement Honour – Shauna de Cartier – Label co-owner and manager Six Shooter Records\n\nShauna de Cartier founded Six Shooter Records in 2000\, a record label and management company who has maintained since inception a steadfast commitment to fostering artistic excellence and to the development of a distinct community of predominantly Canadian-based artists with international careers.  Her award-winning label and management rosters include July Talk\, Whitehorse\, The Dead South\, Tanya Tagaq\, William Prince\, Rheostatics\, Boy Golden\, Skye Wallace and many others. \nTogether with her long-time business partner\, Helen Britton\, de Cartier founded and produced The Interstellar Rodeo\, a music and wine festival which had a 3-year run in Winnipeg and an 8-year run in Edmonton\, headlined by artists such as Beck\, Alabama Shakes\, Sarah McLachlan\, and many more. Shauna leads the label division and prides herself in their diverse roster and in hiring and predominantly female staff. She is a great leader and motivator for young up and coming entrepreneurs.  \nDe Cartier plays an active role in the industry\, including a continued participation as an elected board member of CIMA\, which she chaired for four years. She also serves on the board of the Radio Starmaker Fund.  She holds an MBA from the University of Alberta.  De Cartier is an advocate for artists\, independent businesses and fair dealings\, and is committed to creating professional opportunities for young industry members – particularly women – and fostering a strong network of like-minded individuals in the industry at large. In 2019\, de Cartier was honoured with the Canadian Independent Music Award for Entrepreneurship. \n \n Read More\n \n \nCareer Achievement Honour – Susan Rosenberg – Sr. Vice President Marketing Global Touring at Live Nation\nSusan Rosenberg is an industry veteran and trail blazer in the world of concert marketing. She cumulates over 30 year’s experience\, 6 at CPI and 24+ years at Live Nation Global Touring\, Susan quite literally wrote the book on how to market international tours. Working alongside Arthur Fogel and team\, Susan has been instrumental in marketing and bringing to life global tours for the likes of Madonna\, U2\, Rush\, Beyonce\, and Lady Gaga… just to name a few. \nHer always level-headed approach\, meticulous attention to detail\, and ultra-positive disposition has earned her respect from not only her colleagues\, but the industry as a whole. She’s truly one of a kind and an inspiration to many aspiring to earn a role in music marketing today. \n \n Read More\n \nCareer Achievement Honour – Yvonne Matsell – Promoter\nSignificant impact paving the way for a more equitable community: Yvonne has been in the Canadian music industry for decades and is best described as a woman “in the trenches”. She was a promoter at the time when very few women were able to say the same and cultivated her career in spite of (let’s call a spade…) misogyny rampant in the industry. Yvonne nurtured the careers of dozens and dozens of Canadian and international artists and cared for them personally and professionally\, with an incredible eye for talent\, longevity\, and commercial viability. Her work alongside SXSW helped to bring us NXNE and build it into the outstanding festival/conference that it was. Her presence at North By was pivotal to its success\, with her keen eye for talent and shrewd decision-making. Our industry looks the way it does because Yvonne Matsell has helped to shape it. \n \n Read More\n \nFounders Honour – Samantha Slattery\nSamantha has been working in the music industry for over two decades within the live sector throughout North America and the UK. Most recently working on the JUNO Awards\, Sam previously worked for The Mean Fiddler (Reading & Leeds Music Festivals)\, AEG Live (Coachella\, Stagecoach\, and Virgin Music Festival) Live Nation (Dreams Festival) as well as Republic Live (WayHome and Boots & Hearts Music Festivals).   \nShe is also the Founder of Women in Music Canada\, a non-profit organization aimed at fostering gender diversity and equality throughout the Canadian music sector. In addition\, prior to these roles Sam spent several years as a manager at Nettwerk Management’s UK office\, working for major-label multi-platinum artists including Dido. \nSam holds numerous post-secondary qualifications\, including a UK Graduate Diploma in Law\, a Hon BA in Political Science from York University\, as well as graduating from UCLA’s Music Business program\, and most recently completing the Greener Festival Assessor Training from Falmouth University in the UK. \nIn addition\, she regularly guest lectures at colleges and universities\, serves on several boards\, committees\, and adjudication groups\, as well as being a regular speaker at industry events including SXSW\, Liverpool Sound City\, and CMW. She’s received multiple nominations for RBC Woman of Influence award and is currently part of a handful of participants featured in the Canadian-Europe music industry gender initiative Keychange. \n \n Read More\n \n2024 WIM CANADA HONOURS GALLERY\nPhoto Credits: URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/2024-honours-winners-gallery/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251108T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251108T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251108T050447Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251108T051711Z UID:10000019-1762588800-1762621200@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:2024 Leadership Inspiration Series DESCRIPTION:IN CONVERSATION WITH SOCAN’S: JENNIFER BROWN\, ANNITA LALA AND ANDREA KOKONIS\n5:00 – 7:00 PM (ET) – Stream beginning at 5:30 PM (ET)\n Host: Tasha the Amazon Join us for an evening of conversation with SOCAN’s Jennifer Brown\, Annita Lala and Andrea Kokonis. Key executives at SOCAN\, Jennifer\, Annita and Andrea have had very different career paths from each other\, leading them to their current executive level roles at SOCAN. This conversation will explore career journeys\, learned lessons and tips to ensure you are heard when high level decisions are being made. An open conversation on successes\, challenges and arriving at their current roles from different career trajectories.Join us for the third of this series of inspirational career conversations\, guaranteed to inspire woman and gender diverse leaders and aspiring leaders in music. JENNIFER BROWNCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER With more than two decades of strategic experience in rights management\, licensing\, advocacy and support for music creators and publishers\, Jennifer started her career with SOCAN in 1995 as a representative in the company’s Membership department. She has held progressive leadership positions\, including Vice President of SOCAN’s Licensing department\, before taking on the role of Senior Vice President of Operations & Reproduction Rights in 2018. Jennifer’s accomplishments include establishing SOCAN Reproduction Rights presence\, guiding the company’s Licensing department to record-setting results\, establishing SOCAN’s cost-effective and strategic re-structuring\, and the introduction of new and innovative customer-facing tools\, all of which have resulted in improved licensing collection efforts and increased royalties distributed to SOCAN’s songwriter\, composer\, and music publisher members. The SOCAN Board of Directors appointed Jennifer Brown to Chief Executive Officer on June 29\, 2021\, after she held the Interim CEO role for a year. ANDREA KOKONISCHIEF LEGAL OFFICER & GENERAL COUNSEL Andrea E. Kokonis oversees SOCAN’s legal team. She has been with SOCAN for more than a decade and during that time has been involved in all aspects of SOCAN business\, including music licensing\, copyright enforcement and tariff matters before the Copyright Board of Canada.Prior to joining SOCAN\, Andrea practised at Torys LLP. and Fasken Martineau LLP.\, specializing in intellectual property law. While in private practice\, Andrea represented a range of clients in intellectual property and commercial litigation.Andrea has appeared before the Federal Court of Canada and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. She is a registered trade-mark agent. Andrea is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and Intellectual Property Institute of Canada\, where she sits on the Copyright Policy Committee. She is a current member of the CBA National Copyright Committee and she formerly served on the Editorial Board of the Canadian Intellectual Property Review (CIPR). Andrea is also the Chair of the Law Society of Ontario’s annual in-house counsel summit (2017–2020) and Course Director for the IPIC/McGill Copyright Master Class 2021 (Assistant Course Director for 2020)Andrea received her law degree from Queen’s University\, and her undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto (Victoria University). ANNITA LALACHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Annita Lala is SOCAN’s Chief Operating Officer. She is responsible for aligning our operational focus to optimize member service through change management and leadership of cross-functional teams. She has more than two decades of experience leading significant business transformation initiatives in various organizations\, in both the public and private sector (notably financial\, telecom\, security\, government and not- for-profit). Annita has a track record of successfully executing complex programs to deliver on strategic imperatives. With her entrepreneurial nature\, business acumen\, and common-sense approach\, she ensures the facilitation of practical\, value-driven solutions. Annita holds a Master of Arts degree in translation (French/English) and is PMP-certified for project management.\n \n Register\n \n \nIn conversation with CMRRA’s: Ingrid Crozier and Veronica Syrtash\n5:00 – 7:00 PM (ET) – Streamed conversation 5:15 – 6:00 ET\n Host: Denise De’ion \nJoin us for an evening of conversation with CMRRA’s Veronica Syrtash and Ingrid Crozier hosted by Denise De’ion. Limited tickets available for in person attendance at Starfish Entertainment’s Woodshed.  \nVeronica and Ingrid hold leadership positions with CMRRA (Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency). This conversation will explore career journeys\, learned lessons and tips to ensure you are heard when high level decisions are being made. An open conversation on successes\, challenges and arriving at their current roles from different career trajectories. \nJoin us for this\, the first of this series of inspirational career conversations\, guaranteed to inspire woman and gender diverse leaders and aspiring leaders in music. \nREGISTER NOW \nVeronica Syrtash – Senior Vice-President\, Business Affairs and Corporate Development for CMRRA and SX Works \nVeronica Syrtash oversees the identification\, exploration\, and analysis of new business opportunities at SX Works and develops new strategic business initiatives that support the objectives of both SX Works Global Publisher Services and the music publishing community on a global level. She also manages CMRRA’s legal and business affairs\, supervises rate-setting negotiations and proceedings\, and plays a key role in helping to shape the agency’s strategic growth and development. \nSince joining CMRRA in 1999\, Veronica has become a leading and respected voice in the industry while overseeing the agency’s legal\, business and policy objectives. She has secured licensing deals in Canada with online music services including Apple\, Google\, and Spotify\, among others\, as well as industry-wide negotiations with major and independent record labels as well as terrestrial and satellite broadcasters. She received her B.A. (Hons) from Queen’s University\, her LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario\, and her LL.M. from Osgoode Hall Law School\, with a specialization in intellectual property law. She is called to the Ontario bar. \nIngrid Crozier – Senior Director\, Finance for CMRRA \nIngrid Crozier is a CPA\, CA with 10 years of experience with the Canadian entertainment and media industries. She is currently the Senior Director\, Finance at the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA)\, where she oversees all financial processes\, including royalty distributions to music publishers and self-published songwriters. Ingrid has always been passionate about the local music sector and has previously volunteered for events such as the Polaris Music Prize and was a stage manager for Canadian Music Week. During her time at PwC\, she helped lead the team of Official Ballot Accountants for The JUNO Awards. In addition\, she sits on the task force of Music Publishers Canada’s NXTGEN Committee\, aimed at providing junior-level professionals in the industry opportunities to learn\, network\, and build community. Ingrid holds a Professional Certificate in Artist Management from Berklee College of Music and an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration with Accounting and Co-Operative Options from Wilfrid Laurier University. \nDenise De’ion – CMRRA Consultant\, Black Music Community \nDenise Thomas\, professionally known as Denise De’ion works as the Industry Relations Consultant – Black Music Community for CMRRA. Denise is an award-winning producer/artist/songwriter known for her unique blend of R&B\, Pop\, Caribbean\, and Hip Hop. In 2022\, she produced Haviah Mighty’s Juno-winning album\, “Stock Exchange\,” and has been mentored by Canadian hip-hop producer Boi 1da. Her music has also been placed in commercials for Bulleit Whiskey and heard on shows like Netflix’s Ginny and Georgia and Kim’s Convenience. Denise is part of The Global Network for Women Music Producers NAC (National Arts Centre) program. URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/2024-leadership-inspiration-series/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251107T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251107T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251107T181106Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251108T050603Z UID:10000017-1762502400-1762534800@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:EQLive 2024 Series DESCRIPTION:EQLive 2024\nPresented by SiriusXM Canada \nEQLive is an exciting new showcase series dedicated to uplifting women and gender-diverse artists and crews as they develop toward the biggest stages. \nThis fall marks the inaugural season\, with live performances in Calgary\, Whitehorse\, Ottawa\, and Toronto. All events feature accessible ticket pricing. \n\n EQLIVE 2025 COMING SOON! \n \n \n \n \nCALGARY – Oct 19\, 2024\n \nThe National Music Centre | Oct 19\n\nSacha & Hailey Benedict\nwith Jade Turner &\nAshley Ghostkeeper\n\nSacha was Sirius XM’s 2022 Top of the Country winner.  Hailey Benedict was Sirius XM’s 2023 Top of the Country winner.  Jade Turner was named Emerging Artist of the Year by Manitoba Country Music Awards and took home Best Country Album at the Indigenous Music Awards (2017).  Ashley Ghostkeeper has reached top 5 on the Canadian Indigenous Music Countdown and was also one of the Top 10 selected to participate in the Anishinaabeg  Gaa-Wiid-Anokiwiiwad Chi-Gidochigewad Indigenous Music Residency. \n \n Get Tickets\n \nLINEUP\n\n\n • Sacha\n \n When it came to picking a career\, SACHA always knew there was only one option: singing country music.\nNot because she loved it\, but because she lived it.\nGrowing up in Warkworth\, Ontario — a town of under 1000 people — she was living the life countless\ncountry songs depict: backyard bonfires\, farm land\, the rodeo. And with parents that were in a band\, singing\nwas\, as SACHA puts it\, “part of my DNA.” But unlike her three siblings\, music didn’t just feel like a family trait\n— it felt like her destiny.\n“For me\, it wasn’t just singing to a song. I’m actually feeling this thing happening when I’m singing\,” she says.\n“I’m seeing the whole production. I’m seeing the crowd\, and I’m feeling it.”\nLiving on her own by the time she was 17\, SACHA knew it wouldn’t be easy to make that vision a reality. As\nshe worked full-time\, she found a community within a local church that helped her find her voice and her\nconfidence while also reassuring her that the stage is where she’s meant to be.\nSoon enough\, she headed to Nashville\, where she hustled her way through Music Row while honing her\nplayful\, yet meaningful artistic style. “I was on a mission\,” she says. “For me\, it wasn’t just a dream — it was\na conviction.”\nHer first major breakthrough came in 2021\, when SACHA was named to CMT’s Next Women of Country\nclass\, a distinction once bestowed upon the likes of Maren Morris\, Kacey Musgraves\, Kelsea Ballerini\, and\nGabby Barrett. “That was the door that opened up the rest\,” she suggests.\nLater that year\, she scored her first platinum Canadian single alongside The Reklaws with their viral hit\n“What The Truck\,” which became the fastest Canadian country song to be certified platinum in the streaming\nera. The momentum continued\, as SACHA released her second EP\, We Did; won her first CCMA Award for\n“What The Truck”; was named winner of SiriusXM’s Top of The Country contest; and joined Maddie & Tae on\ntheir U.S. fall tour.\nBut it was 2023 that ultimately proved SACHA’s time is now. Kicking off the year singing the Canadian\nanthem at the 2023 NHL All Star game\, she released her third EP\, Confident\, in May\, and showed her global\nappeal with a performance at the UK’s Long Road Festival in August. And just two days before performing\n“Confident” alongside Tyler Shaw at the 2023 CCMAs in September\, she landed a record deal with Sony\nMusic.\nAs SACHA preps her major label debut\, she vows that she isn’t losing sight of the motivated dreamer that got\nher to this point. But rather than dwelling on the past\, she’s aiming to offer a sense of hope to those who may\nneed a little inspiration in times of adversity — as she once did herself.\n“I want to be able to lift you up\, because I know what it’s like to feel like there’s no way\,” SACHA says.\n“Wouldn’t it be cool to make room for empowering\, anthemic tunes in country music?”\nHer first release will reflect just that. As SACHA declares “Hey Mom (I Made It)\,” the uplifting\, heartfelt tale\n“ain’t talkin’ ‘bout bein’ famous\,” but rather about the personal growth that’s led her to success. “I finally found\nmy way\,” she proudly proclaims in the chorus.\n“Hey Mom (I Made It)” is just one of many new songs SACHA is excited to share with fans in the coming\nmonths\, as she continues to blaze her own trail as a proud woman in country music. While she’s already\nenvisioning a Grand Ole Opry debut and world tour\, her main focus is to spread a positive message: “Having\nthese people\, all in one room\, sharing the same struggles and the same joy.”\nAnd even with all of the ebbs and flows that her journey has entailed\, SACHA has no doubt that the timing\ncouldn’t have worked out better.\n“I’m more aware of who I am\, what I want to do\, what I want to say\, and where I want to go\,” she declares.\n“I’ve sacrificed everything to live this life. I’m not looking to slow down. I’m so ready to run — and ready to\ntake people with me.”\n \n\n\n • Hailey Benedict\n \nA dynamic performer\, multi-award winner\, and charitable advocate\, Hailey Benedict continues to make her mark as a rising talent in country music. This guitar-wielding singer-songwriter has defied gravity\, climbing the ranks from the emerging artist who waspulled in front of a sold-out crowd at a Keith Urban concert to perform an original song to national charting and touring artist in a few short years.2023 has been a monumental year for Hailey\, topped off with being crowned the winner of the SiriusXMTop of the Country competition during the CCMA Awards weekend. Throughout the year\, Haileycontinued to soar to remarkable new heights in her musical journey–including a coveted slot at CMAFest in Nashville\, appearances at major events including Montreal’s Lasso Festival and JUNOfest\, her third CCMA Award nomination\, the release of her captivating and acclaimed singleDamn You July\,national media appearances on CTV’s Etalk and YTV\, tours supporting the likes of Aaron Goodvin andTim Hicks\, and co-hosting the Country Music Alberta Awards\, where she also took home three awards ofher own. In her young career\, she’s already won 13 different awards\, including a CCMA Award for InteractiveArtist of the Year\, in recognition of her mastery and embrace of social media. Her quarter-million-strongfollowing on TikTok is one of the most of any Canadian country artist. Her songWanted You Towas thehighest-charting independent CANCON single by a female in 2021\, reaching #25 on the country charts. A strong advocate for mental health and anti-bullying\, Hailey supports several charitable foundations\, and was honoured as one of the youngest-ever Global Woman of Vision award recipients \n\n\n\n • Jade Turner\n \nCanadian Americana artist Jade Turner is an exceptional storyteller and emotive vocalist\, with an innate ability to make anyone who listens to her music feel as though they too have had the experiences she writes and sings about. A proud member of Misipawistik Cree Nation\, Jade was raised in Northern Manitoba with an upbringing rooted in the nature of storytelling. Her lyrics tell personal tales that range from serious topics to satirical\, and are delivered with her dynamic vocals that span from gritty and raw\, to spirited and energetic. Jade’s exposure to Indigenous artists\, Country\, and Folk music paved the way for her to take home the Best Country Album at the 2017 Indigenous Music Awards\, and the Emerging Artist of the Year award at the 2018 Manitoba Country Music Awards. From a career that seemed nearly impossible due to the absence of Indigenous female representation in mainstream music\, Jade credits Blues artist Crystal Shawanda as one of her major inspirations. Through Crystal’s presence\, Jade knew a career in music was possible for her too. In an incredible\, full-circle musical moment\, Jade and Crystal teamed up to write “Deadweight\,” which was released in 2023 and received two awards for Song of the Year and Single of the Year at the Manitoba Country Music Awards in the same year. Most notably\, Jade made it as a semi-finalist in the 2024 Top of The Country with Sirius XM competition. From this experience\, she created the song “That Wind\,” which was released in May. Jade is busy working on her next full-length album\, which will be set to release next year in 2025. \n\n\n\n • Ashley Ghostkeeper\n \nBio \n\n When it came to picking a career\, SACHA always knew there was only one option: singing country music.\nNot because she loved it\, but because she lived it.\nGrowing up in Warkworth\, Ontario — a town of under 1000 people — she was living the life countless\ncountry songs depict: backyard bonfires\, farm land\, the rodeo. And with parents that were in a band\, singing\nwas\, as SACHA puts it\, “part of my DNA.” But unlike her three siblings\, music didn’t just feel like a family trait\n— it felt like her destiny.\n“For me\, it wasn’t just singing to a song. I’m actually feeling this thing happening when I’m singing\,” she says.\n“I’m seeing the whole production. I’m seeing the crowd\, and I’m feeling it.”\nLiving on her own by the time she was 17\, SACHA knew it wouldn’t be easy to make that vision a reality. As\nshe worked full-time\, she found a community within a local church that helped her find her voice and her\nconfidence while also reassuring her that the stage is where she’s meant to be.\nSoon enough\, she headed to Nashville\, where she hustled her way through Music Row while honing her\nplayful\, yet meaningful artistic style. “I was on a mission\,” she says. “For me\, it wasn’t just a dream — it was\na conviction.”\nHer first major breakthrough came in 2021\, when SACHA was named to CMT’s Next Women of Country\nclass\, a distinction once bestowed upon the likes of Maren Morris\, Kacey Musgraves\, Kelsea Ballerini\, and\nGabby Barrett. “That was the door that opened up the rest\,” she suggests.\nLater that year\, she scored her first platinum Canadian single alongside The Reklaws with their viral hit\n“What The Truck\,” which became the fastest Canadian country song to be certified platinum in the streaming\nera. The momentum continued\, as SACHA released her second EP\, We Did; won her first CCMA Award for\n“What The Truck”; was named winner of SiriusXM’s Top of The Country contest; and joined Maddie & Tae on\ntheir U.S. fall tour.\nBut it was 2023 that ultimately proved SACHA’s time is now. Kicking off the year singing the Canadian\nanthem at the 2023 NHL All Star game\, she released her third EP\, Confident\, in May\, and showed her global\nappeal with a performance at the UK’s Long Road Festival in August. And just two days before performing\n“Confident” alongside Tyler Shaw at the 2023 CCMAs in September\, she landed a record deal with Sony\nMusic.\nAs SACHA preps her major label debut\, she vows that she isn’t losing sight of the motivated dreamer that got\nher to this point. But rather than dwelling on the past\, she’s aiming to offer a sense of hope to those who may\nneed a little inspiration in times of adversity — as she once did herself.\n“I want to be able to lift you up\, because I know what it’s like to feel like there’s no way\,” SACHA says.\n“Wouldn’t it be cool to make room for empowering\, anthemic tunes in country music?”\nHer first release will reflect just that. As SACHA declares “Hey Mom (I Made It)\,” the uplifting\, heartfelt tale\n“ain’t talkin’ ‘bout bein’ famous\,” but rather about the personal growth that’s led her to success. “I finally found\nmy way\,” she proudly proclaims in the chorus.\n“Hey Mom (I Made It)” is just one of many new songs SACHA is excited to share with fans in the coming\nmonths\, as she continues to blaze her own trail as a proud woman in country music. While she’s already\nenvisioning a Grand Ole Opry debut and world tour\, her main focus is to spread a positive message: “Having\nthese people\, all in one room\, sharing the same struggles and the same joy.”\nAnd even with all of the ebbs and flows that her journey has entailed\, SACHA has no doubt that the timing\ncouldn’t have worked out better.\n“I’m more aware of who I am\, what I want to do\, what I want to say\, and where I want to go\,” she declares.\n“I’ve sacrificed everything to live this life. I’m not looking to slow down. I’m so ready to run — and ready to\ntake people with me.” \nA dynamic performer\, multi-award winner\, and charitable advocate\, Hailey Benedict continues to make her mark as a rising talent in country music. This guitar-wielding singer-songwriter has defied gravity\, climbing the ranks from the emerging artist who waspulled in front of a sold-out crowd at a Keith Urban concert to perform an original song to national charting and touring artist in a few short years.2023 has been a monumental year for Hailey\, topped off with being crowned the winner of the SiriusXMTop of the Country competition during the CCMA Awards weekend. Throughout the year\, Haileycontinued to soar to remarkable new heights in her musical journey–including a coveted slot at CMAFest in Nashville\, appearances at major events including Montreal’s Lasso Festival and JUNOfest\, her third CCMA Award nomination\, the release of her captivating and acclaimed singleDamn You July\,national media appearances on CTV’s Etalk and YTV\, tours supporting the likes of Aaron Goodvin andTim Hicks\, and co-hosting the Country Music Alberta Awards\, where she also took home three awards ofher own. In her young career\, she’s already won 13 different awards\, including a CCMA Award for InteractiveArtist of the Year\, in recognition of her mastery and embrace of social media. Her quarter-million-strongfollowing on TikTok is one of the most of any Canadian country artist. Her songWanted You Towas thehighest-charting independent CANCON single by a female in 2021\, reaching #25 on the country charts. A strong advocate for mental health and anti-bullying\, Hailey supports several charitable foundations\, and was honoured as one of the youngest-ever Global Woman of Vision award recipients \nCanadian Americana artist Jade Turner is an exceptional storyteller and emotive vocalist\, with an innate ability to make anyone who listens to her music feel as though they too have had the experiences she writes and sings about. A proud member of Misipawistik Cree Nation\, Jade was raised in Northern Manitoba with an upbringing rooted in the nature of storytelling. Her lyrics tell personal tales that range from serious topics to satirical\, and are delivered with her dynamic vocals that span from gritty and raw\, to spirited and energetic. Jade’s exposure to Indigenous artists\, Country\, and Folk music paved the way for her to take home the Best Country Album at the 2017 Indigenous Music Awards\, and the Emerging Artist of the Year award at the 2018 Manitoba Country Music Awards. From a career that seemed nearly impossible due to the absence of Indigenous female representation in mainstream music\, Jade credits Blues artist Crystal Shawanda as one of her major inspirations. Through Crystal’s presence\, Jade knew a career in music was possible for her too. In an incredible\, full-circle musical moment\, Jade and Crystal teamed up to write “Deadweight\,” which was released in 2023 and received two awards for Song of the Year and Single of the Year at the Manitoba Country Music Awards in the same year. Most notably\, Jade made it as a semi-finalist in the 2024 Top of The Country with Sirius XM competition. From this experience\, she created the song “That Wind\,” which was released in May. Jade is busy working on her next full-length album\, which will be set to release next year in 2025. \nBio \nWHITEHORSE – Oct 30\, 2024\n \nYukon Arts Centre | Oct 30\nBegonia\nwith Bria Rose N’ Thorns\n& Jasmine Netsena\nTrailblazer and NPR “Artist to watch” Begonia touches down for her first-ever appearance in Whitehorse.  Supported by Bria Rose N’ Thorns and Jasmine Netsena. \nPresented in collaboration with Music Yukon. \n \n Get Tickets\n \nLINEUP\n\n\n • Begonia\n \n Pegged as Canada’s breakout alt-diva\, Begonia has built a legion of fans online and at her legendary live shows. Her critically acclaimed discography includes Lady In Mind EP(2017)\, Fear (2019) and Powder Blue (2023). Among her accolades\, she has a JUNO nomination(2021\, Adult Alternative Album of the Year)\, two Polaris Prize nominations\, multiple #1 songs onCBC Radio\, and was named one of NPR’s Artists You Need to Know. Her sophomore album\, Powder Blue\, emerged in early 2023 and confronts themes of sexuality\, self-discovery\,acceptance\, and empowerment. The album was named one of CBC Music’s Best Canadian Albumsof 2023 (#7) and was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.Begonia’s live performance is world-class. She has been playing sold-out clubs and theatres in North America\, and recently supported indie-all-star Leith Ross on their European tour. Her vocalprowess has the power to absolutely floor an audience\, evidenced at her Polaris Gala performance. She is riding a wave of momentum with a record number of people discovering Powder Blue andbecoming super-fans. Begonia is a standout Canadian talent\, and the world is beginning to take notice.\n \n\n\n • Bria Rose N’ Thorn\n \nOn the wings of the north wind\, Bria Rose shakes the room with soulful energy. Each song tells a story from the eyes of a young Tahltan/Cree woman finding her hope and way in the world around her. Her folk rock sound is complete with rasp and a deep alto flavour that bridges heart and grit. Bria Rose released her debut EP: Sprout\, which boasts positivity\, playfulness\, and power through a rural lens\, on May 31st 2024.  \nLinks: \n\nFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriaRoseMusic/\nInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/BriaRoseMusic/\nSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7y82ZQFgq5G3lb10J52DVb\nYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYxx_LPoobwXZ03C84XpOGA\n\n\n\n\n • Jasmine Netsena\n \nBio \n\n Pegged as Canada’s breakout alt-diva\, Begonia has built a legion of fans online and at her legendary live shows. Her critically acclaimed discography includes Lady In Mind EP(2017)\, Fear (2019) and Powder Blue (2023). Among her accolades\, she has a JUNO nomination(2021\, Adult Alternative Album of the Year)\, two Polaris Prize nominations\, multiple #1 songs onCBC Radio\, and was named one of NPR’s Artists You Need to Know. Her sophomore album\, Powder Blue\, emerged in early 2023 and confronts themes of sexuality\, self-discovery\,acceptance\, and empowerment. The album was named one of CBC Music’s Best Canadian Albumsof 2023 (#7) and was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.Begonia’s live performance is world-class. She has been playing sold-out clubs and theatres in North America\, and recently supported indie-all-star Leith Ross on their European tour. Her vocalprowess has the power to absolutely floor an audience\, evidenced at her Polaris Gala performance. She is riding a wave of momentum with a record number of people discovering Powder Blue andbecoming super-fans. Begonia is a standout Canadian talent\, and the world is beginning to take notice. \nOn the wings of the north wind\, Bria Rose shakes the room with soulful energy. Each song tells a story from the eyes of a young Tahltan/Cree woman finding her hope and way in the world around her. Her folk rock sound is complete with rasp and a deep alto flavour that bridges heart and grit. Bria Rose released her debut EP: Sprout\, which boasts positivity\, playfulness\, and power through a rural lens\, on May 31st 2024.  \nLinks: \n\nFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BriaRoseMusic/\nInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/BriaRoseMusic/\nSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7y82ZQFgq5G3lb10J52DVb\nYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYxx_LPoobwXZ03C84XpOGA\n\nBio \nOTTAWA – Nov 29\, 2024\n \nNational Arts Centre | Nov 29\nSavannah Ré\nwith Witch Prophet & Silla\nThree-time consecutive JUNO-Award-winning R&B artist Savannah Ré is joined by WIMC Honors Award winner Witch Prophet and acclaimed Inuit throat-singing duo Silla \nPresented in collaboration with Axé WorldFest. \n \n Get Tickets\n \nLINEUP\n\n\n • Savannah Ré\n \nThree-time consecutive JUNO Award winner for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Savannah Ré has become the one to watch in Canadian R&B. By making music with the unyielding intention to craft songs that forfeit polished stories for authentic ones\, the Toronto artist has become the go-to collaborator for R&B’s upper echelon having written with artists like Babyface\, Jessie Reyez\, Normani\, Wondagurl and her mentor\, Grammy Award-winning producer Boi-1da. Savannah Ré’s critically-lauded debut EP Opia earned her multiple award nominations. On her second body of work\, No Weapons\, Savannah holds firm in her commitment to expressing vulnerability through potent songwriting with a newfound understanding of herself. From the perspective of an ever-evolving woman brimming with confidence\, clarity and drive\, Savannah Ré continues to establish herself as an impactful voice in R&B. \n\n\n\n • Witch Prophet\n \nIt’s been 3 years since the release of her Polaris Prize shortlisted album ‘DNAActivation’; an ode to her Ethiopian and Eritrean ancestral roots\, fusing Jazz\, Hip-Hop\,Soul and RnB. Touring across North America performing along side and opening for actslike Lido Pimienta\, Sudan Archives\, Tash Sultana\, Snotty Nose Rez Kids and more.Now\, Witch Prophet returns to the spotlight with a new soul/adult contemporary LP‘Gateway Experience’ due out May 3rd\, on Heart Lake Records.A soundscape of vocal layers\, loops\, raps and harmonies on a bed of hip-hop\, jazz andsoul-inspired beats produced by her business partner and wife SUN SUN.*File next to Erykah Badu\, Lauryn Hill\, Greentea Peng and Portishead* \n\n\n\n • Silla\n \nSilla are an Inuit throat singing duo known for blending traditional songs across a wide range of contemporary genres. Performing together since 2005\, Silla’s members Charlotte Qamaniq from Iglulik and Cynthia Pitsiulak from Kimmirut\, Nunavut\, have crafted a hypnotizing live performance that is not to be missed. The name Silla\, is derived from the Inuktitut word ‘Sila’\, its definition includes concepts of weather\, land\, spirit\, cunning\, and intelligence. The name acknowledges the powerful spirituality and traditions that have kept the practice alive despite historical threats posed by settler colonization in Canada. Silla has received two Juno nominations for their work as Silla and Rise and are winners of two Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards. \n\nThree-time consecutive JUNO Award winner for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Savannah Ré has become the one to watch in Canadian R&B. By making music with the unyielding intention to craft songs that forfeit polished stories for authentic ones\, the Toronto artist has become the go-to collaborator for R&B’s upper echelon having written with artists like Babyface\, Jessie Reyez\, Normani\, Wondagurl and her mentor\, Grammy Award-winning producer Boi-1da. Savannah Ré’s critically-lauded debut EP Opia earned her multiple award nominations. On her second body of work\, No Weapons\, Savannah holds firm in her commitment to expressing vulnerability through potent songwriting with a newfound understanding of herself. From the perspective of an ever-evolving woman brimming with confidence\, clarity and drive\, Savannah Ré continues to establish herself as an impactful voice in R&B. \nIt’s been 3 years since the release of her Polaris Prize shortlisted album ‘DNAActivation’; an ode to her Ethiopian and Eritrean ancestral roots\, fusing Jazz\, Hip-Hop\,Soul and RnB. Touring across North America performing along side and opening for actslike Lido Pimienta\, Sudan Archives\, Tash Sultana\, Snotty Nose Rez Kids and more.Now\, Witch Prophet returns to the spotlight with a new soul/adult contemporary LP‘Gateway Experience’ due out May 3rd\, on Heart Lake Records.A soundscape of vocal layers\, loops\, raps and harmonies on a bed of hip-hop\, jazz andsoul-inspired beats produced by her business partner and wife SUN SUN.*File next to Erykah Badu\, Lauryn Hill\, Greentea Peng and Portishead* \nSilla are an Inuit throat singing duo known for blending traditional songs across a wide range of contemporary genres. Performing together since 2005\, Silla’s members Charlotte Qamaniq from Iglulik and Cynthia Pitsiulak from Kimmirut\, Nunavut\, have crafted a hypnotizing live performance that is not to be missed. The name Silla\, is derived from the Inuktitut word ‘Sila’\, its definition includes concepts of weather\, land\, spirit\, cunning\, and intelligence. The name acknowledges the powerful spirituality and traditions that have kept the practice alive despite historical threats posed by settler colonization in Canada. Silla has received two Juno nominations for their work as Silla and Rise and are winners of two Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards. \nTORONTO – Dec 28\, 2024\n \nStockyards\, Toronto | Dec 28\nÖona Dahl\, Sydney Blu\, Jenner w/ Shera B2B Videri\nA day-to-night dance party with Öona Dahl\, Sydney Blu\, Jenner\, and Shera B2B Videri. This all-female lineup is coming together for a massive collaboration between EQLive (a cross-country concert series showcasing women and gender-diverse talent) and the finale of Change the Beat‘s Canadian tour. Presented by SiriusXM\, Women in Music Canada\, Change the Beat\, and Darkest Hour Records. \n \n Get Tickets\n \nLINEUP URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/eqlive-2024-series/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251107T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251107T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251107T174416Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251107T180939Z UID:10000015-1762502400-1762534800@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:2023 Live Music Training Workshops DESCRIPTION:This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada. \nCe projet a été rendu possible en partie grâce au gouvernement du Canada. \n \nNavigating Live: Artist Career Development\nKeynote / Moderator – Katie Murphy: Day-to-Day Manager for The Tenors at JLE / The LOFT  \nPanel Speakers: Britany Ayton – Promoter/Sofar Sounds\, Jenna Robson – 604 Records\, Mell Kirkland – Vancouver Blues Around Town\, Krystle Dos Santos \n  \nRegister \n \nNavigating Live: Talent Buying & Programming\nKeynote / Moderator: Kathleen Reid: Agent / Managing Director | THE FELDMAN AGENCY \nPanel Speakers: Raeesa Lalani – Presmatic Art Festivals\, Stephanie Purcell – Vox Entertainment\, Janet Larkman – King Theatre \nRegister \n \nNavigating Live: Financial & Legal Management\nKeynote: Vanessa Hoffer\, Production Manager – Live Nation Canada \nPanel Speakers: Samantha Slattery – Capital Consulting \nVanessa Thomas – Sound Royalties \nJuliet Dun – TD Niagara Jazzfest \nTai Notar – Golden Hour Productions \nRegister \n \nNavigating Live: Inclusive Spaces & Culture\nKeynote: Ashley Au: Musician / Composer / Festival Director \nPanel Speakers: Lynne Skromeda – Winnipeg Folk Festival\, Marika Galea – Brandon University\, Keri Latimer – Leaf Rapids \nRegister \n \nNavigating Live: Technical & Creative Production\nKeynote – Samantha Hindle – Technical Director\, Live Sound Engineer and Event Specialist \nPanel Speakers: Kellie Knight – Arts Commons (moderator)\, Bronwyn Bowlby – Theatre Calgary\, Christina Milinusic \n  \nRegister \n \nNavigating Live: Operational Planning & Production\nKeynote – Christine Rogerson: Senior Vice President\, Business Operations | VIBEE \nPanel Speakers: Natasha Mandrusiak – Stampede Entertainment\, Andrea Papirny – Rogers Place\, Jenn Sookdeo – SOOKS Productions\, Charlotte Cuvelier – Sled Island  \nRegister \nThis project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada. \nCe projet a été rendu possible en partie grâce au gouvernement du Canada. URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/2023-live-music-training-workshops/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Live_Stream_Week_1110__444_px-a46fe4e0-scaled.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251107T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251107T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251107T151557Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251107T173418Z UID:10000013-1762502400-1762534800@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:International Women's Day DESCRIPTION:International Women’s Day\nWIM Canada along with partners FACTOR\, The Government of Canada\, Ontario Creates and The City of Toronto\, CIMA and CFM present a day of hands-on workshops and speaker sessions\, March 7\, 2023. With sessions featuring incredible leaders here to share their expertise\, this is a day to come out and be inspired.  \nSign up for sessions you wish to attend\, or for the whole day and join us for great conversation and connection in honour of International Women’s Week. All sessions will be held at The Academy at 80A at Universal Music Canada (80 Atlantic Ave\, Toronto\, ON).  \nAttendance is free for all. Women in Music Canada values diversity\, equity and inclusion\, and welcome’s attendees from diverse backgrounds. \n \n Get Workshop Tickets\n \n \n Register for Online Access\n \n \nCreative Asset Reviews\n9:30 – 11:00 AM\nSubmit your links for live asset reviews from pros. These marketing and publicity proswill review submitted online assess and provide tips and tricks to increase reach\, impact and ultimately revenue generation. This session is designed to be fruitful for those being reviewed and others as themes and best practices are discussed.  \n*All who have registered as of Feb 23 will be sent a link to upload materials for review.  \nReviewers: \nAmanda McCauley – Indoor Recess – Host \nMelissa Vincent – Music Journalist & Creative Producer / Polaris Music Prize \nStacey Bedford – Bandzoogle \nVanessa Adora – TikTok \n \nBecoming Export Ready\n11:15 AM – 12:15 PM\nWhile Canada is an incredibly large market\, most artists get to a point in their career where they look to new markets\, to showcasing\, applying for travel funding\, building new teams and generally exporting their music. But what do you need to be ‘export ready’? To qualify for export funding\, to be of interest to international buyers and to jump on a plane prepared to have a successful export market business? This panel of international industry experts will demystify what you should have in order before packing your bags; what export means for artists\, how to prepare\, and how industry knows when an artist is ready to enter their territory. using case studies for real examples. \nSponsored by the Canadian Federation of Musicians \nSPEAKERS: \nMaureen Rpillane – The Unison Fund (Host) \nMaude St-Amand Courcy – Mundial Montreal \nLiana White – CFM \nNoreen Hamid – Creative Producer & Director of Publicity / notNoreen \n \nFireside Chat Lunch – Catered\n12:15 – 1:15 PM (chat begins at 12:30)\nThe music industry has spoken\, its time for a more equitable ecosystem. A. Harmony will sit down with Faryal Kahl-Thompson (TuneCore) and Voula Vagdatis (Universal Music) to talk about how changing the faces of leadership will change a companies culture and create a ripple effect of positive benefit to all areas of a business. \nHost: A. Harmony \nSpeakers:  \nFaryal Khan-Thompson – TuneCore \nVoula Vagdatis – Universal Music Canada \n \nEquity\, Music\, and Technology presented by CIMA\n1:15 – 2:15 PM\nWith its upswings and challenges — when it comes to working with and engaging new technology. Often these conversations get stuck on the topic of existing and emergent social media. This mix of industry professionals\, an academic voice\, will look beyond that scope to instead include the changing material relationships with tech\, how harm may be embedded in innocuous ways\, what are the lesser-known\, game-changing platforms that people should be thinking about and using\, how to improve digital hygiene in order to improve burnout. \nSpeakers: \nMelissa Vincent – Music Journalist & Creative Producer / Polaris Music Prize – Host \nMichelle Da Silva – Journalist \nNoreen Hamid – Creative Producer & Director of Publicity / notNoreen \nSook-Yin \n \nFinance\, Legal & Admin for Live Music Sector (LIVE STREAMED SESSION)\n2:30 – 4:30 PM\nFrom vision to delivery\, a solid budget\, financial plan\, and legal details need to be administered to ensure success. In this hands-on workshop experts will walk through the important building blocks to have in place and share their tips and tricks on budgeting for live\, financial planning\, managing tax data collection\, filing\, invoicing\, and legal processes. All participants will receive templates to be used in future projects including budget templates and tips package. \nKeynote: Vanessa Hoffer\, Production Manager – Live Nation Canada \nPanel Speakers: Samantha Slattery – Capital Consulting \nVanessa Thomas – Sound Royalties \nJuliet Dun – TD Niagara Jazzfest \nTai Notar – Golden Hour Productions \n \n Get Workshop Tickets URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/international-womens-day/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IWD_March_7_-a50090e3.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251030T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251030T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251030T051121Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260207T174025Z UID:10000011-1761811200-1761843600@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:2024 International Women's Week Summit DESCRIPTION:WIM Canada 2024 Summit\nWIM Canada presents an exciting 2-day event full of speaker sessions\, workshops\, and networking opportunities\, March 4-5\, 2025  in Toronto. \nCome ask questions\, meet others in the industry\, and be inspired by our amazing slate of leaders.  \nIN PERSON TICKETS ARE NOW SOLD OUT  \nRegister for the Virtual Summit to receive a live stream of the panels! \nPremium WIMC members receive $20 off! Not a member? Join here today. \n \n BUY TICKETS\n \n \n DAY 1 SCHEDULE\n \n \n DAY 2 SCHEDULE\n \n \n The Afterparty\n \n \n LOCATION & HOTELS\n \nFor Ticketholders:\n \n \n*For Ticketholders only* \n \n \n*For Ticketholders only* \n DAY 1 – March 6\, 2024\n9:30 – 11:00 AM\nCREATIVE ASSETS REVIEW\nSubmit your artist links for a chance to be reviewed live by our panel of pros! \nOur panelists will select a number of artist submissions for review and discuss your website\, social media footprint\, and press package to provide tips on how you can increase your impact and professionalism. \nPRESENTED BY CANADIAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS  \n \n SUBMIT YOUR LINKS HERE\n \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Liana White\, Executive Director @ CFM\n \n \nLiana White is the Executive Director of the Canadian National Office of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/CFM). White is involved in every aspect of the unions operations\, from lobbying and negotiating on behalf of musicians\, to mentoring them. With over 25 years’ experience helping musicians to navigate the legal requirements to perform cross border\, White has become recognized within the music industry as a leading authority on the subject. White also sits on the Board of Women in Music Canada\, and on the Canadian Labour Congress Women’s & Workers of Colour Caucuses. \n\n\n\n Noreen Hamid\, Creative Producer & PR Director\n \n \nNoreen Hamid is a Publicity Director\, Creative Producer\, and Consultant with over 10 years of experience leading publicity campaigns for music artists\, labels\, international music award shows\, TV series\, films\, and high-profile events. She also produces television series\, music and entertainment news\, and special events — from award shows and red carpets\, to album release showcases and art exhibits\, and everything in between. After dedicated years with MuchMusic\, MTV\, E!\, the Toronto International Film Festival\, eTalk\, and much more\, Noreen started her own boutique company\, utilizing her passion and combined experiences in Production\, PR\, and Strategy\, and prioritizing work with artists from marginalized communities. An expert in Hip Hop\, R&B\, Afrobeats\, and Pop music publicity\, she works with several artists\, labels\, and projects internationally\, including Megan Thee Stallion\, Young Thug\, Mary J. Blige\, Gunna\, Charlotte Cardin\, TOBi\, Ralph\, Ruby Waters\, IDMAN\, RCA Records\, Arista Records\, 300 Entertainment\, Fool’s Gold\, the Oscar-nominated documentary The Cave\, and as a consultant on several upcoming series and artists in development. Currently\, Noreen’s work touches Canada\, the US\, the UK\, France\, Ghana\, Nigeria\, India\, parts of the Middle East\, and beyond. \n\n\n\n Stefanie Purificati\, Feldman Agency\n \nBIO \n\n\n\n Amy Eligh\, Arts & Crafts Publishing\n \n \n Amy Eligh began her career in Publishing at Casablanca Media / Red Brick Songs in the Copyright and Royalties department\, before moving into Creative – where she\nsuccessfully stationed herself for over a decade before moving to Arts & Crafts Music. Within her role as Director of Publishing & Licensing\, Amy pitches large-scale catalogue of songs for film\, trailers\, advertising\, video games\, and TV (US & Canada) as well as oversees the day to day within the department.\nIn addition to pitching\, Amy organizes showcases for clients / songwriters with TV networks\, music supervisors\, and advertisers. She also develops new writers\, arranges co-writing sessions\, coordinates and hosts song-writing camps\, and scouts for talent.\nAt Arts & Crafts Music\, Amy works with Broken Social Scene\, Dear Rouge\, Old Man Saxon\, Marcus Paquin\, Dan Mangan\, bülow\, Cary Brothers\, Sarah MacDougall\, David\nVertesi\, Jordan Klassen\, Sylo and many more. Amy is also on the Board of Directors for Music Publishers Canada and the Chair of the FACTOR Board.\n \n\n\n Michelle Szeto\, Vice President\, Management Division @ Loft Entertainment\n \nMichelle Szeto got her first taste of the entertainment industry at an early age in her hometown of Hong Kong\, working in concert production for international superstars such as Oasis\, Celine Dion\, Boyz II Men\, Sean Lennon and Prodigy.  \nDuring her 17-year tenure at Paquin Entertainment Group\, Michelle held various roles throughout the company\, including publicity\, tour marketing\, and artist management.  \nToday\, in her role as Vice President\, Management Division\, at Loft Entertainment (in partnership with Paquin)\, Michelle personally manages award-winning artists and songwriter: Donovan Woods\, Wild Rivers\, Lindsay Ell\, Devan and Babygirl. \n\n \nLiana White is the Executive Director of the Canadian National Office of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/CFM). White is involved in every aspect of the unions operations\, from lobbying and negotiating on behalf of musicians\, to mentoring them. With over 25 years’ experience helping musicians to navigate the legal requirements to perform cross border\, White has become recognized within the music industry as a leading authority on the subject. White also sits on the Board of Women in Music Canada\, and on the Canadian Labour Congress Women’s & Workers of Colour Caucuses. \n \nNoreen Hamid is a Publicity Director\, Creative Producer\, and Consultant with over 10 years of experience leading publicity campaigns for music artists\, labels\, international music award shows\, TV series\, films\, and high-profile events. She also produces television series\, music and entertainment news\, and special events — from award shows and red carpets\, to album release showcases and art exhibits\, and everything in between. After dedicated years with MuchMusic\, MTV\, E!\, the Toronto International Film Festival\, eTalk\, and much more\, Noreen started her own boutique company\, utilizing her passion and combined experiences in Production\, PR\, and Strategy\, and prioritizing work with artists from marginalized communities. An expert in Hip Hop\, R&B\, Afrobeats\, and Pop music publicity\, she works with several artists\, labels\, and projects internationally\, including Megan Thee Stallion\, Young Thug\, Mary J. Blige\, Gunna\, Charlotte Cardin\, TOBi\, Ralph\, Ruby Waters\, IDMAN\, RCA Records\, Arista Records\, 300 Entertainment\, Fool’s Gold\, the Oscar-nominated documentary The Cave\, and as a consultant on several upcoming series and artists in development. Currently\, Noreen’s work touches Canada\, the US\, the UK\, France\, Ghana\, Nigeria\, India\, parts of the Middle East\, and beyond. \nBIO \n \n Amy Eligh began her career in Publishing at Casablanca Media / Red Brick Songs in the Copyright and Royalties department\, before moving into Creative – where she\nsuccessfully stationed herself for over a decade before moving to Arts & Crafts Music. Within her role as Director of Publishing & Licensing\, Amy pitches large-scale catalogue of songs for film\, trailers\, advertising\, video games\, and TV (US & Canada) as well as oversees the day to day within the department.\nIn addition to pitching\, Amy organizes showcases for clients / songwriters with TV networks\, music supervisors\, and advertisers. She also develops new writers\, arranges co-writing sessions\, coordinates and hosts song-writing camps\, and scouts for talent.\nAt Arts & Crafts Music\, Amy works with Broken Social Scene\, Dear Rouge\, Old Man Saxon\, Marcus Paquin\, Dan Mangan\, bülow\, Cary Brothers\, Sarah MacDougall\, David\nVertesi\, Jordan Klassen\, Sylo and many more. Amy is also on the Board of Directors for Music Publishers Canada and the Chair of the FACTOR Board. \nMichelle Szeto got her first taste of the entertainment industry at an early age in her hometown of Hong Kong\, working in concert production for international superstars such as Oasis\, Celine Dion\, Boyz II Men\, Sean Lennon and Prodigy.  \nDuring her 17-year tenure at Paquin Entertainment Group\, Michelle held various roles throughout the company\, including publicity\, tour marketing\, and artist management.  \nToday\, in her role as Vice President\, Management Division\, at Loft Entertainment (in partnership with Paquin)\, Michelle personally manages award-winning artists and songwriter: Donovan Woods\, Wild Rivers\, Lindsay Ell\, Devan and Babygirl. \n11:15 AM – 12:15 PM\nTaking the Reins: Artist Self-Management\nThe tools for launching your own music career have never been more accessible… But that doesn’t make it any less confusing! What do you need to know to manage yourself? How can you build a team of collaborators and industry professionals on your own? And where does the money come from? This panel of experts will discuss how artists can bootstrap projects on their own and answer your questions for how to level up. \n  \nPRESENTED BY CIMA \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Savannah Wellman\, Tiny Kingdom Music\n \n \nLiana White is the Executive Director of the Canadian National Office of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/CFM). White is involved in every aspect of the unions operations\, from lobbying and negotiating on behalf of musicians\, to mentoring them. With over 25 years’ experience helping musicians to navigate the legal requirements to perform cross border\, White has become recognized within the music industry as a leading authority on the subject. White also sits on the Board of Women in Music Canada\, and on the Canadian Labour Congress Women’s & Workers of Colour Caucuses. \n\n\n\n Witch Prophet\, Artist\n \n \nWitch Prophet is a queer\, East African\, singer-songwriter\, as well as the President and Co-CEO of women owned and operated indie label Heart Lake Records. As Witch Prophet\, she provides her fans with a soundscape of vocal layers\, loops\, raps\, and harmonies on a bed of trip-hop\, neo soul and jazz inspired beats produced by her wife\, DJ and business partner SUN SUN. She finds depth and connection in creatingmusic as a portal for self-growth and discovery. File next to Erykah Badu\, Lauryn Hill\, Greentea Peng and Portishead. \nWitch Prophet has had the opportunity to open for multiple artists like; Tash Sultana\, Sudan Archives\, JPEGMAFIA\, Pierre Kwenders\, CLIPPING\, Lido Pimienta\, Begonia\, and Snotty Nose Rez Kids to name a few. \nHer 2020 album ‘DNA Activation’ was shortlisted for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize and her most recent album ‘Gateway Experience’\, was long listed for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. She was featured in the Toronto Star where her album was reviewed and quoted as being “a transfixing journey” and a “trippy dive into the nexus of health\, spirituality and human connection”. \n\n\n\n Melissa McMaster\, Founder of 902HipHop\, Junos Rap Advisory Committee Chair\n \n \nMelissa started her journey in the music industry with the successful launch of 902HipHop\, a Halifax-based artist management and music licensing company. Melissa has been instrumental in building the careers of East Coast artists Quake Matthews\, Kayo\, and producer Matty Galaxy.In the last three years\, Melissa has been a guiding force in the music landscape\, working with major distribution companies like UnitedMasters and Trac\, contributing significantly to the development of their Sync Departments. She has a keen ear for finding new talent and licensing and clearing music for a number of clients including NBA2K\, ESPN\, Netflix\, Hulu\, Instinct and Black & White Music. \nMelissa’s dynamic presence and strategic insights make her a standout figure in the industry\, she’s consistently creating unique opportunities both nationally and internationally to help artists break into new markets. \n\n\n\n Aisha Wickham\, Ontario Creates\n \n \n Developing and promoting Canada’s music industry has been the primary focus of Aisha’s career. She is currently a Program Consultant for the Ontario Music Office at Ontario Creates. In this role\, she manages funding programs and implements strategic initiatives to support economic development within the province’s music industry.\nAisha was part of the management team that launched Canada’s first Black-owned radio station\, FLOW 93.5\, and has also worked in senior management positions with G98.7 FM\, Nia Centre for the Arts\, the Urban Music Association of Canada\, and the Canadian Independent Recording Artists’ Association of Canada. She ran her own communications consulting practice\, ngoma productions\, for a number of years\, specializing in project management\, business plan development and writing services for the music and broadcasting sectors.\nSome of the committees that Aisha has served on include: Toronto Arts Council Music Committee\, National Advisory Board for the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR)\, JUNO Awards nomination committees (R&B/Soul)\, Ryerson\nUniversity Alumni Association Board\, and Community Engagement Council for the Toronto 2015 PanAm/ParapanAm Games.\nAisha is the recipient of the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME) Award for Behind the Scenes Executive of the Year\, the Canadian New Media Award for Outstanding Young Woman and the Harry Jerome Award\nfor leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in Radio and Television Arts from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).\n \n \nLiana White is the Executive Director of the Canadian National Office of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/CFM). White is involved in every aspect of the unions operations\, from lobbying and negotiating on behalf of musicians\, to mentoring them. With over 25 years’ experience helping musicians to navigate the legal requirements to perform cross border\, White has become recognized within the music industry as a leading authority on the subject. White also sits on the Board of Women in Music Canada\, and on the Canadian Labour Congress Women’s & Workers of Colour Caucuses. \n \nWitch Prophet is a queer\, East African\, singer-songwriter\, as well as the President and Co-CEO of women owned and operated indie label Heart Lake Records. As Witch Prophet\, she provides her fans with a soundscape of vocal layers\, loops\, raps\, and harmonies on a bed of trip-hop\, neo soul and jazz inspired beats produced by her wife\, DJ and business partner SUN SUN. She finds depth and connection in creatingmusic as a portal for self-growth and discovery. File next to Erykah Badu\, Lauryn Hill\, Greentea Peng and Portishead. \nWitch Prophet has had the opportunity to open for multiple artists like; Tash Sultana\, Sudan Archives\, JPEGMAFIA\, Pierre Kwenders\, CLIPPING\, Lido Pimienta\, Begonia\, and Snotty Nose Rez Kids to name a few. \nHer 2020 album ‘DNA Activation’ was shortlisted for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize and her most recent album ‘Gateway Experience’\, was long listed for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. She was featured in the Toronto Star where her album was reviewed and quoted as being “a transfixing journey” and a “trippy dive into the nexus of health\, spirituality and human connection”. \n \nMelissa started her journey in the music industry with the successful launch of 902HipHop\, a Halifax-based artist management and music licensing company. Melissa has been instrumental in building the careers of East Coast artists Quake Matthews\, Kayo\, and producer Matty Galaxy.In the last three years\, Melissa has been a guiding force in the music landscape\, working with major distribution companies like UnitedMasters and Trac\, contributing significantly to the development of their Sync Departments. She has a keen ear for finding new talent and licensing and clearing music for a number of clients including NBA2K\, ESPN\, Netflix\, Hulu\, Instinct and Black & White Music. \nMelissa’s dynamic presence and strategic insights make her a standout figure in the industry\, she’s consistently creating unique opportunities both nationally and internationally to help artists break into new markets. \n \n Developing and promoting Canada’s music industry has been the primary focus of Aisha’s career. She is currently a Program Consultant for the Ontario Music Office at Ontario Creates. In this role\, she manages funding programs and implements strategic initiatives to support economic development within the province’s music industry.\nAisha was part of the management team that launched Canada’s first Black-owned radio station\, FLOW 93.5\, and has also worked in senior management positions with G98.7 FM\, Nia Centre for the Arts\, the Urban Music Association of Canada\, and the Canadian Independent Recording Artists’ Association of Canada. She ran her own communications consulting practice\, ngoma productions\, for a number of years\, specializing in project management\, business plan development and writing services for the music and broadcasting sectors.\nSome of the committees that Aisha has served on include: Toronto Arts Council Music Committee\, National Advisory Board for the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR)\, JUNO Awards nomination committees (R&B/Soul)\, Ryerson\nUniversity Alumni Association Board\, and Community Engagement Council for the Toronto 2015 PanAm/ParapanAm Games.\nAisha is the recipient of the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME) Award for Behind the Scenes Executive of the Year\, the Canadian New Media Award for Outstanding Young Woman and the Harry Jerome Award\nfor leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in Radio and Television Arts from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). \n12:30-1:30\nFIRESIDE LUNCH: BREAKOUT ARTISTS\nBreakout artist Begonia chats with Bee Ramesh about her journey – an impressive rise that includes 2 recent Juno nominations\, a spot on the 2023 Polaris Music Prize shortlist\, and being named one of NPR’s Artists You Need to Know. \nLunch: Grab’n’Go lunches are included with your ticket! \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n BREAKOUT ARTIST: BEGONIA\n \n \nPegged as Canada’s breakout alt-diva\, Begonia has built a legion of fans online and at her legendary live shows. Her critically acclaimed discography includes Lady In Mind EP (2017)\, Fear (2019)\, and Powder Blue (2023). \nAmong her accolades\, she has two JUNO nominations (2021\, 2024\, Adult Alternative Album of the Year)\, two Polaris Prize nominations\, multiple #1 songs on CBC Radio\, and was named one of NPR’s Artists You Need to Know. Her sophomore album\, Powder Blue emerged in early 2023 and confronts themes of sexuality\, self-discovery\, acceptance and empowerment. The album was named one of CBC Music’s Best Canadian Albumsof 2023 (#7) and was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. \nBegonia’s live performance is world-class. She has been playing sold-out clubs and theatres in North America and recently supported indie-all-star Leith Ross on their European tour. Her vocal prowess has the power to absolutely floor an audience\, as evidenced at her Polaris Gala performance. She is riding a wave of momentum with a record number of people discovering Powder Blue and becoming super-fans. Begonia is a standout Canadian talent\, and the world is beginning to take notice. \n\n\n\n INTERVIEWED BY: Bee Ramesh\n \n \nBee Ramesh\, aka Eboshi\, is a marketing strategist\, director\, producer\, and multidisciplinary artist. At Birthday Cake Media\, Bee works on the label side for Marketing & Sales; tailoring unique approaches for social media\, rolling out releases\, and running internal publicity. As Eboshi\, she is one half of the experimental hip-hop group\, Cartel Madras\, and a founding member of interdisciplinary art and production house\, FOREIGNERZ. She is passionate about platforming artists and developing their brand so they can share their stories with authenticity.Signed to Sub Pop Records in 2019\, Bee has toured North America and Europe\, performing in major festivals; SXSW\, Reeperbahn\, Pop-Kultur Berlin\, and Barcelona Acció Musical (BAM).Cartel Madras has been featured in Billboard\, GQ India\, and NME and has had their music in the soundtracks of Hulu’s “Shrill”\, EA Games FC24 and UFC4\, and Netflix’s “Trinkets”. Through nightlife and event production\, Eboshi has also hosted many notable events such as Boiler Room Toronto\, The Otherworld: A Fashion Experience\, She Rocks – a South Asian Women inMusic Showcase\, and the 2023 Calgary Pride Gala. FRNRZ Media is currently developing a new scripted series.Birthday Cake Media is a record label and management company that is committed to elevating and celebrating the diverse and uniquely talented artists on our roster. We strive to create and nurture successful\, sustainable music careers globally\, with a commitment to integrity\, kindness\, and resilience. Some of our artists include The Bros. Landreth\, Begonia\, Field Guide\, and SlowLeaves. \n\n \nPegged as Canada’s breakout alt-diva\, Begonia has built a legion of fans online and at her legendary live shows. Her critically acclaimed discography includes Lady In Mind EP (2017)\, Fear (2019)\, and Powder Blue (2023). \nAmong her accolades\, she has two JUNO nominations (2021\, 2024\, Adult Alternative Album of the Year)\, two Polaris Prize nominations\, multiple #1 songs on CBC Radio\, and was named one of NPR’s Artists You Need to Know. Her sophomore album\, Powder Blue emerged in early 2023 and confronts themes of sexuality\, self-discovery\, acceptance and empowerment. The album was named one of CBC Music’s Best Canadian Albumsof 2023 (#7) and was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. \nBegonia’s live performance is world-class. She has been playing sold-out clubs and theatres in North America and recently supported indie-all-star Leith Ross on their European tour. Her vocal prowess has the power to absolutely floor an audience\, as evidenced at her Polaris Gala performance. She is riding a wave of momentum with a record number of people discovering Powder Blue and becoming super-fans. Begonia is a standout Canadian talent\, and the world is beginning to take notice. \n \nBee Ramesh\, aka Eboshi\, is a marketing strategist\, director\, producer\, and multidisciplinary artist. At Birthday Cake Media\, Bee works on the label side for Marketing & Sales; tailoring unique approaches for social media\, rolling out releases\, and running internal publicity. As Eboshi\, she is one half of the experimental hip-hop group\, Cartel Madras\, and a founding member of interdisciplinary art and production house\, FOREIGNERZ. She is passionate about platforming artists and developing their brand so they can share their stories with authenticity.Signed to Sub Pop Records in 2019\, Bee has toured North America and Europe\, performing in major festivals; SXSW\, Reeperbahn\, Pop-Kultur Berlin\, and Barcelona Acció Musical (BAM).Cartel Madras has been featured in Billboard\, GQ India\, and NME and has had their music in the soundtracks of Hulu’s “Shrill”\, EA Games FC24 and UFC4\, and Netflix’s “Trinkets”. Through nightlife and event production\, Eboshi has also hosted many notable events such as Boiler Room Toronto\, The Otherworld: A Fashion Experience\, She Rocks – a South Asian Women inMusic Showcase\, and the 2023 Calgary Pride Gala. FRNRZ Media is currently developing a new scripted series.Birthday Cake Media is a record label and management company that is committed to elevating and celebrating the diverse and uniquely talented artists on our roster. We strive to create and nurture successful\, sustainable music careers globally\, with a commitment to integrity\, kindness\, and resilience. Some of our artists include The Bros. Landreth\, Begonia\, Field Guide\, and SlowLeaves. \n1:45-2:45 PM\nMental Health & Wellness in the Industry\nLet’s face it – the music industry wasn’t built around best practices for mental health. It’s fast-paced\, and can be dog-eat-dog or even downright predatorial. So how do we carve out habits\, systems\, and supports for individual and communal mental health and wellness? Our panelists share their expertise on how to thrive during high-stress times like recording and touring\, discuss how to build healthy creative teams\, and point us toward resources that are especially useful for the music community. \nPRESENTED BY TORONTO MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Catherine Harrison\, President\, Revelios Mental Health\n \n \nCatherine Harrison\, M.A. Psych\, P.C.C.\, is a Canadian musician\, mental health strategy consultant\, leadership expert\, author\, speaker\, certified executive coach\, and advocate for inclusive and equitable well-being. As the founder and president of Revelios\, she aims to improve our collective mental health literacy and social fitness through education\, reducing stigma\, and facilitating open\, courageous conversations. Over the past several years\, Catherine has been active in illuminating the unique mental health challenges that musicians and crew experience. She is a trusted advisor to several national and international non-profit music organizations and provides non-clinical mental health support to Canadian music industry professionals. \n\n\n\n Michelle Allman-Esdaille\, CEO @ Sustainable Creative Living\n \n \nMichelle Allman-Esdaille\, a visionary leader\, is transforming the creative industry through her brainchild\, The Hook & Company\, a Toronto-based hub for artist services. As an accomplished artist manager and business owner\, Michelle is renowned for her influence\, including being the pioneering force behind The HOOK Sync Group\, Canada’s premier sync agency helmed by a Black woman\, championing inclusivity. At ADVANCE\, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective\, Michelle drives operations and talent acquisition\, actively fostering growth in the Black music scene. Her commitment extends to Sustainable Creative Living\, a platform where she leverages her decade-long experience to empower export-ready artists and industry professionals through programming designed in partnership with MuCruu\, a liaison export company. \nTo add to the list\, Michelle is a Reiki practitioner and author of a collaborative anthology book entitled “You Have So Much Potential – Inspiring Generation Healing & Transformation” with 29 other doctors and practitioners showcasing her multifaceted commitment to empowering others\, making her a true pioneer in the industry. \n\n\n\n Maylee Todd\, Artist\n \n \nMaylee Todd\, based in Los Angeles\, is a multimedia/interdisciplinary artist with expertise in performance art\, music production\, dance\, AR/VR performance\, and curation. She has seamlessly integrated various artistic disciplines into a series of multimedia performances\, complemented by her self-produced records. Notable works include “Maylee Todd’s Musical Planetarium” (2013)\, “Inamorata” (2016)\, “Virtual Womb” (2015-2019) with international tours and features on CBC’s Exhibitionists\, and “Psychonaut Experiments” (2018-2020)\, earning her a nomination for the Inaugural Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize. \nMaylee’s music career boasts self-produced records like “Choose Your Own Adventure” (2010) and “Escapology” (2013)\, reaching number 10 on the Tokyo International Billboard Charts. Her song “Baby’s Got It” received SOCAN Songwriting Award and Prism Prize nominations. \nHer science fiction album “MALOO” (2022) on Stones Throw Records featured live motion capture\, winning the AIM Awards’ ‘Best Creative Campaign’ and making history as the first avatar to perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk Home Concert Series. The track “Grab Your Guts” from MALOO earned a SOCAN Best Song Writing nomination. \nMaylee is a music producer for CBC and Netflix’s “Workin Moms\,” receiving the CASMA Canadian Screen Music Award for Best Original Score for the final series “The End.” Currently\, she tours a project using an EEG headband to convert her brainwaves into music\, showcased at Elevate Fest Canada’s Largest Tech Summit. She collaborates with The Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts in New York on the “Woman and Non-Binary In Tech Series.” Recently nominated for the 2024 Woman In Music Honours International Achievement Award\, Maylee Todd continues to push boundaries in the intersection of art and technology. \n\n\n\n Amanda Power\, Executive Director @ The Unison Fund\n \n \nFrom an early age Amanda Power recognized her skills and passion for music would be best suited to a career behind the scenes. She focused her life-long passion towards the Canadian music industry\, working at the Canadian Country Music Association\, Gibson Guitar Canada\, CARAS/The JUNO Awards\, World Vision Canada\, and Canadian Music Week. \nAmanda eventually landed at The Unison Fund in 2015 as Development Manager and brought her two decades worth of experience in event management\, sponsorship\,marketing\, and industry relations to the organization. Unison grew with several hallmark fundraising events like its national golf tournaments and holiday ‘Schmoozefest’ party\, and in 2018 Amanda was appointed Executive Director. \nIn her leadership role\, Amanda has brought in over 30 million dollars in funding\, securing $18.2 million in 2022 from the Government of Canada for Canadian live music workers\, as well as $10 million from The Slaight Family Foundation to develop a Legacy program for veteran and chronically ill members of the music community. In 2022\, The Unison Fund was the recipient of the CCMA Gary Slaight Music Humanitarian Award for its crucial work during the pandemic and is currently home to 6 full-time staff and 11 board members who serve the Canadian music industry. \nAmanda is a passionate advocate for animal welfare\, a proud “mom” to five fur-babies\, enjoys gardening\, and spending quality time with friends and family appreciating a nice bottle of red. \nwww.unisonfund.ca \n\n \nCatherine Harrison\, M.A. Psych\, P.C.C.\, is a Canadian musician\, mental health strategy consultant\, leadership expert\, author\, speaker\, certified executive coach\, and advocate for inclusive and equitable well-being. As the founder and president of Revelios\, she aims to improve our collective mental health literacy and social fitness through education\, reducing stigma\, and facilitating open\, courageous conversations. Over the past several years\, Catherine has been active in illuminating the unique mental health challenges that musicians and crew experience. She is a trusted advisor to several national and international non-profit music organizations and provides non-clinical mental health support to Canadian music industry professionals. \n \nMichelle Allman-Esdaille\, a visionary leader\, is transforming the creative industry through her brainchild\, The Hook & Company\, a Toronto-based hub for artist services. As an accomplished artist manager and business owner\, Michelle is renowned for her influence\, including being the pioneering force behind The HOOK Sync Group\, Canada’s premier sync agency helmed by a Black woman\, championing inclusivity. At ADVANCE\, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective\, Michelle drives operations and talent acquisition\, actively fostering growth in the Black music scene. Her commitment extends to Sustainable Creative Living\, a platform where she leverages her decade-long experience to empower export-ready artists and industry professionals through programming designed in partnership with MuCruu\, a liaison export company. \nTo add to the list\, Michelle is a Reiki practitioner and author of a collaborative anthology book entitled “You Have So Much Potential – Inspiring Generation Healing & Transformation” with 29 other doctors and practitioners showcasing her multifaceted commitment to empowering others\, making her a true pioneer in the industry. \n \nMaylee Todd\, based in Los Angeles\, is a multimedia/interdisciplinary artist with expertise in performance art\, music production\, dance\, AR/VR performance\, and curation. She has seamlessly integrated various artistic disciplines into a series of multimedia performances\, complemented by her self-produced records. Notable works include “Maylee Todd’s Musical Planetarium” (2013)\, “Inamorata” (2016)\, “Virtual Womb” (2015-2019) with international tours and features on CBC’s Exhibitionists\, and “Psychonaut Experiments” (2018-2020)\, earning her a nomination for the Inaugural Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prize. \nMaylee’s music career boasts self-produced records like “Choose Your Own Adventure” (2010) and “Escapology” (2013)\, reaching number 10 on the Tokyo International Billboard Charts. Her song “Baby’s Got It” received SOCAN Songwriting Award and Prism Prize nominations. \nHer science fiction album “MALOO” (2022) on Stones Throw Records featured live motion capture\, winning the AIM Awards’ ‘Best Creative Campaign’ and making history as the first avatar to perform on NPR’s Tiny Desk Home Concert Series. The track “Grab Your Guts” from MALOO earned a SOCAN Best Song Writing nomination. \nMaylee is a music producer for CBC and Netflix’s “Workin Moms\,” receiving the CASMA Canadian Screen Music Award for Best Original Score for the final series “The End.” Currently\, she tours a project using an EEG headband to convert her brainwaves into music\, showcased at Elevate Fest Canada’s Largest Tech Summit. She collaborates with The Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts in New York on the “Woman and Non-Binary In Tech Series.” Recently nominated for the 2024 Woman In Music Honours International Achievement Award\, Maylee Todd continues to push boundaries in the intersection of art and technology. \n \nFrom an early age Amanda Power recognized her skills and passion for music would be best suited to a career behind the scenes. She focused her life-long passion towards the Canadian music industry\, working at the Canadian Country Music Association\, Gibson Guitar Canada\, CARAS/The JUNO Awards\, World Vision Canada\, and Canadian Music Week. \nAmanda eventually landed at The Unison Fund in 2015 as Development Manager and brought her two decades worth of experience in event management\, sponsorship\,marketing\, and industry relations to the organization. Unison grew with several hallmark fundraising events like its national golf tournaments and holiday ‘Schmoozefest’ party\, and in 2018 Amanda was appointed Executive Director. \nIn her leadership role\, Amanda has brought in over 30 million dollars in funding\, securing $18.2 million in 2022 from the Government of Canada for Canadian live music workers\, as well as $10 million from The Slaight Family Foundation to develop a Legacy program for veteran and chronically ill members of the music community. In 2022\, The Unison Fund was the recipient of the CCMA Gary Slaight Music Humanitarian Award for its crucial work during the pandemic and is currently home to 6 full-time staff and 11 board members who serve the Canadian music industry. \nAmanda is a passionate advocate for animal welfare\, a proud “mom” to five fur-babies\, enjoys gardening\, and spending quality time with friends and family appreciating a nice bottle of red. \nwww.unisonfund.ca \n3:00 – 4:00 PM\nInnovating Income Streams\nFrom playlisting to subscription-based communities\, merch sales to licensing\, artists\, their teams\, and the apps that support them are finding innovative new ways to get paid. These experts chime in on best practices\, untapped resources\, and emerging trends in diversifying income for artists and the people who support them. \nPRESENTED BY ACTRA:RACS \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Vanessa Thomas\, Sound Royalties\n \nBIO \n\n\n\n Shenel Ekici-Moling\, Partnerships @ Substack\n \nBIO \n\n\n\n Elise Milani\, Head of Music Marketing @ Monstercat\n \nElise Milani is the Toronto-based Head of Music Marketing at Electronic music’s leading independent record label\, Monstercat. In this role\, Milani manages a multinational team of Project Managers tasked to deliver marketing strategies for Monstercat’s demanding frontline release schedule\, totaling five releases per week. \nSince joining Monstercat in April 2022\, she has made significant contributions to the label’s success\, including the breakout of UK duo Punctual’s “Do It All Again\,” which amassed over 50 million streams within its first year. In addition\, she recently oversaw the marketing rollout for WHIPPED CREAM’s “The Dark” feat. Jasiah & Crimson Child\, the first-ever volumetrically captured VR music video in Canada. This unique interactive VR exhibit premiered at the SXSW XR Experience program in March 2023 and is the world’s highest-resolution VR music experience to date. \nPrior to joining Monstercat\, Milani was the Senior Artist & Operations Manager at 2+2 Management\, where she worked with several award-winning Canadian artists\, including REZZ\, Zeds Dead\, and Keys N Krates. Her talent for developing acts regionally and internationally has resulted in two JUNO Awards\, six JUNO nominations\, and multiple Music Canada-accredited records. One notable achievement was the premiere of REZZ’s JUNO Award-winning Beyond the Senses (2019) EP\, a virtual reality concert that rented global VR lounges for fans to view simultaneously. \n\n\n\n LATASHÁ\, Artist\n \n \n Melding the rhythms of hip-hop and dance with the future of blockchain\, LATASHÁ emerges as a distinctive polymath at the crossroads of music\, art\, and technology. Beyond her accolades as a singer-songwriter and producer\, she is a tech visionary\, pioneering the integration of music with blockchain. Anchored in powerful tales of Black femininity and empowerment\, LATASHÁ masterfully employs innovative tech\, from NFTs to Midi controllers\, to resonate her narratives even louder.\n \n\n\n Monika Chmielewska\, Senior Legal & Business Affairs\, Third Side Music\n \n \nMonika is a lawyer working in the Legal & Business Affairs department at independent music publisher Third Side Music. She handles negotiations for synchronization requests (for film\, TV\, ads\, trailers\, and video games) and sample uses worldwide. In addition to her role at TSM\, she is involved with the Conseil des arts de Montréal as a member of the Music Evaluation Committee\, and is also pursuing graduate studies in Arts & Culture Management at HEC Montréal. \n\nBIO \nBIO \nElise Milani is the Toronto-based Head of Music Marketing at Electronic music’s leading independent record label\, Monstercat. In this role\, Milani manages a multinational team of Project Managers tasked to deliver marketing strategies for Monstercat’s demanding frontline release schedule\, totaling five releases per week. \nSince joining Monstercat in April 2022\, she has made significant contributions to the label’s success\, including the breakout of UK duo Punctual’s “Do It All Again\,” which amassed over 50 million streams within its first year. In addition\, she recently oversaw the marketing rollout for WHIPPED CREAM’s “The Dark” feat. Jasiah & Crimson Child\, the first-ever volumetrically captured VR music video in Canada. This unique interactive VR exhibit premiered at the SXSW XR Experience program in March 2023 and is the world’s highest-resolution VR music experience to date. \nPrior to joining Monstercat\, Milani was the Senior Artist & Operations Manager at 2+2 Management\, where she worked with several award-winning Canadian artists\, including REZZ\, Zeds Dead\, and Keys N Krates. Her talent for developing acts regionally and internationally has resulted in two JUNO Awards\, six JUNO nominations\, and multiple Music Canada-accredited records. One notable achievement was the premiere of REZZ’s JUNO Award-winning Beyond the Senses (2019) EP\, a virtual reality concert that rented global VR lounges for fans to view simultaneously. \n \n Melding the rhythms of hip-hop and dance with the future of blockchain\, LATASHÁ emerges as a distinctive polymath at the crossroads of music\, art\, and technology. Beyond her accolades as a singer-songwriter and producer\, she is a tech visionary\, pioneering the integration of music with blockchain. Anchored in powerful tales of Black femininity and empowerment\, LATASHÁ masterfully employs innovative tech\, from NFTs to Midi controllers\, to resonate her narratives even louder.\n \nMonika is a lawyer working in the Legal & Business Affairs department at independent music publisher Third Side Music. She handles negotiations for synchronization requests (for film\, TV\, ads\, trailers\, and video games) and sample uses worldwide. In addition to her role at TSM\, she is involved with the Conseil des arts de Montréal as a member of the Music Evaluation Committee\, and is also pursuing graduate studies in Arts & Culture Management at HEC Montréal. \nDay 1 Wrap-up: The Listening Party\n4:00 – 5:00 pm\nClose off an exciting Summit Day 1 by enjoying a few featured tracks from top & emerging Canadian producers!\nWhat’s The Listening Party?It’s a curated showcase series that builds awareness and opportunity for award-winning and emerging underrepresented producers. It offers producers and listeners the exhilarating feeling of a communal listening experience for new music. \nLaunched in 2022 by the advocacy arm of LPM production studio\, what began at Toronto’s Phoenix nightclub is now expanding to provincial\, national and international scopes. \nCome celebrate\, discover\, and connect with top producers and rising talent from diverse communities in an informal and fun atmosphere. You just might discover the producer for your next project. \nwww.thelisteningparty.vip \n \n DAY 2 – March 7\, 2024\n10:00 – 11:00 AM\nBeyond Genre: Creating & Branding in a post-genre world\nFrom Alt R&B to Liquid DnB\, Chillhop to Afrobeats\, Synthwave to Slowcore\, genres are becoming more fluid and listeners can discover new trends and artists via social media and cross-genre streaming playlists. How does this affect how music is made\, represented\, and promoted in the industry? Are micro-genre playlists the way to break hybrid artists? How can category-driven awards stay relevant in a landscape that is evolving faster than ever? Our experts chime in from the artist to the industry side of the biz. \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Melissa Vincent\, Journalist\n \n \nMelissa Vincent is a music journalist\, researcher\, and strategist based in Toronto. Her work broadly investigates questions of equity\, intimacy\, and community formation as it relates to music\, technology\, and culture. She’s been featured in Elle Canada\, Pitchfork\, Billboard\, NPR Music\, The Globe and Mail\, The Fader\, and Vice. In 2022\, she was nominated for the 7th annual Digital Publishing Awards by the National Media Awards Foundation in the category of “Best Science and Technology Storytelling.” She has moderated panels around the world\, and on a somewhat frequent basis\, CBC’s The National will ask her to talk about breaking music stories. In the past\, she’s led the strategy for content platforms operated by Blue Ant Media\, Universal Music Canada\, and Banger Films\, including producing a podcast an 8-part music docuseries on Netflix. She’s a Prism Prize juror\, a SOCAN Songwriting Prize Panelist\, and Polaris Prize jury foreperson and board member. She’s currently completing a graduate fellowship at the McLuhan Centre for Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto. \n\n\n\n Jess Huddleston\, Editorial Lead @ Spotify Canada\n \n \nJess Huddleston is currently the Editorial Lead for Spotify Canada\, where she oversees a team of music curators who craft playlists and on-platform programming north of the border. Jess comes from a music journalism background — writing for Complex\, VICE\, CLASH and more before landing at MuchMusic and then CBC Music\, where she led a team of music journalists and hosted a music talk show called The Intro. With over 15 years in Canadian music media\, Jess is most passionate about shining a spotlight on emerging Canadian talent\, and helping to export those incredible sounds to other parts of the world. \n\n\n\n Sydney Blu\, The JUNOs\, Chair of the “Underground Dance Music” Category\n \nBIO \n\n\n\n Dani Deahl\, DJ/Producer\, Head of Communications & Creator Insights @ BandLab\n \n \nAs a prominent figure in music\, Dani Deahl has been at the forefront of artist discovery and meaningful industry change for over a decade. She currently is a DJ\, producer\, and artist advocate. She developed the coverage for the intersection of music and technology for The Verge\, helmed YouTube series The Future of Music\, and is Governor for the Recording Academy Chicago chapter. \nWhen performing\, she crafts house sets that are technically savvy and explore her roots in Chicago’s storied music history through a contemporary lens. Her sound expands across tech house\, bright\, upbeat grooves\, chugging percussion\, and soul and disco-infusions. \nShe has a regular presence on Twitch with the flagship show Demo Drop and can also be found on Clubhouse\, where she runs the platform’s largest dance music club\, World of EDM. \nAs an artist herself\, Dani has released with labels like Dim Mak\, Monstercat\, Flamingo\, Cr2\, and Armada. She has also been the subject of two documentaries\, toured extensively across the globe\, played festivals like Spring Awakening\, Lollapalooza\, and EDC\, venues like Wrigley Field (with Fall Out Boy)\, hosted her own terrestrial radio show in Spain and the Canary Islands\, and has been an official Red Bull DJ. She has headlined with or been direct support for artists like Alison Wonderland\, Valentino Khan\, Deadmau5\, Diplo\, Steve Aoki\, NERVO\, LP Giobbi\, and countless others. As Diplo himself says: “She’s awesome.” \nDani also previously held editorial positions with NYLON Magazine and DJ Mag\, and she is the host of YouTube series The Future of Music\, which features stars like Charli XCX and Oak Felder\, producer for Kehlani and Demi Lovato. Her writing appears in countless publications like VICE\, Mixmag\, Festival Insider\, CNBC\, OCTOBER\, The Verge\, Insomniac\, and more. \nDani has been heralded for her impact in music by Music Business Worldwide\, Music Week\, Variety\, Billboard\, Yahoo\, Chicago Tribune\, and many others. She’s also a prominent expert and fierce advocate on the topic of gender equality in dance music\, with speaking engagements at TEDx\, Spotify for Artists\, Wallifornia\, Reeperbahn\, and more. \nIn 2020\, she partnered with Bandsintown and Twitter to launch Net.Werk\, a Twitch festival dedicated to underrepresented acts in dance. Featuring acts like Michael Brun\, Varien\, and GG Magree\, the festival’s viewership consistently outperformed competing Twitch festivals. \nAdditionally\, Dani has been a guest and expert voice for MSNBC and on podcasts like Reset\, Vergecast\, Switched on Pop\, Ari’s Take\, and more. \nAs of 2023\, Dani is also an elected Governor for the Recording Academy’s Chicago Chapter\, engaging in outreach and professional development for the music community. \n\n\n\n Hill Kourkoutis\, Producer/Engineer/Artist\n \n \nHill Kourkoutis is a JUNO Award-winning producer\, songwriter\, composer\, mixer\, recording engineer\, multi-instrumentalist\, artist\, and director. \nSpanning her career\, Hill has contributed either as producer\, mixer and/or songwriter on albums and singles for Aysanabee (“Nomads” #1 CBC Radio\, #1 Alternative Rock Radio\, Top 30 Canada Modern Rock Airplay\, JUNO award-nominated and Polaris Short-List album ‘Watin’)\, Leela Gilday (JUNO and CFMA award-winning album ‘North Star Calling’)\, Digging Roots (“SKODEN” Top 30 Alternative Radio\, JUNO award-winning album ‘Zhawenim’)\, SATE (JUNO award-nominated album ‘The Fool’\, 2022 Polaris Prize nominee)\, Royal Wood\, Cassie Dasilva (TikTok 1mm+ viral single “Unsolicited Contact”)\, Jules (“Before You Picked Her” #1 CBC\, Top 40 Alternative Rock Radio)\, Meghan Patrick (‘Grace & Grit’ CCMA Nominated Album of the Year)\, POESY (“Strange Little Girl” Top 40 Alternative Rock Radio) and Amanda Rheaume (‘The Spaces In Between’ #1 Album on the earshot! National Folk/Roots/Blues Chart\, CFMA award-winning album).  \nShe has also written and produced songs for children’s television shows including the theme songs for Remy and Boo (CBC/Universal Kids) and Dino Ranch (CBC/Disney) and episodic songs for Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go (Netflix). Syncs include commercial placements for Cadillac\, Virgin Mobile and Tim Horton’s and television shows/films including Station 19\, Private Eyes\, Offspring\, Bloodthirsty\, Kim’s Convenience\, Killjoys\, Degrassi and Hometown Hockey. In addition to these projects\, she has released her own music through several projects including Drowning Girl and Hill & The Sky Heroes. \nAs a multi-instrumentalist\, Kourkoutis has had the honour of accompanying artists such as Serena Ryder\, The Weeknd\, Martha and the Muffins and Tara Slone. For two seasons\, Hill also performed as guitarist in the house band for Scott Borchetta’s CTV series\, ‘The Launch’. \nAs a music video director\, she has directed videos for Mother Mother\, Sass Jordan\, Serena Ryder\, and Alex Cuba. \nIn 2022\, she became the first woman to be nominated and to win a JUNO for Recording Engineer of the Year. \nHill primarily works out of her private recording studio in Toronto\, The Lair. When taking a respite from studio duties\, Hill enjoys mentoring and teaching audio production for a variety of different music schools\, organizations\, universities\, and music festivals. Hill also serves on the Board of Directors for The Songwriters Association of Canada and sits on the Manitoba Music Advisory Committee. \n\n\n\n Mira Silvers\, Founder/CEO @ FORT Agency\, Co-Founder @ FEMINAE NOX\n \n \nBIO \n\n \nMelissa Vincent is a music journalist\, researcher\, and strategist based in Toronto. Her work broadly investigates questions of equity\, intimacy\, and community formation as it relates to music\, technology\, and culture. She’s been featured in Elle Canada\, Pitchfork\, Billboard\, NPR Music\, The Globe and Mail\, The Fader\, and Vice. In 2022\, she was nominated for the 7th annual Digital Publishing Awards by the National Media Awards Foundation in the category of “Best Science and Technology Storytelling.” She has moderated panels around the world\, and on a somewhat frequent basis\, CBC’s The National will ask her to talk about breaking music stories. In the past\, she’s led the strategy for content platforms operated by Blue Ant Media\, Universal Music Canada\, and Banger Films\, including producing a podcast an 8-part music docuseries on Netflix. She’s a Prism Prize juror\, a SOCAN Songwriting Prize Panelist\, and Polaris Prize jury foreperson and board member. She’s currently completing a graduate fellowship at the McLuhan Centre for Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto. \n \nJess Huddleston is currently the Editorial Lead for Spotify Canada\, where she oversees a team of music curators who craft playlists and on-platform programming north of the border. Jess comes from a music journalism background — writing for Complex\, VICE\, CLASH and more before landing at MuchMusic and then CBC Music\, where she led a team of music journalists and hosted a music talk show called The Intro. With over 15 years in Canadian music media\, Jess is most passionate about shining a spotlight on emerging Canadian talent\, and helping to export those incredible sounds to other parts of the world. \nBIO \n \nAs a prominent figure in music\, Dani Deahl has been at the forefront of artist discovery and meaningful industry change for over a decade. She currently is a DJ\, producer\, and artist advocate. She developed the coverage for the intersection of music and technology for The Verge\, helmed YouTube series The Future of Music\, and is Governor for the Recording Academy Chicago chapter. \nWhen performing\, she crafts house sets that are technically savvy and explore her roots in Chicago’s storied music history through a contemporary lens. Her sound expands across tech house\, bright\, upbeat grooves\, chugging percussion\, and soul and disco-infusions. \nShe has a regular presence on Twitch with the flagship show Demo Drop and can also be found on Clubhouse\, where she runs the platform’s largest dance music club\, World of EDM. \nAs an artist herself\, Dani has released with labels like Dim Mak\, Monstercat\, Flamingo\, Cr2\, and Armada. She has also been the subject of two documentaries\, toured extensively across the globe\, played festivals like Spring Awakening\, Lollapalooza\, and EDC\, venues like Wrigley Field (with Fall Out Boy)\, hosted her own terrestrial radio show in Spain and the Canary Islands\, and has been an official Red Bull DJ. She has headlined with or been direct support for artists like Alison Wonderland\, Valentino Khan\, Deadmau5\, Diplo\, Steve Aoki\, NERVO\, LP Giobbi\, and countless others. As Diplo himself says: “She’s awesome.” \nDani also previously held editorial positions with NYLON Magazine and DJ Mag\, and she is the host of YouTube series The Future of Music\, which features stars like Charli XCX and Oak Felder\, producer for Kehlani and Demi Lovato. Her writing appears in countless publications like VICE\, Mixmag\, Festival Insider\, CNBC\, OCTOBER\, The Verge\, Insomniac\, and more. \nDani has been heralded for her impact in music by Music Business Worldwide\, Music Week\, Variety\, Billboard\, Yahoo\, Chicago Tribune\, and many others. She’s also a prominent expert and fierce advocate on the topic of gender equality in dance music\, with speaking engagements at TEDx\, Spotify for Artists\, Wallifornia\, Reeperbahn\, and more. \nIn 2020\, she partnered with Bandsintown and Twitter to launch Net.Werk\, a Twitch festival dedicated to underrepresented acts in dance. Featuring acts like Michael Brun\, Varien\, and GG Magree\, the festival’s viewership consistently outperformed competing Twitch festivals. \nAdditionally\, Dani has been a guest and expert voice for MSNBC and on podcasts like Reset\, Vergecast\, Switched on Pop\, Ari’s Take\, and more. \nAs of 2023\, Dani is also an elected Governor for the Recording Academy’s Chicago Chapter\, engaging in outreach and professional development for the music community. \n \nHill Kourkoutis is a JUNO Award-winning producer\, songwriter\, composer\, mixer\, recording engineer\, multi-instrumentalist\, artist\, and director. \nSpanning her career\, Hill has contributed either as producer\, mixer and/or songwriter on albums and singles for Aysanabee (“Nomads” #1 CBC Radio\, #1 Alternative Rock Radio\, Top 30 Canada Modern Rock Airplay\, JUNO award-nominated and Polaris Short-List album ‘Watin’)\, Leela Gilday (JUNO and CFMA award-winning album ‘North Star Calling’)\, Digging Roots (“SKODEN” Top 30 Alternative Radio\, JUNO award-winning album ‘Zhawenim’)\, SATE (JUNO award-nominated album ‘The Fool’\, 2022 Polaris Prize nominee)\, Royal Wood\, Cassie Dasilva (TikTok 1mm+ viral single “Unsolicited Contact”)\, Jules (“Before You Picked Her” #1 CBC\, Top 40 Alternative Rock Radio)\, Meghan Patrick (‘Grace & Grit’ CCMA Nominated Album of the Year)\, POESY (“Strange Little Girl” Top 40 Alternative Rock Radio) and Amanda Rheaume (‘The Spaces In Between’ #1 Album on the earshot! National Folk/Roots/Blues Chart\, CFMA award-winning album).  \nShe has also written and produced songs for children’s television shows including the theme songs for Remy and Boo (CBC/Universal Kids) and Dino Ranch (CBC/Disney) and episodic songs for Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go (Netflix). Syncs include commercial placements for Cadillac\, Virgin Mobile and Tim Horton’s and television shows/films including Station 19\, Private Eyes\, Offspring\, Bloodthirsty\, Kim’s Convenience\, Killjoys\, Degrassi and Hometown Hockey. In addition to these projects\, she has released her own music through several projects including Drowning Girl and Hill & The Sky Heroes. \nAs a multi-instrumentalist\, Kourkoutis has had the honour of accompanying artists such as Serena Ryder\, The Weeknd\, Martha and the Muffins and Tara Slone. For two seasons\, Hill also performed as guitarist in the house band for Scott Borchetta’s CTV series\, ‘The Launch’. \nAs a music video director\, she has directed videos for Mother Mother\, Sass Jordan\, Serena Ryder\, and Alex Cuba. \nIn 2022\, she became the first woman to be nominated and to win a JUNO for Recording Engineer of the Year. \nHill primarily works out of her private recording studio in Toronto\, The Lair. When taking a respite from studio duties\, Hill enjoys mentoring and teaching audio production for a variety of different music schools\, organizations\, universities\, and music festivals. Hill also serves on the Board of Directors for The Songwriters Association of Canada and sits on the Manitoba Music Advisory Committee. \n \nBIO \n11:15 AM – 12:15 PM\nGrowing a Grassroots Community\nNow more than ever\, artists have the tools to reach their audiences directly. But this wealth of tools\, platforms\, and techniques can overwhelm emerging artists looking to build meaningful connections with fans. How can artists effectively cut through the noise to grow and activate their communities both in person and online? \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Karen Bliss\, Music Trade Journalist\n \n \n Karen Bliss’ long career as a music journalist in Toronto includes 13 years as the Canadian correspondent for Billboard and more than a hundred articles for RollingStone.com. A freelance music journalist since her teens\, her work has also appeared in Variety\,  Pollstar\, Zoomer\, Venues Now\, Melody Maker\, NME\, Time\, and dozens more. She has interviewed thousands of artists\, including Kurt Cobain\, Eminem\, Eddie Vedder\, Taylor Swift\,  Lauryn Hill\, Robert Plant\, Jimmy Page\, Justin Timberlake\, Beyoncé\, Ed Sheeran\, Shania Twain\, Shawn Mendes\, Michael Bublé\, Britney Spears\, Metallica\, and Gwen Stefani. Among her other ventures\, she co-authored the book Music From Far and Wide: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards. Karen was also a co-producer\, researcher and interviewer on the documentary Chasing Fortune\, about former INXS frontman JD Fortune. The past couple of years\, she worked on an investigative piece for Billboard on an alleged sexual predator in the Canadian music business.  TRIGGER WARNING: https://www.billboard.com/pro/canadian-radio-promoter-adrian-strong-sexual-predator/\n \n\n\n Erin Lowers\, Artist Partnerships\, North America @TikTok\n \n \nWith over ten years of experience in the music industry\, specifically in relation to music journalism and research\, digital content creation\, DSP playlisting and festival programming\, Erin has re-imagined the boundaries of where music can go. Paring her global reach with her community mindset\, Erin has spent the majority of her career pushing Canadian music to the forefront of every conversation\, while also ensuring that the essence of an story of an artist is upheld from beginning\, middle and end. Today\, Erin works on the North American Artist Partnerships team at TikTok\, combing her love for music discovery with the fast-pace – and limitless – world of technology. \n\n\n\n Josephine Cruz (aka Jayemkayem)\, DJ/Producer\n \n \nJosephine Cruz aka JAYEMKAYEM is a DJ\, radio host and music curator currently based in Toronto. Whether she’s making appearances at some of Toronto’s most high profile events; or traveling abroad to play such iconic venues as Le Bain in New York City\, the Echoplex in Los Angeles or Le Baron in Shanghai\, she’s constantly spreading good vibes and good times with her eclectic selections that span the genres of rap/trap\, R&B\, grime\, UK garage and beyond. She was a music journalist before ever stepping behind the decks\, so it makes sense that this Calgary transplant has become known for her progressive sets that have seen her play venues across the world—from Montreal to New York to Indonesia—as well as share the decks with such names as Venus X\, Virgil Abloh\, Stretch Armstrong\, Boi-1da and more; and open for such artists as Skepta\, Playboi Carti and AJ Tracey. She is also the co-founder of Toronto’s first pop-up radio station\, Istolethesoul FM. \n\n\n\n Seny Kassaye\, Agent @ Fort Agency\n \n \nBIO \n\n\n\n Alica Hall\, Executive Director\, Nia Centre for the Arts\n \n \nAlica Hall has been working at the intersection of art\, communications and community development for over a decade. As a leader with deep roots in the community\, she has served as the Co-Chair of Pride Toronto\, helping the organization expand its strategic and artistic infrastructure. She oversaw the expansion of the festival from 10-days to a month and led the development of the organization’s first strategic plan. Over the years\, Alica has formalized her practice as a curator through community based spaces and partnerships. Her curatorial practice is driven by a desire to explore identity and power\, excavate lesser-known stories and a commitment to expand visual narratives surrounding the Black experience. In 2018\, she took on the role of Executive Director at Nia Centre for the Arts\, a Toronto-based charity that supports and showcases arts from across the Black diaspora in Canada. In her time at the Centre\, she has curated their first Art Fair\, doubled the operating budget and raised $12-million in capital funding. In 2023\, Alica opened the doors of the newly renovated Nia Centre for the Arts: a 14\,000 sq. ft facility serving as Canada’s first professional\, multidisciplinary Black arts centre. Located in historic Little Jamaica\, the Centre is a gathering space for Black artists\, young creatives and community to showcase\, support and promote artistic traditions from Canada’s Black diaspora.  \n\n\n\n Sarah Kloboves\, Chartmetric\n \nBIO \n\n \n Karen Bliss’ long career as a music journalist in Toronto includes 13 years as the Canadian correspondent for Billboard and more than a hundred articles for RollingStone.com. A freelance music journalist since her teens\, her work has also appeared in Variety\,  Pollstar\, Zoomer\, Venues Now\, Melody Maker\, NME\, Time\, and dozens more. She has interviewed thousands of artists\, including Kurt Cobain\, Eminem\, Eddie Vedder\, Taylor Swift\,  Lauryn Hill\, Robert Plant\, Jimmy Page\, Justin Timberlake\, Beyoncé\, Ed Sheeran\, Shania Twain\, Shawn Mendes\, Michael Bublé\, Britney Spears\, Metallica\, and Gwen Stefani. Among her other ventures\, she co-authored the book Music From Far and Wide: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards. Karen was also a co-producer\, researcher and interviewer on the documentary Chasing Fortune\, about former INXS frontman JD Fortune. The past couple of years\, she worked on an investigative piece for Billboard on an alleged sexual predator in the Canadian music business.  TRIGGER WARNING: https://www.billboard.com/pro/canadian-radio-promoter-adrian-strong-sexual-predator/\n \nWith over ten years of experience in the music industry\, specifically in relation to music journalism and research\, digital content creation\, DSP playlisting and festival programming\, Erin has re-imagined the boundaries of where music can go. Paring her global reach with her community mindset\, Erin has spent the majority of her career pushing Canadian music to the forefront of every conversation\, while also ensuring that the essence of an story of an artist is upheld from beginning\, middle and end. Today\, Erin works on the North American Artist Partnerships team at TikTok\, combing her love for music discovery with the fast-pace – and limitless – world of technology. \n \nJosephine Cruz aka JAYEMKAYEM is a DJ\, radio host and music curator currently based in Toronto. Whether she’s making appearances at some of Toronto’s most high profile events; or traveling abroad to play such iconic venues as Le Bain in New York City\, the Echoplex in Los Angeles or Le Baron in Shanghai\, she’s constantly spreading good vibes and good times with her eclectic selections that span the genres of rap/trap\, R&B\, grime\, UK garage and beyond. She was a music journalist before ever stepping behind the decks\, so it makes sense that this Calgary transplant has become known for her progressive sets that have seen her play venues across the world—from Montreal to New York to Indonesia—as well as share the decks with such names as Venus X\, Virgil Abloh\, Stretch Armstrong\, Boi-1da and more; and open for such artists as Skepta\, Playboi Carti and AJ Tracey. She is also the co-founder of Toronto’s first pop-up radio station\, Istolethesoul FM. \n \nBIO \n \nAlica Hall has been working at the intersection of art\, communications and community development for over a decade. As a leader with deep roots in the community\, she has served as the Co-Chair of Pride Toronto\, helping the organization expand its strategic and artistic infrastructure. She oversaw the expansion of the festival from 10-days to a month and led the development of the organization’s first strategic plan. Over the years\, Alica has formalized her practice as a curator through community based spaces and partnerships. Her curatorial practice is driven by a desire to explore identity and power\, excavate lesser-known stories and a commitment to expand visual narratives surrounding the Black experience. In 2018\, she took on the role of Executive Director at Nia Centre for the Arts\, a Toronto-based charity that supports and showcases arts from across the Black diaspora in Canada. In her time at the Centre\, she has curated their first Art Fair\, doubled the operating budget and raised $12-million in capital funding. In 2023\, Alica opened the doors of the newly renovated Nia Centre for the Arts: a 14\,000 sq. ft facility serving as Canada’s first professional\, multidisciplinary Black arts centre. Located in historic Little Jamaica\, the Centre is a gathering space for Black artists\, young creatives and community to showcase\, support and promote artistic traditions from Canada’s Black diaspora.  \nBIO \n12:30 – 1:30 PM\nLeadership Inspiration Series\nIn keeping with WIM Canada’s focus on leadership in 2024\, we’re bringing together TikTok’s Kat Kernaghan and SiriusXM’s Michelle Mearns in a conversation with journalist and culture critic\, A. Harmony. Enjoy a grab’n’go lunch as these trailblazers talk career path\, tips\, tricks and inspiration for leadership in today’s music industry in Canada. \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n • Moderator: A. Harmony – Freelance Journalist & Culture Critic\n \nBIO \n\n\n\n • Kat Kernaghan – Head of Music\, TikTok Canada\n \n \nHaving dedicated her post-secondary studies to pursuing 2 degrees (a degree in Media Studies & a degree from the Ivey School of Business)\, Katrina “Kat” Kernaghan began her career in live music\, working at Corus Entertainment. From there\, Kat landed a job with Wax Records as Head of Marketing\, while also serving as the day-to-day manager for indie-pop artist bülow.Kat joined the TikTok Canada team in March 2021 as Label & Industry Partnerships Manager\, leading several projects including the re-launch of MuchMusic\, coordinating two TikTok Tailgates with the NHL\, and serving as the go-to-market lead for TikTok’s Ticketmaster integration.In August of 2022\, Kat moved into the role of Head of Music for Canada\, leading the country’s music operations team. \n\n\n\n • Michelle Mearns – Vice President\, Programming & Operations at SiriusXM Canada\n \n \nAs Vice President\, Programming & Operations at SiriusXM Canada\, Michelle oversees all aspects of programming and network operations\, including sports\, talk\, comedy and music groups. She also oversees SiriusXM’s repeater systems\, broadcast facilities and enterprise operations. \nWith over 20 years of experience in streaming\, podcasts\, digital marketing and partnership development in music and entertainment\, Michelle previously led growth initiatives\, strategy and content marketing at Apple (Canada). Prior to that\, she led all marketing and communications activity for both Twitter Canada and Facebook Canada. She was also previously the marketing and communications lead for CBC Music\, and worked on promoting artists as part of Universal Music Canada’s Island/Def Jam division. \n\nBIO \n \nHaving dedicated her post-secondary studies to pursuing 2 degrees (a degree in Media Studies & a degree from the Ivey School of Business)\, Katrina “Kat” Kernaghan began her career in live music\, working at Corus Entertainment. From there\, Kat landed a job with Wax Records as Head of Marketing\, while also serving as the day-to-day manager for indie-pop artist bülow.Kat joined the TikTok Canada team in March 2021 as Label & Industry Partnerships Manager\, leading several projects including the re-launch of MuchMusic\, coordinating two TikTok Tailgates with the NHL\, and serving as the go-to-market lead for TikTok’s Ticketmaster integration.In August of 2022\, Kat moved into the role of Head of Music for Canada\, leading the country’s music operations team. \n \nAs Vice President\, Programming & Operations at SiriusXM Canada\, Michelle oversees all aspects of programming and network operations\, including sports\, talk\, comedy and music groups. She also oversees SiriusXM’s repeater systems\, broadcast facilities and enterprise operations. \nWith over 20 years of experience in streaming\, podcasts\, digital marketing and partnership development in music and entertainment\, Michelle previously led growth initiatives\, strategy and content marketing at Apple (Canada). Prior to that\, she led all marketing and communications activity for both Twitter Canada and Facebook Canada. She was also previously the marketing and communications lead for CBC Music\, and worked on promoting artists as part of Universal Music Canada’s Island/Def Jam division. \n1:45 – 2:45 PM\nPress & Publicity: Launching with Impact\n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n MODERATOR: Noreen Hamid\, Creative Producer & PR Director\n \n \nNoreen Hamid is a Publicity Director\, Creative Producer\, and Consultant with over 10 years of experience leading publicity campaigns for music artists\, labels\, international music award shows\, TV series\, films\, and high-profile events. She also produces television series\, music and entertainment news\, and special events — from award shows and red carpets\, to album release showcases and art exhibits\, and everything in between. After dedicated years with MuchMusic\, MTV\, E!\, the Toronto International Film Festival\, eTalk\, and much more\, Noreen started her own boutique company\, utilizing her passion and combined experiences in Production\, PR\, and Strategy\, and prioritizing work with artists from marginalized communities. An expert in Hip Hop\, R&B\, Afrobeats\, and Pop music publicity\, she works with several artists\, labels\, and projects internationally\, including Megan Thee Stallion\, Young Thug\, Mary J. Blige\, Gunna\, Charlotte Cardin\, TOBi\, Ralph\, Ruby Waters\, IDMAN\, RCA Records\, Arista Records\, 300 Entertainment\, Fool’s Gold\, the Oscar-nominated documentary The Cave\, and as a consultant on several upcoming series and artists in development. Currently\, Noreen‘s work touches Canada\, the US\, the UK\, France\, Ghana\, Nigeria\, India\, parts of the Middle East\, and beyond. \n\n\n\n Claire Julian\, Director of Publicity\, Nettwerk\n \n \nClaire Julian serves as the Director of Publicity at Nettwerk Music Group\, leveraging over 16 years of expertise in music publicity. In her current role\, she spearheads global press campaigns for acclaimed artists such as SYML\, Wild Rivers\, Vacations\, Miya Folick\, Matt Maltese\, and NEIL FRANCES. She also helps oversee Nettwerk’s international team of publicists. \nClaire’s journey in the music industry began at MSO PR (now SRO) in Los Angeles\, where she provided valuable assistance on campaigns for iconic artists\, including David Bowie\, Jane’s Addiction\, Dolly Parton\, Slash\, and Ozzy Osbourne\, and for renowned festival clients like Lollapalooza and Coachella. Driven by her passion\, Claire relocated to Brooklyn during the peak of the 2010s blog era. There\, she collaborated with emerging indie bands like Sea Wolf and Hockey at a boutique agency\, overseeing tour press and national campaigns. She joined Nettwerk’s New York office in 2014 as a Tour Publicist\, rising to the position of Director\, now based in the Los Angeles office. \n\n\n\n Nadia Ali\, PR Founder and CEO\n \n \nNadia Ali PR Founder and CEO\, Nadia Ali is a seasoned music and lifestyle publicist from New York who is dedicated to developing up and coming and established artists and talent via results-driven and carefully tailored press campaigns. Nadia most recently contributed her skills\, creativity and passion for music to her work as Head of Publicity at Arista Records\, working with artists such as Måneskin\, Paul Russell\, Mike Posner\, Bishop Briggs\, and UPSAHL. Previously holding prominent positions at MTV\, Warner Records\, Liz Rosenberg Media\, and Island Records\, Nadia has over 17 years of experience working on strategic press campaigns for established artists including Madonna\, Cher\, Fleetwood Mac\, Stevie Nicks\, Florence + The Machine\, Tove Lo\, and A R I Z O N A\, high profile talent including Gigi Hadid and Eden Grinshpan\, and nonprofit organizations such as Nvak Foundation/Nvak Collective and The Miraculous Love Kids. \n\n\n\n Carly Lewis\, Journalist\n \n \nCarly Lewis is a journalist living in Toronto.Her work has appeared at The New York Times\, Vanity Fair\, New York Magazine\, Wired\, Vulture\, The Cut\, The Atlantic\, Elle\, The Globe and Mail\, The Walrus\, The Guardian\, Interview Magazine\, The Fader\, Pitchfork\, the Toronto Star\, Hazlitt\, Spin\, Maisonneuve and Maclean’s. \nHer work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards and Digital Publishing Awards.” \n\n \nNoreen Hamid is a Publicity Director\, Creative Producer\, and Consultant with over 10 years of experience leading publicity campaigns for music artists\, labels\, international music award shows\, TV series\, films\, and high-profile events. She also produces television series\, music and entertainment news\, and special events — from award shows and red carpets\, to album release showcases and art exhibits\, and everything in between. After dedicated years with MuchMusic\, MTV\, E!\, the Toronto International Film Festival\, eTalk\, and much more\, Noreen started her own boutique company\, utilizing her passion and combined experiences in Production\, PR\, and Strategy\, and prioritizing work with artists from marginalized communities. An expert in Hip Hop\, R&B\, Afrobeats\, and Pop music publicity\, she works with several artists\, labels\, and projects internationally\, including Megan Thee Stallion\, Young Thug\, Mary J. Blige\, Gunna\, Charlotte Cardin\, TOBi\, Ralph\, Ruby Waters\, IDMAN\, RCA Records\, Arista Records\, 300 Entertainment\, Fool’s Gold\, the Oscar-nominated documentary The Cave\, and as a consultant on several upcoming series and artists in development. Currently\, Noreen’s work touches Canada\, the US\, the UK\, France\, Ghana\, Nigeria\, India\, parts of the Middle East\, and beyond. \n \nClaire Julian serves as the Director of Publicity at Nettwerk Music Group\, leveraging over 16 years of expertise in music publicity. In her current role\, she spearheads global press campaigns for acclaimed artists such as SYML\, Wild Rivers\, Vacations\, Miya Folick\, Matt Maltese\, and NEIL FRANCES. She also helps oversee Nettwerk’s international team of publicists. \nClaire’s journey in the music industry began at MSO PR (now SRO) in Los Angeles\, where she provided valuable assistance on campaigns for iconic artists\, including David Bowie\, Jane’s Addiction\, Dolly Parton\, Slash\, and Ozzy Osbourne\, and for renowned festival clients like Lollapalooza and Coachella. Driven by her passion\, Claire relocated to Brooklyn during the peak of the 2010s blog era. There\, she collaborated with emerging indie bands like Sea Wolf and Hockey at a boutique agency\, overseeing tour press and national campaigns. She joined Nettwerk’s New York office in 2014 as a Tour Publicist\, rising to the position of Director\, now based in the Los Angeles office. \n \nNadia Ali PR Founder and CEO\, Nadia Ali is a seasoned music and lifestyle publicist from New York who is dedicated to developing up and coming and established artists and talent via results-driven and carefully tailored press campaigns. Nadia most recently contributed her skills\, creativity and passion for music to her work as Head of Publicity at Arista Records\, working with artists such as Måneskin\, Paul Russell\, Mike Posner\, Bishop Briggs\, and UPSAHL. Previously holding prominent positions at MTV\, Warner Records\, Liz Rosenberg Media\, and Island Records\, Nadia has over 17 years of experience working on strategic press campaigns for established artists including Madonna\, Cher\, Fleetwood Mac\, Stevie Nicks\, Florence + The Machine\, Tove Lo\, and A R I Z O N A\, high profile talent including Gigi Hadid and Eden Grinshpan\, and nonprofit organizations such as Nvak Foundation/Nvak Collective and The Miraculous Love Kids. \n \nCarly Lewis is a journalist living in Toronto.Her work has appeared at The New York Times\, Vanity Fair\, New York Magazine\, Wired\, Vulture\, The Cut\, The Atlantic\, Elle\, The Globe and Mail\, The Walrus\, The Guardian\, Interview Magazine\, The Fader\, Pitchfork\, the Toronto Star\, Hazlitt\, Spin\, Maisonneuve and Maclean’s. \nHer work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards and Digital Publishing Awards.” \n3 – 4 PM\nGlobal Develoment Case Studies: USA\nDeveloping an artist from local success to international readiness is no easy feat\, especially in a global market that is constantly changing and growing. These professionals in artist development and talent booking will share case studies from their experience\, highlighting how they helped grow artists to international recognition. \nPRESENTED BY CIMA \n \nPANELISTS\n\n\n • MODERATOR: Helen Britton\, CEO& President @ Six Shooter Inc.\n \n \n As a business owner\, artist manager and industry stakeholder for over twenty years\, Helen Britton’s approach to the music business has focused on developing the infrastructure to support long-term\, multi-dimensional artist careers. CEO and President of Six Shooter Inc.\, the management division of Six Shooter Records\, Britton oversees a roster that includes Tanya Tagaq\, July Talk\, Whitehorse\, The Dead South\, Nyssa and William Prince. With perseverance and integrity\, Britton has built Six Shooter Inc. as a destination for internationally renowned artists whose creative pursuits often extend beyond the standard role of musician or performer. In addition to her artist management work\, Britton also represents Tanya Tagaq for live booking (Canada and Europe)\, speaking engagements\, book publishing and as Executive Producer for an upcoming documentary and a stage production. On the CARAS/MusiCounts board\, Britton is also engaged in developing and supporting initiatives towards a more equitable\, accessible music business for all.\n \n\n\n • Tao-Ming Lao\, Founder @ Blue Crane Agency / Agent @ Paquin Artists\n \n \nTao-Ming Lau is the Founder/Agent at Blue Crane Agency (@bluecraneagency)\, a music booking agency seeking to prioritize women\, artists of colour\, and LGBTQ2S+ musicians in North America and abroad\, and agent at Paquin Artists Agency. The Blue Crane roster was founded with and includes artists like Priyanka\, Zaki Ibrahim\, Shay Lia\, Clerel\, DJ NDN (Co-Founder of A Tribe Called Red)\, Vivek Shraya\, BAMBII\, and more. The agency has programmed festivals such as Pride Toronto and curated events for Nuit Blanche\, Royal Ontario Museum\, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)\, and more. Tao is a board director at Polaris Music Prize and Canadian Live Music Association and was chosen as a Rising Star in Toronto Life Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Torontonians of 2018.  Previously\, she was at Chicago-based touring agency Billions\, Universal Music Canada\, and got her start with Carly Rae Jepsen’s management and label in Vancouver\, on the traditional and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)\, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish)\, and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations\, where she was born and raised. Tao is a queer woman of colour seeking to open more doors and establish better infrastructure for underrepresented talent. \n\n\n\n • Michelle Szeto\, Vice President\, Management Division @ Loft Entertainment\n \n \nMichelle Szeto got her first taste of the entertainment industry at an early age in her hometown of Hong Kong\, working in concert production for international superstars such as Oasis\, Celine Dion\, Boyz II Men\, Sean Lennon and Prodigy. \nDuring her 17-year tenure at Paquin Entertainment Group\, Michelle held various roles throughout the company\, including publicity\, tour marketing\, and artist management. \nToday\, in her role as Vice President\, Management Division\, at Loft Entertainment (in partnership with Paquin)\, Michelle personally manages award-winning artists and songwriter: Donovan Woods\, Wild Rivers\, Lindsay Ell\, Devan and Babygirl. \n\n\n\n • Elizabeth Phipps\, Senior Director of Marketing @ AWAL\n \n \nElizabeth got her start in the industry in 2010 with her Toronto-based music blog\, Torontette\, which showcased Canadian bands\, artist interviews\, show reviews and more. In 2011 she pivoted her passion for music into a career\, joining the Sony Music Canada marketing team. 2024 marks five years since she helped establish AWAL’s Toronto office and in this time\, she has cultivated a dynamic roster of Canadian independent artists to present on the global stage vis-a-vis AWAL’s modern business model. Most notably in 2023\, Elizabeth signed The Beaches to a worldwide AWAL Recordings deal\, one that provides the band with all the resources of a global label\, while allowing them to retain ownership and control of their music. \n\n \n As a business owner\, artist manager and industry stakeholder for over twenty years\, Helen Britton’s approach to the music business has focused on developing the infrastructure to support long-term\, multi-dimensional artist careers. CEO and President of Six Shooter Inc.\, the management division of Six Shooter Records\, Britton oversees a roster that includes Tanya Tagaq\, July Talk\, Whitehorse\, The Dead South\, Nyssa and William Prince. With perseverance and integrity\, Britton has built Six Shooter Inc. as a destination for internationally renowned artists whose creative pursuits often extend beyond the standard role of musician or performer. In addition to her artist management work\, Britton also represents Tanya Tagaq for live booking (Canada and Europe)\, speaking engagements\, book publishing and as Executive Producer for an upcoming documentary and a stage production. On the CARAS/MusiCounts board\, Britton is also engaged in developing and supporting initiatives towards a more equitable\, accessible music business for all.\n \nTao-Ming Lau is the Founder/Agent at Blue Crane Agency (@bluecraneagency)\, a music booking agency seeking to prioritize women\, artists of colour\, and LGBTQ2S+ musicians in North America and abroad\, and agent at Paquin Artists Agency. The Blue Crane roster was founded with and includes artists like Priyanka\, Zaki Ibrahim\, Shay Lia\, Clerel\, DJ NDN (Co-Founder of A Tribe Called Red)\, Vivek Shraya\, BAMBII\, and more. The agency has programmed festivals such as Pride Toronto and curated events for Nuit Blanche\, Royal Ontario Museum\, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)\, and more. Tao is a board director at Polaris Music Prize and Canadian Live Music Association and was chosen as a Rising Star in Toronto Life Magazine’s 50 Most Influential Torontonians of 2018.  Previously\, she was at Chicago-based touring agency Billions\, Universal Music Canada\, and got her start with Carly Rae Jepsen’s management and label in Vancouver\, on the traditional and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam)\, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish)\, and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations\, where she was born and raised. Tao is a queer woman of colour seeking to open more doors and establish better infrastructure for underrepresented talent. \n \nMichelle Szeto got her first taste of the entertainment industry at an early age in her hometown of Hong Kong\, working in concert production for international superstars such as Oasis\, Celine Dion\, Boyz II Men\, Sean Lennon and Prodigy. \nDuring her 17-year tenure at Paquin Entertainment Group\, Michelle held various roles throughout the company\, including publicity\, tour marketing\, and artist management. \nToday\, in her role as Vice President\, Management Division\, at Loft Entertainment (in partnership with Paquin)\, Michelle personally manages award-winning artists and songwriter: Donovan Woods\, Wild Rivers\, Lindsay Ell\, Devan and Babygirl. \n \nElizabeth got her start in the industry in 2010 with her Toronto-based music blog\, Torontette\, which showcased Canadian bands\, artist interviews\, show reviews and more. In 2011 she pivoted her passion for music into a career\, joining the Sony Music Canada marketing team. 2024 marks five years since she helped establish AWAL’s Toronto office and in this time\, she has cultivated a dynamic roster of Canadian independent artists to present on the global stage vis-a-vis AWAL’s modern business model. Most notably in 2023\, Elizabeth signed The Beaches to a worldwide AWAL Recordings deal\, one that provides the band with all the resources of a global label\, while allowing them to retain ownership and control of their music. \nThe Afterparty\n6:00 pm – 🥳\nClose off the Summit with a celebration at Bar Mordecai!  \nEnjoy DJ’d vibes and cocktails sponsored by Makers Mark\, including a complimentary welcome cocktail by award-winning mixologist Christina Veira in the heart of Toronto’s Dundas West Village.  \nAddress: 1272 Dundas St WDoors: 6pmEntry: All are welcome! \n \nLocation & Hotel\nEvent Location\nProgramming for both days will be held in Downtown Toronto at Allied Music Centre: \n178 Victoria St\,Toronto\, ONM5B 1T7 \nalliedmusiccentre.mhrth.com\n \nHotel\nTraveling from out of town? WIMC has partnered with The Chelsea Hotel to offer a discounted block of rooms for your convenience. \nBook using this link \nOr use the Group Code:  WIM030524 URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/2024-international-womens-week-summit/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251019T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251019T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251019T154639Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260206T223755Z UID:10000005-1760860800-1760893200@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:2026 Honours Jury DESCRIPTION:WIM CANADA HONOURS JURY\n \n Sign up as a Juror\n \nIntake for the 2026 Honours Jury is now closed.\nTo assist in the fair and transparent process of reviewing submissions for Women in Music Canada Honours cateogries\, we will engage aproximately 30 jurors from across the Canadian music industry. \nJurors wil be asked to consider excellence demonstrated through Industry success and artistic merit in adjudication\, in addition to thoughtful demonstration of how the Honour would help advance the applicant’s career. The WIMC jury team reserves the right to recommend a recategorization of a submission to the WIMC Director if they feel the applicant is more suited to a different Honour. All WIMC Honours Committee decisions are final. \nIn advance of passing materials along to the Juries\, each submission will be screened upon completion to ensure that it is complete and meets all eligibility requirements. Any submissions that are incomplete or ineligible will be disqualified.  \nEach jury member will be asked to adjudicate one to three categories (depending on the application numbers for each). Categories are assigned based on the jurors experience with care to not be reviewing categories in which they have conflict of interest.  \nJurors will be paid a $150 honourarium for their time.  \nThank you to the 2025 Honours Award Jury members \n\nAmée Hill\nAlexa Boyle\nAlyssa Paterson\nAmellia Curran\nBronwin Parks\nDanica Bansie\nDevi Ekanand\nIskwé\nKaren Novak\nKathryn Hamilton\nKelsey Assad\nKim Fry\nLari R Lopez\nLisa La Rocca\nMaïa Davies\nMar Sellars\nMary Georgio\nMorgan Sutherland\nMoreen Hamid\nOla Mazuca\nPaquel (Rocky) Mann\nRoseline Rousseau-Gagnon\nSandy Scofield\nSavanah WEllman\nSherry Sinclaire\nTissa Rahim\nZara Abbasi\n\nPlease note: All jurors review categories in which they did not have conflicts with nominees. If a juor is noiminated\, they will not be assigned to review and vote on that category.  \nAll honours Categories are reviewed by a jury of peers and then reviwed by the Women in Music Canada Honours Committee. All WIMC Honours Committee decisions are final. URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/2026-honours-jury/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://womeninmusic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Honours-Jury-Header-1662bbce.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251019T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251019T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251019T144254Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251218T092258Z UID:10000004-1760860800-1760893200@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:Summit Honours Candidate - 2026 DESCRIPTION: URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/summit-honours-candidate-2026/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251019T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251019T170000 DTSTAMP:20260415T180926 CREATED:20251019T142306Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260221T122248Z UID:10000003-1760860800-1760893200@womeninmusic.ca SUMMARY:WIM Canada With Honours - 2026 Competition DESCRIPTION:WIM Canada With Honours – 2026\nThe Women in Music Canada Honours program is designed to celebrate and support women and gender diverse Canadian innovators and creators who have outstanding success in their field in the eligibility year (December 2024 through December 2025 for annual based categories).  \nNominations must be submitted via the WIMCanada nomination form by the deadline (Friday\, November 28\, 2025\, at 11:59 p.m. PST). Nominations may be submitted by the potential recipient or another Canadian colleague. Only one nomination is required to be considered. If multiple nominations are received for the same individual\, they will be combined into a single nomination for review by the jury. \nRecipients will be announced at the Women in Music Canada Honours event on March 5\, 2026.   \nWIM Canada values diversity\, equity and inclusion\, and welcomed applications from innovators and creators  from diverse backgrounds. \n \n Submit Honours Candidate 2026\n \nPlease select the Submit Honours Candidate 2026 button above to complete your nomination.  \nVoting ends in: \n Days Hours Minutes Seconds URL:https://womeninmusic.ca/event/wim-canada-with-honours-2026-competition/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR