Céline Moille
Sebastian Posth
Sebastian is an entrepreneur and consultant in the publishing industry with a focus on blockchain technology, digital innovation, data analytics and market research.
As a entrepreneur and consultant, Sebastian has been working for many years to transform innovative technology into valuable and useful products, services and tools for the publishing industry; with the personal ambition to support media companies in developing and implementing a digital business model that suits their needs and helps them grow their digital business.
Rana DiOrio
Rana DiOrio is an intrepid force for empowerment and positive change. As a corporate and securities attorney, tech-sector investment banker, angel investor, and advisory board member, Rana has guided the development of strategy and catalyzed the financial, operational, and cultural growth of organizations for 28 years.
As an award-winning author and children’s media entrepreneur, she has helped to define the current zeitgeist in children’s literature and has had a positive impact on many children and their caring adults. Now as CEO of Creative Mint, Inc., she is focused on launching and accelerating the growth of purpose-driven brands and helping creatives to realize the full potential of their work.
Rana is a graduate of Duke University (AB, with honors, 1988) and Vanderbilt University School of Law (JD, 1991). She is based in San Francisco, CA.
Nermina Mumic
Nermina Mumic is a data scientist, CEO and founder of LEGITARY. As a researcher of Statistics and Machine Learning at Vienna University of Technology, she pursues her PhD on Big Data analysis and pattern recognition in streaming data. As a result she developed and patented an algorithm for fraud detection in streaming data. It enables music labels, artists and their managements to audit royalties arising from online music streaming, as it detects and locates anomalies in revenues and estimates the underlying deficits. Earlier this year she founded the tech-startup [company name], bringing this software solution to the digital music market to enhance transparency in the industry.
Beforehand, she graduated with honors from Vienna University of Technology with a master’s degree in Technical Mathematics, with a specialization in Mathematics in Economics and Statistics. After her master studies she gained profound experience as data scientist in one of the leading global IT consulting companies, developing Artificial Intelligence solutions for various industry applications.
Wolfgang Senges
Wolfgang Senges advises clients in music and technology with a strong and critical focus on blockchain and metadata. In particular, he’s analyzing the evolution of technology and its impact on the music industry.
He is one of the co-founders of the German Blockchain and Metadata Working Group. Currently, he is preparing a Franco-German Blockathon in Cologne.
In addition to his consulting activities, Wolfgang is a curator and lecturer. He has held the role of the co-managing director of the Cultural Commons Collecting Society (C3S SCE), which he co-founded. His roots lie in machine learning, and since the mid-1990s he has been involved in the generation and processing of metadata in media asset management.
In the course of his activities, he worked with artists such as Imogen Heap, Marillion, Martin Atkins, Amanda Palmer, Ingrid Chavez, Zoe Leela, Luci van Org and others.
Mick Hayes
Mick leads the development, launch and life-cycle management of all products and services within ICE and has been at ICE since 2012 where he was a Consultant for ICE on the Global Repertoire Database (GRD) project. Mick has worked for nearly thirty years in the music rights industry as an independent consultant, a founder of Rightscom, and as an IT Project Manager for Cap Gemini and MCPS-PRS. Prior to this Mick worked for over five years at PRS on several key industry projects and at ASCAP for four years leading the Requirement engineering for their PREP system, which included systems for Copyright, Membership, Usage, Distribution and Royalty Payments. At MCPS-PRS, Mick developed and implemented MCPS-PRS’ core mechanical licensing systems for physical media and broadcast usage
Halsey Minor
Halsey Minor is a technology visionary behind some of the greatest successes in enterprise computing that have anticipated “what’s next” in enterprise architecture and technology adoption. His companies have created over $110 billion in cumulative value and he has built a Nasdaq 100 company from scratch. His achievements as founder or co-founder include: CNET, Uphold, Salesforce, Google Voice, OpenDNS and Vignette.
Most recently, Halsey founded and is CEO at Live Planet, a developer of infrastructural technologies to enable next-generation video applications. At Live Planet, he created the world’s first end-to-end virtual reality (VR) video solution, the Live Planet VR System. Halsey also introduced the VideoCoin Network, video infrastructure for the blockchain-enabled internet, delivering decentralized video encoding, storage, and content distribution.
Antony Bruno
Antony oversees all marketing, PR, social, events, and other communication activities for Royalty Exchange, the largest online marketplace turning music royalties into investable assets.
He previously held a similar role at dance music online retailer Beatport, and has also advised and consulted with such music services at Beats Music, Topspin, Xbox, Mixcloud and others.
An experienced journalist, Antony was formerly the digital entertainment editor for Billboard magazine, where he followed the digital music industry’s evolution since the launch of iTunes. He has extensive experience with digital music distribution and monetization issues, as well as the pioneering field of music royalty investing.
Antony is a sought-after speaker and moderator who has appeared at such industry events as CES, MusicBiz, SXSW, Canadian Music Week, SFMusicTech, CTIA, FutureSound, and many others. His insights and quotes have appeared in such publications such as The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Today, CNBC, Forbes, and NPR, among many others.
He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism. An active skier, outdoors enthusiast, gardener and cook, Antony resides with his wife and daughter in Denver, CO.
Neeta Ragoowansi
Neeta Ragoowansi is Co-Founder and Senior Vice-President, Business Development & Legal Affairs for NPREX (National Performing Rights Exchange) – the first-ever online platform for direct licensing of performance, mechanical and sync rights between music copyright owners and music users (e.g. radio, TV, streaming services, etc.). Neeta has been an entertainment attorney and music business professional for over 25 years and was head of artist-label relations for US digital performance rights organization, SoundExchange; President of Women in Music; VP of Biz Dev/Legal for Tunesat; and Asst. General Counsel for The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and National Symphony Orchestra. She is also a consultant to the finance/investment sector re: licensing/rights management and music industry issues, and strategic advisor, business development resource and legal counsel to entertainment and tech industry clients. Neeta serves on the boards of Women in Music and The American Bar Association’s Forum on Entertainment & Sports Law, as well as the fundraising and membership lead for the Music Managers Forum – US, which helps educate and advocate for managers and their artists. She is also a former board governor of 10+ years for The Recording Academy (Grammy organization) – NY & DC chapters; has served as panelist/speaker at over 200 music industry conferences re: legal, licensing/copyright and metadata topics as well as women’s leadership and empowerment; has a B.A. from Emory University and J.D. from American University, and is an actively performing musician and award winning songwriter.
Steve Stewart
Steve Stewart is the CEO & Co-Founder of Vezt Inc., a music-driven tech platform giving people the ability to own a piece of their favorite songs. The blockchain-based app makes it easy for artists to monetize their IP directly from fans, collecting royalties from more than 135 countries around the world. Steve has more than 20 years of professional experience in the music, tech and television industries, and is the former personal manager of multi-platinum alternative rock band Stone Temple Pilots, managing their career from their inception through their fifth major label release on Atlantic Records. Under Steve’s management, the band’s worldwide record sales exceeded 25 million records, generating more than $450 million in gross revenues. Along the way, they were awarded a Grammy, an American Music Award, numerous Billboard Music Awards, MTV Music Video and MTV Movie Awards, and a number of Pollstar, ASCAP and BMI accolades. His acts have toured with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Neil Young and Cheap Trick, playing live to more than 5 million people worldwide.
As CEO of Steve Stewart Management, he has negotiated and secured lucrative major label record and publishing contracts on behalf of approximately 20 recording artists with companies such as Sony Music, Warner Bros. Records, Atlantic Records, Capitol Records, Disney’s Hollywood Records, A&M Records, Geffen Records, Elektra Records, American Records, Maverick Records, EMI Music Publishing, Famous Music Publishing, Rondor Music, Warner Chappell Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing.
He has held COO positions at tech startups – GoYodel (retail deal bundler) and SportsBuddyz (sports video platform). As well as Head of Business Development at SURKUS (social engagement app).
He has also managed and handled business development for new media personalities, including one of the Top 25 Most Viewed Channels on YouTube (“Hot For Words” 440 million views, 460,000 subscribers), creating, negotiating and securing media, sponsorship and advertising opportunities with companies such as HarperCollins, Go Daddy, Guthy-Renker, DC Shoes, among others, including a 100 episode deal with Russian television network RTV. He has secured venture funding for new media ventures in the mobile/sports/video space.
Steve has produced a number of multi-million dollar national tours (800+ live shows), at most of the major arenas in the country, including Madison Square Garden, The Los Angeles Forum and San Francisco’s Shoreline Amphitheater, and worked with rapper/actor Ice T during development of the first Lollapalooza Tour.
He has also produced television programming for Comcast/DirecTV, MTV and VH-1. He was contracted to create the studio facility and production package for the Larry King Now show on Hulu and as well as Larry King’s 2012 Election live coverage for YouTube, and was supervising production assistant for Stephen J. Cannell Productions’ “21 Jump Street,” “Wise Guy,” and “Hunter”.