Moderator: Storm Gloor, Associate Professor, Music and Entertainment Industry Studies, University of Colorado, Denver Storm Gloor is an associate professor in the Music and Entertainment Industry Studies department of the College of Arts and Media at the University of Colorado Denver. He is the recipient of the university’s 2018 Excellence In Teaching award. In 2014, professor Gloor developed and instructed what is thought to be the first Music Cities higher education course. Along with that course, professor Gloor teaches Music Marketing and oversees the internships for the College of Arts & Media. As part of the First Year Experience program at CU Denver, he teaches a course on the Beatles. Professor Gloor is also a Faculty Fellow in the Center for Faculty Development, is the immediate past president of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association, and serves as a city councilman for Glendale, Colorado. He has presented at numerous events and programs, including SXSW.edu, South By Southwest Music, the Music Cities Convention, the MEIEA Music Educators Summit, the Future of Music Summit, the Underground Music Showcase, the Denver Music Summit, and the EdMedia world conference.
Danny Keir, Global Head of Business Development, Sound Diplomacy, London Danny is the Global Head of Business Development of Sound Diplomacy, the leading global advisory on Music Cities, providing music strategy and research to cities and governments. Danny has over 7 years experience working closely with musicians at varying stages of their careers from developing artists starting out to festival headliners. Following a brief period with Moshi Moshi Records Danny joined Black Book Management to work with artists such as Razorlight, Noisettes and Lucy Rose. Danny also set up and ran a small label and through this label he released singles from Lucy Rose, Glitches and Johnny Borrell amongst others and orchestrated promotional strategies, social media management and merchandise design.
Matthew Che Kowal, Founder, Majestic Collaborations; Denver Arts & Venues Music Strategy; Emergency Preparedness Consultant for Performing Arts Readiness Majestic Collaborations consults with businesses, organizations and government agencies, and creatives to advance best design practices to enhance the preparedness, safety, and sustainability of gatherings. As the creative director of 100+ festivals for New Belgium (2005-2016), Matthew coordinated partnerships between brands, artists, and non-profit organizations to present highly participatory gatherings which raised over $5 million for community organizations, advanced the awareness of one million attendees about people-powered transportation advocacy, bicycle culture, art, and music causes while striving to address gender and diversity equity in talent booking and leadership. Currently, Majestic Collaborations works with Denver Arts & Venues on their Denver Music Strategy implementation, which has recently garnered a partnership grant from Performing Arts Readiness (funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation) to be a regional circuit host in emergency preparedness planning practices for cultural entities. Through this partnership, he developed the Arts & Cultural Network for Emergency Preparedness survey and study to help develop new models for hands-on skill-sharing between event and festival production personnel and local agencies through power, waste, water, food and infrastructure systems, FEMA ICS integration, audience communications and community empowerment. By nature, performing arts and cultural entities are community hubs and often serve vital roles in disaster response and recovery; advanced planning, networking and resourcing within these groups enhances resilience for entire communities.
Maggie Weiland, Exec. Director, San Francisco Entertainment Commission Maggie Weiland is Executive Director of the San Francisco Entertainment Commission, which works to support and regulate entertainment and nightlife in the City and County of San Francisco. Weiland was appointed by Mayor London Breed in August 2018. Weiland joined the Commission staff in spring 2015, serving first as Deputy Director, followed by Acting Director upon the retirement of the previous Director. Weiland is a Bay Area native who has worked in local government for the past 10 years. She is also an avid show-goer and singer who is passionate about supporting musicians, artists, and small businesses so that they are not only able to survive, but able to thrive in San Francisco. Weiland earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree and Masters in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco.
Kate Becker, King County Creative Economy Strategist, Washington Building sustainable creative communities has been at the core of Kate Becker’s career. In April 2019, Becker signed on to work with King County Executive Dow Constantine as his first Creative Economy Strategist. Just prior to this, Becker has served as the Director of Seattle’s Office of Film + Music for five years, spending her days (and nights!) working to build Seattle’s creative economy, keenly focused on the film, music and nightlife industries. She will now be expanding upon this work at the regional level. Prior to joining the City of Seattle Office of Film + Music in 2014, Becker served in leadership roles at Seattle Theatre Group, Art Share LA in Los Angeles, and The New Art Center in Boston, MA. She co-founded legendary Northwest all ages venues The Vera Project and the Old Fire House, talent pipelines for the music industry. Kate has produced more than 1,000 all ages shows, and numerous large-scale events and fundraisers. She also founded the Old Fire House Media Lab, ensuring that emerging filmmakers and musicians have access to a studio. Kate loves start up culture, and founded two businesses, and two nonprofits. Kate was a charter member of the Seattle Music Commission and serves on many nonprofit boards.
Nurit Siegel Smith, Exec. Director, HOB Music Forward, New Orleans Nurit Siegel Smith is a social sector executive, organizational sculptor, and creative strategist dedicated to improving and advancing organizations that make a difference. She has spent the past two decades in executive roles in arts and entertainment non-profits exploring the intersection of education, performance, and advocacy through most her professional life, including work with Highways Performance Space, SAG-AFTRA Foundation and Grand Performances. As Executive Director of Music Forward she guides a dedicated, national staff to bridge community to the music industry and empower all youth to access the life-sustaining educational and professional opportunities necessary for them to thrive. As a performing artist, she continues to develop new work for the stage.
Don Pitts, Founder, Sound Music Cities After 30 years in the music and entertainment industry and decade working from within city government, Don Pitts launched Sound Music Cities to help emerging and established music and entertainment cities find practical solutions to regulatory framework design, and creating and implementing programs and initiatives grow their music economy. His strategic perspective lies at the cross-section of these experiences—lending him the ability to navigate and bring together the political and industry landscapes. While with the City of Austin, Don’s leadership fueled programs to increase prosperity for musicians, music businesses and music venues—all-important when building a sustainable economic engine.
