14 Mar THE NASHVILLE ENTREPRENEUR CENTER AND COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCE 2019 PROJECT MUSIC PORTFOLIO COHORT
Original Article: Project Music
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Inquiries: Nashville Entrepreneur Center, jonathan.martz@ec.co, (615) 873-1257
THE NASHVILLE ENTREPRENEUR CENTER AND COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCE 2019 PROJECT MUSIC PORTFOLIO COHORT
— NASHVILLE, Tennessee (March 6, 2019) —
The Nashville Entrepreneur Center and Country Music Association (CMA) welcome an exciting cohort of music tech startups into the 2019 Project Music Portfolio program. Project Music Portfolio is a year-long entrepreneurship program that leverages the full support of the EC’s expertise and network to accelerate the success of select music-minded entrepreneurs. The program takes the full value of an elite accelerator program and makes it available on-demand, year-round for all enrolled entrepreneurs.
Sixteen diverse startups will receive on-demand support and a music industry immersion, connecting them to industry leaders and experts, as well as superior startup curriculum. Based in various cities, these entrepreneurs will make multiple visits to Music City for programming and networking events.
“CMA is eager to continue supporting music industry innovation through the startups selected for the 2019 Project Music Portfolio cohort,” says CMA Chief Marketing Officer Damon Whiteside. “As CMA works to support the growth of country music globally, we believe Project Music and these startups play a key role in fulfilling that mission.”
Now in its fifth year, Project Music continues to build on the success of the Portfolio model implemented last year. This year’s cohort is the largest ever selected, and includes 5 Nashville-based teams. The program has also shifted to more intentionally help Project Music alumni, which now stands at 20 active teams.
2019 Participants (in alphabetical order):
Artist Fan Matrix: AJ Hart (Nashville, TN)
ArtistWorks: Patricia Butler (Napa, CA)
audiobridge: Matt Miller (Nashville, TN)
Beatdapp: Andrew Batey (Vancouver, CAN)
Cleerkut Royalty: Cheryl Potts (Washington, DC)
FanFlex: Erik Nelson & Gian Perugini (Los Angeles, CA)
FindMyFans: Ravi Ramkeesoon (Queens, New York City)
Hear Not There: Kevin Amundson (Nashville, TN)
Magic Instruments: Brian Fan (Marina Del Rey, CA)
Music Tech Works: Jarrett Hines (Atlanta, GA)
Musician’s Council: Micah Johnson (Nashville, TN)
Playlist: Karen Katz (Palo Alto, CA)
Secret Chord Laboratories: Scott Miles (Virginia Beach, VA)
SoundStorming: Arnau Bosch & Alicia Rius (Santa Monica, CA)
The Labz: Farah Allen (Atlanta, GA)
WillCalled: Ken Madson & Lex Lipsitz (Nashville, TN)
“These sixteen teams have displayed an impressive combination of innovative ideas and significant traction,” says Stephen Linn, Entrepreneur-in-Residence for Project Music. “I’m excited for Nashville’s music industry to rally around these teams and help push their ideas – and our industry – forward.”
“The EC’s vision is for Nashville to become the best place in America to start a business. These sixteen teams from across North America show the strength of our city as a destination for entrepreneurs and its ability to help those seeking to grow their business in the music industry,” says Michael Brody-Waite, CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. “I’m looking forward to seeing the growth of these teams over the next year.”
The program kicks off the first week of April with the teams traveling to Nashville for the first time. Here, they will connect with the Project Music community to jumpstart the personal connections they will receive throughout the next year. The program’s first public-facing event will be the first week of May.
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About the EC: The Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3), was founded in 2009 as an initiative of the Nashville business community with a vision to be the front door to entrepreneurship in Nashville. The EC’s mission is to connect entrepreneurs with the critical resources to create, launch and grow businesses. Supported by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, the organization offers membership, access to advisors, an entrepreneurial community, startup curriculum and industry-immersive experiences in healthcare (Project Healthcare) and music (Project Music). EC programs are built on a foundation of navigation to resources and diversity & inclusion. www.ec.co Twitter & Instagram: @entrecenter
About Project Music: Based in Music City, Project Music is the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s leading action to foster innovation in the ever-evolving music industry, a core business vertical in Nashville’s economy. To meet the unique needs of music-minded entrepreneurs, the EC is providing a year round music-entrepreneurship focus that brings music, tech and business leaders together to nurture startups desiring to grow music industry revenue. Project Music was developed in partnership with the Country Music Association. www.projectmusic.co
About Country Music Association (CMA): Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association is the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. In 1961, CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame to recognize artists and industry professionals with Country Music’s highest honor. More than 7,400 music industry professionals and companies from around the globe are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to serve as an educational and professional resource for the industry and advance the growth of Country Music around the world. This is accomplished through CMA’s core initiatives: the CMA Awards, which annually recognize outstanding achievement in the industry; CMA Fest, which benefits the CMA Foundation and music education and is taped for a three-hour network television special, “CMA Fest”; and “CMA Country Christmas.” All of CMA’s television properties air on the ABC Television Network.