Moderator: Ross Gardiner, Co-Founder, LA Nightlife Alliance Ross Gardiner is a founding member of the Los Angeles Nightlife Alliance, an an organizing coalition that advocates for the interests of the city’s nightlife community.
Ross is a music journalist and editor (Billboard, Mixmag, Vice), and a festival consultant with his agency Black Circle Media. His clients include EDC, Tomorrowland, Electric Zoo, Oasis Festival, Red Bull, and LA Metro.
Addy Gonzalez Renteria, Co-Founder/Co-Director, 11:11 A Creative Collective Addy is the co-founder and director of 11:11 A Creative Collective (11:11 ACC) A San Fernando Valley based arts non profit organization. Through 4 main programs, 11:11 ACC acts as an umbrella organization for artists and art groups of all disciplines and provides them with opportunities for exhibition, and collaboration. Addy received her bachelor’s degree in Art History from UCLA and has a Masters degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University. Addy worked with the City of Los Angeles Council District 7 as its Cultural Development consultant and developed a comprehensive public art development plan specific to that neighborhood. She has ten years experience in coordinating art exhibits, public & private events and community development through the arts. She received a certificate of recognition from Los Angeles City Council as a Latina woman in the arts as well as one for her cultural work in the San Fernando Valley from the Los Angeles Public Works Department. She most currently served as project director for Now Art, a public art agency and is the inaugural fellow of the Arts for LA Laura Zucker Fellowship for Policy and Research.
Jason Kramer, KCRW (Broadcaster/DJ), Music Advisor & Supervisor, Instructor (Music Marketing) Jason is an award-winning music supervisor and longtime on-air host for famed radio station KCRW. He started his music career working in the set up of Fox Sports Music Department and with management for the band Sublime. He has worked as Head of Music Supervision for Elias Arts, where he worked on high profile advertising projects. He is also an adjunct professor and instructor of music and media at USC, UCLA Extension ,Musician Institute and speaks at multiple institution and seminars. He has worked in management, pitching his own catalogs/ rosters and music supervision.
Steve Loza, Professor, UCLA Global Jazz Studies Steven Loza is a professor of ethnomusicology at UCLA, where he has been on the faculty for thirty-four years, and also served as professor of music at the University of New Mexico, where he formerly directed the Arts of the Americas Institute. He has served as chair of the Department of Ethnomusicology and is currently chair of the Global Jazz Studies Interdepartmental Program, in addition to serving as director of the UCLA Center for Latino Arts. He has conducted extensive research in Mexico, the Chicano/Latino U.S., Cuba, among other areas, and has lectured and read papers throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He has been the recipient of Fulbright and Ford Foundation grants among numerous others, and served on the national screening and voting committees of the Grammy Awards for many years. Aside from UCLA and the University of New Mexico, he has taught at the University of Chile, Kanda University of International Studies in Japan, and the Centro Nacional de las Artes in Mexico City.
Erin Stone, Co-Director/Co-Founder, 11:11 A Creative Collective Erin is the co-founder and director of 11:11 A Creative Collective (11:11 ACC) A San Fernando Valley based arts non profit organization. Through 4 main programs, 11:11 ACC acts as an umbrella organization for artists and art groups of all disciplines and provides them with opportunities for exhibition, and collaboration. Erin is an artist and professional photographer and spent a number of years working with at-risk youth in the East Valley teaching various subject including photography. Her photographic works has been recognized locally as well as nationally. Erin has over 10 years experience in grassroots activism, event production, art curation, youth mentoring and community development through the arts. She has taught English through art in India and Nepal and has volunteered for a number of international and domestic social justice, education and environmental organizations. She specializes in community organizing, all things media and design.
Kristen Martinez, Masters student, Graduate Researcher, UCLA American Indian Studies Kristen Martinez is a current UCLA Master’s student in American Indian Studies. She recieved her undergrad at Mount San Antonio community college then transferred to UCLA in History with a minor in Comparative Religions. She is a graduate researcher, mother and full time worker. She is a Yaqui (Yoeme) direct descendant from Sonora, Mexico, and Chicanx. She has grown up in East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley and has been heavily involved in the punk scene. Her M.A. work includes Indigenous rock and punk rock music working with bands in Los Angeles/IE and the Southwest. She currently is working with Navajo (Diné) punk/indie bands. Her work aims to be accountable and respectful to communities and have their input very involved in music and this thesis process.
Farah Sosa, Photographer at FarahStop; Executive Producer of Subsuelo Farah Sosa was born in Guatemala and is currently based in Southern California. Through her photographs Farah presents a visual ethnography, emphasizing Los Angeles’ diverse multicultural music scenes. In Guatemala, Farah worked as a cultural promoter for several human rights organizations, which also produced festivals promoting visual arts, live music, and socio-cultural development. Now, Farah is a notable event photographer. Farah’s photographs have been published in the New York Times, LA Times, OkayAfrica, Remezcla, the old LA Weekly, Liberation (France), Afropunk, and Billboard, among many others. She has shown her work at Bergamot Station, The Chinese American Museum of Los Angeles, and other locations that support her photography philosophy, always exploring the relationship between sound and movement in LA’s music communities. She maintains an chronological archive of her photographs at FarahStop.
Maral Mahmoudi, DJ/Promoter/Producer – Organizations: dublab/Ninja Tune Los Angeles-based artist Maral has formed a unique vision of club music, one that embraces her heritage and recontextualizes it for a new audience. Focusing on the interplay between sounds and culture she combines Iranian folk field recordings with raw distorted beats, hoping it will introduce listeners to new ways of perceiving music. Taking the old and making it new. As a DJ, she enjoys exploring music from around the world and showcasing the hidden gems from the past and present. Through her music and involvement in the scene, Maral seeks to both educate and have a positive impact on others.
