Our mission
Our mission is to incorporate music into addressing and solving the biggest challenges of our time.
Why we do this work
Music represents a global economic opportunity. It can serve as a tool to eradicate poverty and create well‑paying jobs. It promotes social mobility and acts as soft diplomacy.
Music can enhance our well‑being, improve educational outcomes, support mental health, and assist with healthy aging. It helps protect and preserve our heritage and offers a positive, pragmatic way to bridge cultural and geographic divides. However, we need data and evidence to develop better policies and maximize music's value and potential, including protecting intellectual property, integrating music into our cities and communities, and guiding how we invest in ourselves, our planet, and our health. Our mission—and our work—ensures that all governments, organizations, and communities have these tools to maximize the impact of music in their areas.
Who we are
We have decades of combined experience working at the intersection of music, the creative economy, and policy.
Our work is focused on both global impact and local implementation, and our network of leaders from around the world and across many music, culture, and development sectors is uniquely positioned to achieve it.
Our Team
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Shain is a globally recognised thought leader at the convergence of music, culture and urban policy. This is showcased in his debut book, This Must Be The Place: How Music Can Make Your City Better, due out on Repeater Books (distributed in the United States by Random House) on September 12, 2023. Shain has defined a new way to think about the value of music in cities and places and through it, influenced over 130 cities and places to invest in music and culture as founder and executive chairman of Sound Diplomacy and founder and executive director of the not-for-profit global Center for Music Ecosystems. He has authored authoritative reports on the role of music in cities, tourism, the night time economy, real estate and recovery, including the most extensive guide to music and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ever written, in partnership with the United Nations. He has spoken at hundreds of global conventions, such as SXSW and the UN World Urban Forum and delivered the first ever TEDx talk on music’s role in cities. Shain holds a PhD from the University of London and lives in East London.
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Angharad is a Paris-based consultant and producer working across the full spectrum of music and sound to develop new artistic and research-based projects. From policy through to producing, the common theme is the creation of conditions where new adventurous thinking and change can flourish. As Head of Projects at the Center for Music Ecosystems, she combines her extensive experience of working first-hand with artists around the world and advocating for their working conditions with a wider policy view. Clients include the British Council, Creative Europe, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sound and Music, Music in Detention, Somerset House, No Nation Ltd, as well as artists ranging from household names through to the experimental and grassroots. From 2017-2021 she was Chair of Soundmix, the UK charity providing music-making sessions for unaccompanied refugees and asylum seekers, and from 2013-2016 director of venue and co-op DIY Space for London. Board positions include the European Music Council and the Daphne Oram Trust.
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Ieva is a UK-based independent consultant specialising in neighbouring rights, global licensing and collective management. She has over 20 years of experience working in the music industry. Currently, she works as a researcher at the Center for Music Ecosystems combining this work with consulting services and running a rights administration and licensing company. Ieva is an Advisory Board member of the African Music Summit. From 2015-2022 Ieva worked at IFPI as a senior executive overseeing recorded music producers’ CMOs worldwide, encouraging performance improvement through implementing best practices and innovation and advising on licensing, technology and revenue distribution. Before that, she set up and ran the performers and producers’ CMO LaIPA in Latvia for a decade. Her expertise extends globally in the past working with major record labels in the Baltics, leading projects in Kenya and Indonesia, drafting copyright legislation and representing Latvia at WIPO as Head of the Copyright Department at the Ministry of Culture.
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Whitney is a researcher and communications strategist focused on creative economies, cultural policy, and public engagement with the arts. Most recently, she served as Director of Messaging at 4A Arts, leading communications and audience engagement for a national arts advocacy organization.
She has contributed to initiatives through Be An #ArtsHero, Ovation TV, Arts Workers United, and the Center for Music Ecosystems. Her work has explored artist compensation, creative economy policy, and the economic impact of the arts. She contributed to efforts supporting the U.S. House Small Business Committee hearing on the creative economy, worked on Ovation TV’s documentary series The Green Room with Nadia Brown, and contributed to the Center for Music Ecosystems’ Ethical Pay and Professional Protections Guidelines for Musicians.
Her work examines how storytelling, research, and public engagement can strengthen support for arts and culture.
Board of directors
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Thando Makhunga is a passionate and experienced South African music business executive and the Managing Director of Downtown Music Publishing, the largest independent music publisher in Africa. She is the first black woman to serve as the Vice-Chairperson of the Music Publishers Association of South Africa. As part of Downtown Music Holdings, a global music services company with a strong commitment to championing African music, Thando has worked across the continent to drive collaboration, knowledge sharing, and improved access to information on publishing and the rights of creators.
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Dr. Bryce Merrill is Director of Music Programs at Bohemian Foundation in Northern Colorado. Bryce is an expert on public sector support of music and has helped public and private entities build sustainable and equitable music ecosystems. He has a doctorate in sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder and is an affiliate faculty at Colorado State University. Bryce is a co-author of Understanding Society through Popular Music (Routledge) and Interactionists Take on Popular Music (Emerald), and he used to be a punk.
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Jesse Elliott, Director of Creative Ecosystems for CACHE (Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange), is a lifelong champion of collaborative social entrepreneurship, the power of multimedia and storytelling, and inclusive arts and artist resourcing. He is the founder and songwriter of two rock and roll bands, who released six albums and performed live 1,200 times in a decade, from SXSW and Glastonbury to Lollapalooza and your favorite local dive. A proud graduate of the University of Iowa, Elliott penned books and speeches with economist Richard Florida, helped research and author music strategies for the City of Denver and the State of Colorado, and served Bohemian Foundation as the founding Director of The Music District. He’s a complete amateur at everything from old Schwinns and experimental cooking to eastern philosophies and evolutionary neuroscience, living on Beaver Lake in Rogers, AR, with his kayak Ozzie, his bike Trailzz, and various maps of the earth and sky hung on everything that’s not a window.
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As Executive Director, Sharon provides visionary leadership in fulfilling the Levitt Foundation’s mission. She is the chief spokesperson for the organization, traveling across the country to share the impact of Levitt programs and creative placemaking. Her passionate commitment to the arts as a vehicle for positive change in communities has guided the strategic growth of Levitt programs nationwide, including the development of innovative public/private partnerships that are the bedrock of permanent Levitt venues. Sharon collaborates with Friends of Levitt partners in developing sustainability strategies, ensuring the long-term success of each permanent Levitt venue. Sharon also serves as a board member of the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation.
Prior to her position with the Levitt Foundation, Sharon was the founding Executive Director of Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles at MacArthur Park. Her work there and the venue’s impact in the community earned her the recognition of “Los Angeles Park Hero” by the City of Los Angeles. Sharon’s career began working with arts nonprofits in metropolitan Chicago. She earned a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University with a concentration in arts and business management.
Sharon is often an invited speaker at regional and national conferences, including the National Main Street Conference; Grantmakers in the Arts; National Brownfields Training Conference; National Consortium for Creative Placemaking; Association for Performing Arts Presenters; National Recreation and Parks Association Conference; Art of Placemaking Conference; Growing Sustainable Communities Conference; and NADO (National Association of Development Organizations), amongst others.
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With over twenty years in the independent music industry, Anna Bond has worked in record label management as the US GM for Rough Trade Records and the label manager at FatCat; in publishing as the head of business development at Songtrust; as well as in retail, distribution, and artist management. This breadth of experience has impressed upon her the importance of evaluating market developments from multiple stakeholder perspectives – as well as cementing the love for independent labels that she learned as a college radio-loving teen. Currently Director of Planning & Initiatives at Secretly Distribution, she is able to support the best independent labels in the business while working to push the independent sector itself forward.
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Michael Sheldrick is a policy entrepreneur, author and a driving force behind the efforts of Global Citizen to end extreme poverty and build climate resilience. As a Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Affairs Officer, he has mobilized over $43 billion in support for healthcare, education and climate from governments, businesses, and foundations. Michael is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, and the author of the Amazon best-selling book, From Ideas to Impact: A Playbook for Influencing and Implementing Change in a Divided World (Wiley: 2024).
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Robert Lavia is a dynamic global business executive and entrepreneurial leader. In 2015, he founded Dakia Global Enterprise, committing to high-yield, social-impact investments and sustainable development. As the Chairman of Dakia Global, he spearheads their operational vehicles, U-Ventures and Dakia Energy. U-Ventures champions innovative startups within the entertainment industry. Dakia Entertainment Hospitality is partnered with Universal Music Group, aiming to revolutionize hospitality, lifestyle clubs, live entertainment, and retail through advanced, sustainable technology.
Robert is dedicated to constructing corporate structures that pursue positive global change – economically, environmentally, and socially. Supported by his family's entertainment and real estate legacy, Robert consistently brings an innovative mindset to large-scale development and entertainment projects. In addition, Robert holds key positions in several notable organizations. He is a Board Member of the Oxford Leadership Group and the Deputy Secretary-General of the Be Earth Foundation. He also serves on the boards of AREDAY and the Lazlo Institute, reflecting his steadfast commitment to sustainable development and societal improvement.
Supporters and Data Providers
Our Ethics
The Center upholds the highest standards of research integrity, committing to transparency, and accuracy in all aspects of our work. We ensure that all findings are reported responsibly and that our research respects the rights, dignity, and privacy of participants, with informed consent processes and care for vulnerable groups. We comply with legal, institutional, and funding regulations, including data protection laws, and maintain transparency on data management, sharing, and confidentiality. Conflicts of interest are disclosed and managed to preserve impartiality.
We are committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, addressing barriers and ensuring diverse voices are represented. Our work embraces social responsibility, aiming to benefit communities, minimize harm, and promote sustainability. Collaboration is respectful, equitable, acknowledging all contributions and intellectual property. Peer review processes are fair and constructive, with accountability to address concerns seriously. We aim to engage transparently with communities and stakeholders, building trust in all partnerships.
Compliance
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The Center for Music Ecosystems is two nonprofit organizations. The first, the ‘Center for Music Ecosystems’ is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax Identification Number 85-2697785), registered in the State of Alabama. The second, ‘Center for Music Ecosystems MTÜ’ is a nonprofit organization in Estonia (registry code: 80608402). Aastal on Tartu Maakohtu registriosakonnas Center for Music Ecosystems MTÜ (registrikood 80608402) kohta koostatud menetlusdokument nr M 50198155.
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following email address: info@centerformusicecosystems.comCenter for Music Ecosystems will protect all personal data and will adopt all the necessary measures in order to avoid its alteration, loss, and unauthorized processing or access. Center for Music Ecosystems will fulfill this obligation in agreement with what is established in
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