The 2020 Mentors
VISUAL ARTS
Anna Helwing↓
VIP Manager Europe & Americas / VIP Representative Switzerland
With more than 20 years of experience at the forefront of the global art market, Anna has a vast international network and an extensive expertise working with collectors, galleries, private dealers, auction houses, art fairs, estate representatives, artists, museums, art historians and critics.
She successfully ran her own enterprise Anna Helwing Gallery in Los Angeles for many years and worked for the notable galleries Hauser & Wirth and Eva Presenhuber, both in Zurich, as well as for Sprüth Magers in Los Angeles. She wrote for newspapers such as Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Handelszeitung and contributed to various exhibition catalogs as well as art magazines. In August 2018, she joined the VIP Relations Team of Art Basel and is proud to be part of the world’s premier art show of its kind.
Anna holds an MA in Art History and German Literature and Linguistics from the University of Zurich, with a final thesis on the internationally acclaimed Austrian artist Franz West, and a CAS in Finance, Strategy and Leadership Management from the University in St. Gallen HSG.
Burcu Yuksel↓
Director, Gaia Art Foundation
Burcu Yüksel is a London-based art consultant and dealer with a unique mix of expertise in old master paintings and contemporary art. Born and raised in Istanbul, Burcu has lived in multiple cities such as Boston, New York, Paris, and Florence and had a variety of work experiences in old masters and contemporary art worlds.
Burcu Yüksel graduated from Brandeis University Cum Laude in 2006 with a double concentration in History of Art (honors) and Economics. She holds an MA in Visual Arts Administration from New York University (2008).
Currently Burcu is the Director of Gaia Art Foundation and acts as an advisor to the renowned London Old Masters gallery Derek Johns where she was a Director, 2008-2016. She was part of the founding team of London’s exciting new performance festival Block Universe, which debuted in June 2015.
Burcu is involved in a select number of non-profit arts organizations. She is a founding member of the Young Patrons of the Royal Academy where she served 6 years on the committee. She was also Co-Chair of the Future Unit of the Parasol Unit Foundation for Contemporary Art, 2015-2017.
Claudel Goy↓
Managing Director, Arebyte
Claudel Goy is Managing Director at arebyte, a London-based art organisation which supports the development of new media artists and provides affordable workspace. Within this role she has held since October 2017, she has overall responsibility for day to day operations and for strategic planning in a manner that supports the organisation’s mission.
Previously, Claudel worked as a lawyer in media ethics and copyrights across the TV/Radio, music and press industry for SRG SSR Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, Tamedia Publications, and Paléo Nyon Festival (2009-2014).
Claudel holds an MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management (City University of London, 2015), an MA in Business Law (University of Geneva, 2006). She was admitted to the Swiss Bar in 2008.
Fernanda Moraes↓
Art Advisor and founder of + FV Arte Bureau
Currently based in São Paulo, Fernanda has more than seven years of experience as an Art Advisor in the world art market with a focus on visual, modern and contemporary arts, and a specialization in Latin American art.During the last few years she co-founded the consultancy, events and travel company GO ART and today she is the founder of + FV Arte Bureau, an office that covers Art Advising, Consulting for private collections and exhibitions and production of cultural content.
As part of her daily work, she runs through different aspects of the art universe and understands the need for a more unified market with greater openness and the possibility of communication between different players: artists, gallery owners, institutions, auction houses , collectors and enthusiasts. Having worked at the front of her companies since the beginning, Fernanda understands the challenges of the visual arts market, knows the different entry and access doors, as well as the necessary qualifications for those who aim to enter this universe.
Ifeoma Dike↓
Art advisor, curator
Ifeoma Dike was born in Benin City, Nigeria where she had her formative years. She earned an MSc in Cognitive neuropsychology at Oxford Brooks University. Her passion for people and wellbeing, travel, art and culture, inspired her to launch an award-winning business where art can be used as a medium for well-being, enjoyment, entertainment, events, philanthropy as well as for business. She founded Idioblast, Dynamic Development (IDD) as a vehicle to seek innovative and dynamic ways to support art beyond acquisition - through engaging corporations, institutions, individuals and interior decorators in the appreciation and acquisition of art.
Ifeoma is an organic leader, a natural networker and a troubleshooter who believes that business and philanthropy can happen simultaneously. She is an art adviser, curator and source. Her business is also a one-stop shop for art clients. She is a member of The Association of Women Art Dealers (AWAD), Association of Women In The Arts (AWITA), Honour Roll Member, National Museum of Women Artists (NMWA).
Philippine Vernes↓
Head of Patrons and Planned Giving, Natural History Museum
Philippine is an expert in developing and leading giving programmes for the third and cultural sectors and relationship management.
She graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an MA in History of Art and Philosophy and then went on to gain an MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Philippine started her philanthropy career at the V&A, working with the former Director Martin Roth and local embassies on the opening of the new European Galleries.
Amongst her experience, Philippine lead the re-development of the British Museum’s Patrons scheme, generating an annual 7 figure sum for the institution and established the British Museum’s international travel programme for donors, which has become one of the leading programmes in the sector.
As the Head of Patrons and Planned Giving at the Natural History Museum (NHM), she was responsible for creating and leading the new Patrons Circle. The implementation of this has increased income from this group to the Museum by 56%.
Cassi Young↓
Specialist, Head of Sales, Bonhams
Cassi Young is the Specialist, Head of Sale for the Modern & Contemporary Art auction in London at Bonnhams. Before joining Bonhams, Cassi worked in the Post-War & Contemporary Art department at Christie's, London and also gained experience at Deutscher and Hackett, Sydney. Cassi holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, as well as a Double Masters in Art History and Curatorial Museum Studies from the University of Adelaide, South Australia.
Isabella Coraça↓
Dress historian, lecturer and curator
Isabella Coraça is an independent dress historian, lecturer and curator based in London. She started as a fashion designer in Brazil, but her interest in dress history has brought her to the UK to pursue a career in the museum sector. She studied Fashion History & Theory at Central Saint Martins followed by a Masters degree in Museum Studies at University College London.
Isabella is absolutely passionate about collections and nothing makes her happier than spending a day with objects. She has vast experience in collections management and care, having worked at the British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Historic Royal Palaces and Museum of London. She is also an avid researcher, particularly interested in the relationship between dress, culture and identity. She approaches dress through multi-disciplinarian perspectives, combining concepts and theories from anthropology, sociology, ethnography and material culture studies.
Isabella enjoys sharing her expertise and enthusiasm through talks, seminars and museum/archive visits. She lectures at Central Saint Martins and DeTao Studio Gottelier (Shanghai, China), and has been a guest lecturer at London College of Fashion, Regent’s University and Faculdade Santa Marcelina (São Paulo, Brazil).
Nicky van Breugel↓
Head of Membership and Volunteer Engagement, CASE
Nicky van Breugel has worked at various global art institutions, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Pace London and Tate, and she was a member of the founding team of London's international performance art festival Block Universe. Currently, she is Head of Membership and Volunteer Engagement at CASE where she develops and oversees membership strategies for the Europe region, while also leading on volunteer engagement. CASE serves over 3,600 institutions across the education, nonprofit and arts sectors in support of their development departments.
At Tate she contributed to fundraising campaigns and projects, including the Frieze Tate Fund and the museum's European Collectors' Circle. Prior to this, she worked on the production of exhibitions, sales and fundraising efforts as well as operations at a variety of institutions in the international art world.
Nicky holds an MA in Arts Policy and Management from Utrecht University, graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a BA degree in Cultural Studies and studied Museum Studies and Sociology at Stockholm University. She has a special interest in technology, social impact and innovation.
Marine Tanguy↓
Founder and CEO, MTArt Agency
An advocate for artists since a young age, Marine Tanguy managed her first gallery at age 21 and opened her first art gallery in Los Angeles at age 23. After seeing the restrictiveness of the traditional gallery model, Marine launched MTArt Agency in 2015. MTArt is the first talent agency for visual artists worldwide. Clients love to work with the agency to identify the next rising star in the art world. They trust its rigorous selection and the expertise of the team to integrate their art in the most extraordinary contexts. MTArt Agency was behind the largest public art painting in the world: the project of Saype in Paris supported by 30 companies including the Eiffel Tower and the Guardian Media Group. Its artists enhance your homes, cities, screens, and advertising spaces with their art. They broadcast their inspiring messages and visuals for you to lead a more visually inspiring life.
Marine was awarded Forbes 2018 30 under 30 Europe: Art & Culture and UK entrepreneur of the year for the 2019 NatWest Everywoman Awards. She is a writer and keynote speaker on contemporary art and art investment. Her talks include two TEDx Talks on how to transform cities with art and how social media visuals affect our minds.
Salma Tuqan↓
Curator and Deputy Director, Delfina Foundation
Salma Tuqan is a Contemporary art and design curator and Deputy Director of Delfina Foundation, London. Prior to Delfina Foundation, she was the Contemporary Middle East Curator at the V&A for eight years, where she was responsible for Middle Eastern art and design programming at the museum, curator if the biennial Jameel Prize and co-founded the Culture in Crisis stream.
She has contributed to other projects as an independent curator and facilitator, including Palestine c/o Venice at the 53rd Venice Biennale (2009) and the Wind Tunnel Project in Farnborough (2014). She works closely with cultural organisations on strategy and is a committee member of the Arab Image Foundation (Beirut), The Palestinian Museum (Birzeit), The Khatt Foundation (Amsterdam), and Strategic Advisor to NuMu (Guatemala City).
Sophie Busby↓
Corporate Partnerships Account Manager, Tate
Sophie Busby works in the Corporate Partnership team at Tate, managing a portfolio of high profile corporate sponsors. With nearly ten years experience, she has worked at commercial and public galleries as well as at auction house Philips, working with a wide variety of stakeholders including artists, educators, high profile collectors and senior stakeholders in business and galleries. Sophie is passionate about art not only for its aesthetic value but because it builds communities and improves quality of life.
LIVE ARTS
Farooq Chaudhry OBE↓
Farooq is the co-founder and Producer of Akram Khan Company, playing a key role in forming innovative business models to support Akram Khan’s artistic ambitions and offering creative support during the development of Khan's projects. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged Chaudhry in a list of the world's top hundred cultural actors and entrepreneurs in 2008. Chaudhry also produced for China’s national dance icon Yang Liping and English National Ballet and was awarded an honorary doctorate from De Montfort University for his services to dance. In 2018 Chaudhry became the Course consultant for the new MA Dance Producing and Management at London Studio Centre and Goldsmiths University. In Sept 2018 Chaudhry became the Co-Artistic Director of PECDA (Prakriti Excellence in Contemporary Dance Awards) in India. In 2019, Chaudhry was awarded an OBE for his services to Dance and Dance Production and was appointed a Tate Artist Trustee.
Tobi Kyeremateng↓
Tobi is a freelance award-winning cultural producer and social entrepreneur with a focus on creating rich cultural experiences and sustainable social change through film, live public events, and community-led programmes. With 9 years’ experience in cultural production, strategy, consultancy and project management, Tobi has worked with organisations such as AFROPUNK, Goldsmiths University, Nike, Oxford University and Samsung, and has won several awards including: ‘Inspiration of the Year’ (Stylist Magazine’s inaugural Remarkable Women Awards 2019), ‘Best Producer’ (inaugural Black British Theatre Awards 2019), the ‘Arts & Culture’ Award (Women Of The Future Awards 2019) and 'Special Award: Producer' (OffWestEnd Theatre Awards 2020).
She is currently the Creative Civic Producer at Brixton House (formerly known as Ovalhouse) project managing Let’s Build - an offsite community project working with twenty Brixton-based primary school children and architects MATT+FIONA to co-design and self-build a temporary community space in Brixton. Tobi is the founder of the award-winning initiative Black Ticket Project, a company creating cultural access points for Black young people, and is a Senior Artistic Associate at the Bush Theatre. Tobi is a Board Trustee for Peckham Platform and the Diversity School Initiative and mentor for Sour Lemons.
Daisy Heath↓
Daisy is currently Executive Director at Kiln Theatre in Brent. Previously she was Lead Producer at the Young Vic 2011-18. And Head of Planning at National Theatre 2007-2011. She has also worked for Royal Shakespeare Company, Gate Theatre, Artsadmin and the Royal Court.
Daisy has two daughters and lives in Haringey. She’s determined to work to make British Theatre an ever more inclusive and representative space.
Jonathan May↓
Jonathan is an arts programmer and creative producer. Most recently he was Director (maternity cover) for Abandon Normal Devices after completing his Clore Fellowship. Jonathan has been an arts programmer at British Council since 2015 mainly working in the Americas and South Asia. Prior to that, he was Digital Producer at the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT). He is a trustee of Arts Council England NPOs Live Art Development Agency and Strike a Light.
As an arts producer and programmer he's often found co-creating and leading cross-disciplinary teams to realise ambitious arts events, from building-wide festivals in Bogota; installations in Mexico nightclubs; to public artworks at Tate’s Turbine Hall. Jonathan has programmed and produced live, immersive work and professional development events in venues and public spaces across the UK and internationally. Through this work he has forged a global network of radical producers, makers and doers in the cultural sector exploring new forms of creative practice, and most importantly are really nice people. Jonathan’s also become a dad recently, which is fun.
Jonathan is on the internet as little as possible. If you want to be creepy you can look at this hardly-ever used LinkedIn page, but it's probably a much nicer experience to look at photographs he takes on Instagram.
CROSS ARTS
Beki Bateson↓
Consultant, Curator and Producer
With a background in human rights, Beki’s heart lies in festivals and public artworks – making everyday culture bold, representative, relevant and accessible. For 25 years she has helped envision and produce arts festivals with an international flavour - in fields, on racecourses, across cities and in stately homes – as audience, artist, producer, volunteer, trustee and curator. Beki has been Director of Chatsworth Arts Festival, LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) and Greenbelt – all creative, contemporary, independent, site-specific, political and joyous adventures – moments out of the ordinary.
In November 2018 Beki became an independent creative producer and consultant and has worked with creatives and artists including Block9, British Council (most recently in Brazil/Southern Africa/MENA/Oman), Mayor of London/UEFA and Outburst Queer Arts Festival in Belfast.
Beki has been Chair and Trustee of several cultural organisations and most recently a school governor at an all-boys state school in South East London and is exploring pathways, unconscious bias and trauma in the cultural sector for mid-career women of colour. She was co-founder of Vaux, a collective of artists and city-lovers that created new work and events across London.
She finds energy in potential and enjoys mentoring and supporting creatives navigate their cultural journeys.
Ruby Baker↓
Creative Producer
Ruby works across art forms and disciplines to reimagine spaces and challenge traditional presentation methods. Her background in outdoor arts means Ruby creates performance in unconventional environments. This practice is combined with a commitment to nurturing and supporting independent creatives to achieve long-term career sustainability. Ruby divides her time as a freelancer and as Senior Creative Producer at Poet in the City leading on Collections in Verse, a national partnership project with British Library and library services across the UK which sees community co-creation, brand new poetry commissions and ambitious library takeovers take place across five cities in two years.
Prior to this, Ruby worked for East London Dance, leading on their artist development and professional performance programmes. Ruby has also worked with Remarkable Productions, London College of Fashion, Emergency Exit Arts, Feminist Review, London Mela, Latitude Festival, Mahogany Carnival Design, London Legacy Development Corporation, National Theatre, Latitude Festival and London Boroughs of Southwark, Barking & Dagenham and Brent.
Edmund Connolly↓
Partnerships Manager, Google Arts & Culture UK
Edmund Connolly is an Executive of the International Council of Museums (UK), a member of the UK Blue Shield Board and Trustee of the Bomb Factory Art Foundation, an independent Arts Charity that combines studios and hang space with a progressive community and education public programme.
Currently, Edmund manages creative partnerships for Google Arts & Culture UK, and has previously led creative new initiatives for the British Library, British Council and UCL Culture. Edmund has long been a voice for digital futures and resilience in the Culture Sector, having established the British Library's Digital Transformation Programme and collaborated with organisations such as English National Ballet, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Harry Potter franchise to create blended and digital first outputs. Edmund has spoken at various conferences on cultural policy and practices (including MA, WiConference etc) and is a Networking and Partnerships coach for the Knowledge Quarter (London).
Edmund has been featured by BBC Sport, Stonewall UK, Pride Sport etc for his advocacy work on LGBT+ athletes and acts as a Welfare and Diversity advisor for various sports clubs in London. With a background in archaeology and human rights law, Edmund's academic interests lie in the preservation of heritage during armed conflict, restitution and repatriation law and has worked with a broad range of cultural organisations, from Egyptology to Contemporary Dance.
Jade Coles↓
Events Curator
Currently the Events Curator at The Wing, Jade has over ten years of experience designing cultural programmes and events that resonate with emerging, creative audiences across London. She cares deeply about fantastic spaces that foster a community which is why the majority of her experience has been across the ever-changing hospitality landscape weather that’s working for boutique hotels, restaurant groups or mixed-use property developments.
Previous roles include defining a programme of over 50 events per month, giving shape to events from across the creative industries and enterprise sectors for Soho House and Co, establishing long-term partnerships with major brands as well shining light on new producers as part of her previous role with Bompas & Parr, and leading a team as Head of Events at The Collective. Having also worked independently as a freelancer, she actively understands on a macro and personal level the challenges of being an entrepreneur, ‘the hustle’ as well as working in a traditional business structure.
MARKETING , DESIGN & COMMUNICATIONS
Jessica Teal↓
Founder and Principal, Teal Media
Jessica Teal is the founder and principal of Teal Media, a full-service creative and design agency with offices in Washington, DC and Detroit, MI. Jessica leads the creative vision and strategy for Teal's nonprofit clients who are taking on the most important social justice issues of our time.
Before founding Teal, Jessica served as Design Manager for the 2008 Obama presidential campaign. She also served as a special consultant to the Obama White House, advising on digital strategy, user experience, and visual design. Jessica was recently named in the top 5 “2018 Responsible Designers to Watch” by Graphic Design USA, has been featured in Forbes as part of the ongoing Self-Made Women series, and has been a speaker at SXSW Interactive, NTEN, NOI, RootsCamp, and Netroots Nation.
Joao Paulo Testa↓
Creative Director
In 15 years of advertising journey, JP has established a solid and awarded work as one of the biggest players in the industry. He built brands around the globe and was recognized at major festivals such as the D&AD, Cannes Lions, The One Show, London Festival and others. In 2018 he was selected to creatively lead the Publicis Emil business unit in Brazil, a global operation responsible for managing and creating for Mercedes-Benz brand. JP was also the Creative Director at Fallon London, overseeing the UK market and Global Campaigns. He is also a road cycling enthusiast, a former racing driver and Co-Founder of Workhäuss, a Start Up which rethinks coworking and offers empty seats in the best bars and restaurants as workspace.
Hamid Habib ↓
Strategy Partner, Craft Media
Hamid began his career studying medicine with a view to becoming a psychiatrist. Quickly realising you have to be of sane mind yourself to listen to other people’s problems, he promptly left and, with a friend, set up a nightclub called Plastic People in Shoreditch.
After a few years of mischief, Hamid joined the world of PR where he worked on PlayStation and launched KitKat Chunky. From there, he moved into marketing roles at MTV and Nickelodeon, where he took the channel to the number-one kids’ TV station.
After six years’ client-side, he jumped back into agency life at ZenithOptimedia, where his work with clients O2 and Puma won him Cannes Lions, Media Week, Thinkbox and Campaign awards. After another 6 year stint at OMD as Chief Innovation Officer looking after strategy, creative solutions and data science he joined Starcom as MD.
Getting bored with management and wanting to get closer to the work again he left a year ago to join Craft, a small strategy unit working with clients who share the view that media is a creative opportunity to drive growth – not just a buying commodity.
Manuela Rahal & Marcela Zanon ↓
Founders, Rahall PR
Manuela Rahal is a journalist and PR expert. With over nineteen years of experience in communications and events, she is the founder of Rahall PR, a company which operates in the cloud, borne out of a future working model without fixed staff of offices. Manuela builds influence platforms, content and research for brands such as Nike, Asics, Pernod Ricard, Selina and MECA. In the middle of the pandemic, she also started a new venture: the AR company Altarx.
Marcela Zanon studied Chemistry with Technological Assignments at UFRJ, worked in the cosmetics sector for some years, as she had a dream to reduce the use of polluting substances in these products. After graduating, she moved to São Paulo, where she met his current partner Manuela Rahal and ended up discovering a vocation for the Public Relations market. Together, they founded Rahall PR and Consultancy Agency, 5 years ago, and have been providing communication, research and content services to brands such as Nike, Pernod Ricard, Asics, Selina and MECA.
SPORTS
Carol Almiron↓
Communications Manager, FIFA
Carol Almiron is an experienced Communications Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the sports industry, having worked for FIFA for over eleven years, responsible for Media Relations and Media Operations. She is also the Communications Advisor for company Organismo Bieto by visual artist Bieto.
Jennifer O’Reilly↓
Head of Commercial Strategy and Cross Category Athletes, Sports Marketing, Nike.
A former finance professional leading proven commercial return through brand sponsorship of sport, with strong interpersonal skills and an entrepreneurial streak. Jennifer has a track-record in deriving optimum value in brand and rights holder partnerships. International representation in the sporting world displays a driven personality that is goal orientated. She was also a member of Women's Team Pursuit Squad and Omnium rider and participated in international competitions such as the UCI Track World Cups in Beijing, Columbia and Melbourne and the 2010 Cali World Cup.
Marta Gut ↓
Global PR Manager, Rapha
Marta Gut is the Global Public Relations Manager at Rapha with 8 years experience in various marketing roles within the arts and sports industry.
During her time at Rapha, Marta saw the company grow from a start-up to global reaching business and a community platform. This journey has given her an invaluable insight into strategic PR, dynamic marketing and communications within a fast-growing business. Marta's background is in the arts and photography which enriches her perspective and sets her to benefit from creative thinking within her marketing role at Rapha.
Marta is also a co-founder of a London based female photography collective Skin and Blister.
JOURNALISM & PUBLISHING
Francesca Gavin↓
Writer, Curator and Editor
Francesca Gavin is a writer, curator and editor based in London. She is the author of six books on contemporary art and visual culture, and is a contributing art editor at Twin, Good Trouble, Beauty Papers and Kaleidoscope. She co-curated Manifesta11 and exhibitions at Somerset House and Palais de Tokyo, and does a monthly radio show on NTS.live about art and music.
Sara Nisha Adams↓
Editorial Director and Author
Sara Nisha Adams studied English Literature at Cambridge University before joining the trade publishing industry, initially at a Literary Agency before moving into adult fiction publishing. She has worked at Headline, Vintage and now works at Hodder & Stoughton as Fiction Editorial Director, where she specialises in commercial fiction. Sara is also an author, and her debut novel is being published by HarperCollins in 2021.
Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff↓
Journalist, features writer, columnist and head of editorial at gal-dem
Charlie is the head of editorial at gal-dem, a Guardian freelancer and a former weekend editor and writer at Dazed. She has written columns for the Observer, ipaper and Metro and freelanced for a variety of publications, including Easyjet Magazine and the Financial Times. An experienced panellist and speaker on radio and TV.
Charlie is the Editor of the book Mother Country: Real Stories of the Windrush Children, a leading new exploration of the Windrush generation featuring David Lammy, Lenny Henry, Corinne Bailey Rae, Sharmaine Lovegrove, Hannah Lowe, Jamz Supernova, Natasha Gordon and Rikki Beadle-Blair. She is also a Scott Trust Bursary alumnus, and winner of the 2016 Georgina Henry Award for Innovation in Journalism.
Victoria Ceridono↓
Journalist, Blogger and Influencer
Victoria Ceridono is a journalist, blogger and influencer based in London. A digital media pioneer, Vic launched her blog, Dia de Beauté, over 12 years ago and has been a reference for content creation on the internet and social media across beauty, fashion and lifestyle. She also worked for Vogue Brazil for 10 years and was Glamour Brazil's International editor-at-large for three years. She also launched a best-selling book, Dia de Beauté. Vic has worked with brands such as Chanel, Dior, MAC, Clinique, Jo Malone, Tom Ford, Space NK and Harrods.
MUSIC
Jess Kangalee↓
Founder, Good Energy PR
Jess Kangalee has over a decade of experience working in broadcast media promotions for artists, festivals and events. She currently runs her own company Good Energy PR and has worked across a diverse roster including Angel Olsen, Azekel, badbadnotgood, Battles, Boards of Canada, Bombay Bicycle Club, Bon Iver, Caribou, Daniel Avery, Dinosaur Jr, Gaika, Grizzly Bear, LUMP, M83, Metronomy, Moses Sumney, Phoebe Bridgers, Run The Jewels, serpentwithfeet, Sleater Kinney, Shame, Sharon Van Etten, Sinkane, Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The War On Drugs to name a few, plus Citadel, Green Man, Field Day, Lovebox and Wilderness festivals.
Veronica Pessoa↓
CEO at Janela, Music manager and journalist
Based in Paris, Veronica Pessoa is a Brazilian music manager. Her expertise lies in creating projects by finding funds and building an effective networks to work on booking, management, label and press. Over the past ten years, she has managed several Brazilian artists around the world and acted as the artistic director of a range of cultural events.
Her company Janela researches and develops music businesses in Brazil and provides mentorship to artists and brands in the sector. They developed an accelerator project for the main Brazilan music grant program called Natura Musical.
Pessoa is also a radio show host: she used to introduce new brazilian artists for a radio station in Rio de Janeiro and currently runs the world music show Cenas do Mundo in Frei Caneca FM radio in Recife.
She is a journalist with a master's degree in communication and culture and currently studies cultural mediation in the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in Paris.
Gilbert Johnson↓
Artist Manager and Co-Founder, Hear This Records; Marketing Specialist, Final Draft
Gilbert is an artist manager with a roster of clients across a wide range of musical tastes and genres. His particular expertise is in helping to build artists and producers from the ground up, developing their musical sound and providing the tools at the start of their careers to create a world around them and solidify their brand. He and his partner founded an independent record label, Hear This Records, to nurture the careers of new artists. From London R&B singer-songwriter Olivia Nelson, to Dutch soulful electronic producer Jarreau Vandal, as well as singles and EP releases from other exciting up-and-coming talent.
Gilbert started his career in music at Virgin EMI Records where he worked his way up to Product Manager and led marketing campaigns for SG Lewis, Naughty Boy, Benjamin Clementine, Desiigner, Logic, Amber Mark and more. He left Virgin in 2017 to join the UK marketing team at Google, working with cultural tastemakers on activations for Google's hardware products. After a stint there he moved internally across to YouTube marketing where he led UK Brand and Distribution Partnerships for YouTube Music and Premium.
Gilbert left Google in August 2020 to realise a lifelong dream, by becoming self-employed and setting up his own company. Final Draft is a music company consisting of a marketing consultancy, where he acts as a Marketing specialist for independent artists and major labels in the UK and US, and a producer management arm. Recent signing RELYT, whose record 'Rover'- which he produced for S1mba- just reached #3 in the UK singles chart.
FILM, TV & BROADCASTING
Marina Filipe↓
Senior Manager, Original Productions, Turner’s Kids Cluster
Based in São Paulo, Marina Filipe is Original Productions Sr. Manager for Turner’s Kids Cluster in Brazil (Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Tooncast). Her previous experiences include the BBC Studios as Development Producer, Endemol Shine Brazil as Head of Production and the co-creation and executive production of an unscripted TV series called “Sexo no Sofá” for Glitz (Turner) and TV Futura (Fundação Roberto Marinho).
Josh Moore↓
Design Director, BBC Creative
Josh began his career in VFX around Soho, before finding a home in Broadcasting, where he has worked for over a decade. He has worked with various brands over the years, including a long tenure with the Channel 5 / Viacom family. Josh has since been picked up by BBC Creative to help build and manage a world class in-house Design studio. He has led some of the biggest brand projects in recent BBC history, including the award winning rebrand of BBC 2, and launch of BBC Sounds.