Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this candid panel discussion, women from various sectors of the music industry will share their own experiences, exploring their unique professional trajectories, from their first steps into the industry to their current roles. Our panelists will share unfiltered stories about the significant challenges they've faced, the pivotal moments that shaped their careers, and the resilience it took to overcome obstacles. We'll also dive into the ongoing hurdles and biases that women still navigate in the music business in 2025, regardless of their position.
This is more than a conversation; it's a raw and honest look at the journey, offering invaluable insights and inspiration for anyone aspiring to build a career in music.
Moderator: Marissa DeVito a veteran of the music industry, Marissa brings deep experience from major labels and the music tech world. She led streaming strategy and commercial marketing for Republic Records, Island Records, Def Jam, and Motown, and spent nearly seven years at SoundCloud, eventually leading the Music Marketing and Curation team.
In 2024, she launched her own music industry consulting business, offering strategy, marketing, and operations support to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
In conversation with:
Carolyn Ortiz is the Co-Founder and C.O.O of Big.Ass.Kids and has worked in the music industry for over 15 years, starting as a publicist in NYC specializing in emerging artists, sponsorships, and events. Carolyn started her business development career at Chanel and Viacom, and in 2015 she joined Universal Music Group to help launch the first central brand partnership team at a major label. In 2021, Carolyn co-founded Big.Ass.Kids alongside industry veteran le’Roy Benros, expanding it from a record label into a full music ecosystem including distribution, artist services, and a community resource hub.
Carolyn’s career, however, will be defined by her dedication to emerging talent, fostering mentorship, and leaving a lasting industry impact. She has created several intern programs, made dozens of mentor-mentee connections, and has personally mentored dozens of young professionals and budding entrepreneurs herself. In November 2024, Carolyn received the Mentorship Award from Live Nation’s Femme it Forward Program, and in September 2025, she will be joining NYU’s Clive Davis Institute as a Mentor through their adjunct professor program.
Sarah Page is an executive coach who works exclusively with women in music, helping them get unstuck, build confidence, and take bold steps forward. Having experienced the highs and lows of major labels and the merch world, Sarah brings empathy and lived experience to her coaching.
A certified coach, she has helped women in music secure pay rises, step into promotions, launch consultancies, and lead with confidence.
Originally from London, Sarah has lived in LA and now calls Brooklyn home, coaching women in music worldwide.
Drea Jackson was cultured in the South, but her soul is rooted in music. She spent 10 years living in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from Spelman College, she extended her industry relations by becoming a marketing & sales professional by day and entertainment personality by night.
In 2019, the best of both worlds collided when she moved from Atlanta to NYC to work at SoundCloud as a Brand Partnerships Strategist. Over the last 6 years, her impact evolved and thrived in her previous role as Senior Manager, Industry Relations. In that position, she liaised relationships with artists and industry peers to the platform while applying a unique lens of culture to identify and inform strategies for artist exposure. After graduating from SoundCloud in April 2025 she’s now focused on her fitness career and Drea Vibes.
Victoria Roe is an artist manager and principal at Team Spirit Mgmt. Focused on her clients' long-term goals, she values artist development, creative marketing and is devoted to artist advocacy, pushing boundaries, growing audiences, and helping artists carve their own path. Her client roster includes Andrew Bird, Tift Merritt, John Splithoff, Evann McIntosh and SUSS.
Joining Team Spirit in 2010, she takes pride that in over 25 years of business, the company has remained women-owned and independently operated. In the fall of 2024, Roe co-produced CAROLINADAZE, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit music + arts festival with the mission to galvanize & educate young voters. The inaugural festival in Raleigh (Sep ‘24) featured Janelle Monae, Tierra Whack, and Moses Sumney and raised over $150k for organizations working to protect abortion access and civil liberties in North Carolina.
Alongside longtime client, Tift Merritt, she executive produced the latest Noise for Now compilation album, ‘Songs for Sex,’ Featuring contributions from Jason Isbell, Andrew Bird, Thao, Trousdale, Cake, My Brightest Diamond + more, the album’s proceeds support URGE (Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity).
In this candid panel discussion, women from various sectors of the music industry will share their own experiences, exploring their unique professional trajectories, from their first steps into the industry to their current roles. Our panelists will share unfiltered stories about the significant challenges they've faced, the pivotal moments that shaped their careers, and the resilience it took to overcome obstacles. We'll also dive into the ongoing hurdles and biases that women still navigate in the music business in 2025, regardless of their position.
This is more than a conversation; it's a raw and honest look at the journey, offering invaluable insights and inspiration for anyone aspiring to build a career in music.
Moderator: Marissa DeVito a veteran of the music industry, Marissa brings deep experience from major labels and the music tech world. She led streaming strategy and commercial marketing for Republic Records, Island Records, Def Jam, and Motown, and spent nearly seven years at SoundCloud, eventually leading the Music Marketing and Curation team.
In 2024, she launched her own music industry consulting business, offering strategy, marketing, and operations support to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
In conversation with:
Carolyn Ortiz is the Co-Founder and C.O.O of Big.Ass.Kids and has worked in the music industry for over 15 years, starting as a publicist in NYC specializing in emerging artists, sponsorships, and events. Carolyn started her business development career at Chanel and Viacom, and in 2015 she joined Universal Music Group to help launch the first central brand partnership team at a major label. In 2021, Carolyn co-founded Big.Ass.Kids alongside industry veteran le’Roy Benros, expanding it from a record label into a full music ecosystem including distribution, artist services, and a community resource hub.
Carolyn’s career, however, will be defined by her dedication to emerging talent, fostering mentorship, and leaving a lasting industry impact. She has created several intern programs, made dozens of mentor-mentee connections, and has personally mentored dozens of young professionals and budding entrepreneurs herself. In November 2024, Carolyn received the Mentorship Award from Live Nation’s Femme it Forward Program, and in September 2025, she will be joining NYU’s Clive Davis Institute as a Mentor through their adjunct professor program.
Sarah Page is an executive coach who works exclusively with women in music, helping them get unstuck, build confidence, and take bold steps forward. Having experienced the highs and lows of major labels and the merch world, Sarah brings empathy and lived experience to her coaching.
A certified coach, she has helped women in music secure pay rises, step into promotions, launch consultancies, and lead with confidence.
Originally from London, Sarah has lived in LA and now calls Brooklyn home, coaching women in music worldwide.
Drea Jackson was cultured in the South, but her soul is rooted in music. She spent 10 years living in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from Spelman College, she extended her industry relations by becoming a marketing & sales professional by day and entertainment personality by night.
In 2019, the best of both worlds collided when she moved from Atlanta to NYC to work at SoundCloud as a Brand Partnerships Strategist. Over the last 6 years, her impact evolved and thrived in her previous role as Senior Manager, Industry Relations. In that position, she liaised relationships with artists and industry peers to the platform while applying a unique lens of culture to identify and inform strategies for artist exposure. After graduating from SoundCloud in April 2025 she’s now focused on her fitness career and Drea Vibes.
Victoria Roe is an artist manager and principal at Team Spirit Mgmt. Focused on her clients' long-term goals, she values artist development, creative marketing and is devoted to artist advocacy, pushing boundaries, growing audiences, and helping artists carve their own path. Her client roster includes Andrew Bird, Tift Merritt, John Splithoff, Evann McIntosh and SUSS.
Joining Team Spirit in 2010, she takes pride that in over 25 years of business, the company has remained women-owned and independently operated. In the fall of 2024, Roe co-produced CAROLINADAZE, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit music + arts festival with the mission to galvanize & educate young voters. The inaugural festival in Raleigh (Sep ‘24) featured Janelle Monae, Tierra Whack, and Moses Sumney and raised over $150k for organizations working to protect abortion access and civil liberties in North Carolina.
Alongside longtime client, Tift Merritt, she executive produced the latest Noise for Now compilation album, ‘Songs for Sex,’ Featuring contributions from Jason Isbell, Andrew Bird, Thao, Trousdale, Cake, My Brightest Diamond + more, the album’s proceeds support URGE (Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity).
