AUSTIN, Texas — Four professionals in the music industry had a candid conversation about their career trajectory that left us all feeling a little more hopeful for the future.

What You Need To Know

  • Women in the music industry discuss diversity efforts in the industry and pacing the way for more women of color

  • The lack of representation DJ Rosegold saw as a woman DJ inspired her to start Rosegold University, a networking group for creatives and other professionals. It’s a fitting name considering her overall message: never stop being a student

  • Eboni Gentry, owner of Gentry Touring Inc., has continued to grow her empire, but she always remembers how hard she worked to get there, and advises anyone who is just starting out to get comfortable with the unknown.

  • Rapper and singer Kodie Shane emphasizes the importance and impact of more women being in the industry, because, as she says, “...it’s always a strong woman behind pretty much every good idea”

It’s no secret that representation for POC executives in the music industry is severely lacking. A Zippia study found that only 3% of music executives are Black, 6.1% are Asian, 5.9% are Hispanic/Latino and 0.5% are Native American and Alaska native. The majority of music executives are white men.

Joi Brown, the panel’s moderator and founder of Culture Creators, used to be part of that 3%. For her, this was inspiration to pivot.

After 21 years at Atlantic Records as the senior vice president of marketing, Brown shifted to the nonprofit sphere. She founded Culture Creators to address diversity, equity and inclusion across multiple industries and to help students develop professional skills through trainings.

It’s work that would go on to help make room at the table for the next generation of artists. Artists like Kodie Shane and DJ Rosegold, who both broke into the industry about seven years ago.

Rosegold saw a need for more women as DJs because of the field being so male-dominated.

“When I was starting out…all my mentors were men. And I’m grateful to them, of course, and all the men who have been a part of my career, but I would really, I really, in that time when I was starting out really wanted there to be women that I could look up to — even for small things like their hairstyles and their style, their wardrobe and all of those things,” she said.

The lack of representation Rosegold saw as a woman DJ inspired her to start Rosegold University, a networking group for creatives and other professionals. It’s a fitting name considering her overall message: never stop being a student.

“You really, sometimes, you really think that you know it all. And it’s also OK when you don’t know something to tell somebody that you don’t understand something and let them teach you. Allow there to be teachable moments, because that is the only way that you’re going to evolve, like as a person. As a whole person,” she said.

Also wanting to make a change in an industry she didn’t see herself in was Eboni Gentry. Gentry is the owner of Gentry Touring Inc., a touring management agency where she has served as the tour manager for artists including Doja Cat, Ice Spice, Snoh Aalegra, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Pink Pantheress.

As her company has grown, Gentry saw the need to keep her services consistent every single time, so she created The Gentry Way, a boot camp that teaches people the basics of the touring industry and tour management.

She’s continued to grow her empire, but she always remembers how hard she worked to get there, and advises anyone who is just starting out to get comfortable with the unknown.

“Entrepreneurship is risk. It is. Period, end of statement. You have to be OK with the possibility of failing. Just because you failed doesn’t mean your life is over or what you’re trying to achieve is never going to happen. Be OK with falling face first down in the ground. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, learn your lessons and continue on,” she said. “My main thing I always tell people in this industry never take no for an answer. The entertainment industry is meant to chew you up, take every little bit of your soul and spit you out. Don’t let it happen.”

Gentry’s climb to the top didn’t come without challenges, but she wanted to excel not just for herself, but for the next person.

“I always am very mindful about the path that I’m making and the people that are coming behind me. And if I can get in the door, then the goal is for the people in the room to leave the door open for the person who comes behind me that looks like me. Because if I’m in the room, and I do a good job, and I excel, then they’re more likely to let the next person try as well, because I proved that it can be done,” Gentry said.

Despite not seeing many women or diversity in her field when she started out, Gentry sees that the needle is moving now.

“I didn’t see a lot of me when I first got into the industry. And now there’s more women tour managers and more women tour managers of color that are setting the scene and makes me so happy,” she said.

As a woman in music, rapper and singer Kodie Shane knows the importance and impact of more women being in the industry.

“I feel like it’s always a strong woman behind pretty much every good idea. But now they’re just actually saying that, like, ‘Hey, a woman did that!’ So it’s dope,” Shane said.