Background:
A New York native living in South Florida, Allison is armed with experience in a variety of industries including music, technology expense management, hospitality, customer service, and e-commerce, all of which have contributed to her educated and inspired approach to marketing. Allison’s passion for music and writing can be found in the many pieces she has authored for concert reviews, album reviews, artist interviews, and music festival recaps. The crux of her trade lies in finding new, innovative ways to inform and entertain people not only in the business sphere, but in her personal relationships as well.

Musical Anecdote:
Allison’s very first CD was given to her for Christmas 1995 — it was No Doubt’s ‘Tragic Kingdom’. While these days her listening tastes have changed to genres anywhere from yacht rock to Laurel Canyon to disco & funk, she still holds a special place in her heart for ‘Tragic Kingdom’.  Allison still uses her SONY alarm clock from 1993 to listen to her local NPR station at home, and prides herself in performing an unequivocal singing impersonation of Michael McDonald.

Sound Royalties:
“I love working at Sound Royalties because you never know what will happen in a day. We have so many creatives visiting our headquarters, conducting video interviews and in-office performances, and new customers leveraging SR funding every day! It’s always exciting.”

Background:
Though born in Boston, Mandy was raised in Florida and grew up involved in school plays and ballet through high school. After high school, Mandy continued to partake children’s musicals as she proudly studied at the University of Florida. Soon after college, she began her professional career as a Salesforce Admin and her creative solutions have since attributed to the success of all departments at Sound Royalties as the primary Salesforce Administrator.

Musical Anecdote:
Mandy is an avid Broadway and Disney fan and you’re likely to catch her singing along to a Broadway medley during the early office hours when she thinks she’s alone. She is also known for her one-man car productions, typically singing along to every line as well as the orchestra and background vocals! Though she loves most musicals, her all-time favorite role to date was Frenchie in the Grease!

Sound Royalties:
“My passion for working at Sound Royalties boils down to our mutual drive to forge relationships not only within the music community, but within our company. There is a buzz of creativity and innovation in every area of our office and every voice is heard when it comes to new ideas and fresh takes on what we all do. We care about the customers, but that is supported by the way we also truly care about each other.”

Background:
Brian Brown brings to Sound Royalties more than 20 years of development, data science, and technical management experience within the music industry. Brian created the first large-scale learning system that links audio samples of music performances with music ownership metadata. This system provides PROs (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC) with accurate performance reports, helping music creatives collect their royalties. After founding the first Business Intelligence & Data Science departments at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), he began a Ph.D. program in Music Information & Retrieval.

In late 2016 Brian put his Ph.D. study on hold and left his position at BMI to help build the National Performing Rights Exchange (NPREX), the first ever exchange where rights holders and music users could enter direct deals with one another. After the launch of NPREX, Brian was looking for new ways to help music creatives and joined Sound Royalties to do just that.

Musical Anecdote:
Brian received both his first guitar and computer in 1979 and has been tethered to both ever since.  He has a degree with double emphasis in classical guitar performance and composition. During his free time, Brian competed in various composition and performance contests, and though an injury to Brian’s hand ended his performing career, it was the catalyst to spawn a career in his other passion, technology. These days, Brian finds novel ways to combine artificial intelligence and music composition, and goof off on his guitar.

Sound Royalties:
“I’ve spent most of my career with the goal of helping music creatives. Being at Sound Royalties lets me accomplish this.”

Background:
Marketing Manager for Sound Royalties, Erin has a history in graphic design, advertising, and public relations, with experience as a social media manager and a communications coordinator. Her passion and talent for marketing, paired with her love of music, make her a natural when helping to tell the stories of Sound Royalties and its clients.

Musical Anecdote:
The daughter of two diehard Bruce Springsteen fans, Erin was raised to love music. Her fifth birthday party was *NSYNC-themed, and throughout her childhood, she would turn almost any school project into a ‘history of rock’n’roll’ lesson. She has collected several hand-me-down CDs and cassettes from her older brothers, of which she credits influence on her musical tastes. Her claim to fame is being able to sing along to every word of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel.

Sound Royalties:
“I love working at Sound Royalties because the entire team works hard day in and day out to support our mission of helping musicians keep creating without giving up their ownership! Our office is filled with forward thinkers that foster a creative environment.”

Background:
Evan graduated from American University in Washington D.C with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. He then began his career with Smith Barney and Paine Webber in 1997 where he offered estate planning and investment advice.

In 1999 Evan became a National Sales Manager at Stone Street Capital in Maryland and later joined the specialty finance company, Novation Capital in 2006 where he served as National Sales Manager and Senior Funding Executive. While at Stone Street and Novation, Evan worked with structured settlement recipients and lottery winners to convert future payments into upfront cash.

Evan’s extensive background in Financial Services and love for music, finally came full-circle with the development of Sound Royalties.

Musical Anecdote:
Evan realized his appreciation for music at a very young age. This stemmed from nights in the garage where he played Nintendo while his father listened to a variety of music genres in the background. He cheerfully recalls the day his father was listening to a Beethoven concerto, and as he turned the volume up, he could feel the room shake, and quite literally, feel the music.

Sound Royalties:
“As a part of the company from the beginning, I have been able to see it grow exponentially year over year, not only because of the wonderful team that we have, but also because of the impact we have made on the lives and careers of the creatives we work with. That is why I love working here.”

Background:
A South Floridian in every sense of the word, Gio comes from a very diverse family background. Her experience as a communications major in art school instilled a great sense of respect for the creative process, and she has been in love with it ever since. After college, Gio dove into the world of specialty finance and business development, creating strong customer relationships throughout her entire professional career.

Musical Anecdote:
While growing up, Gio remembers vinyl records playing softly in the background at dinnertime, ranging from Jesus Christ Superstar (she takes pride in the fact that she can sing all the parts) and the Rolling Stones, to CCR, Caetano Veloso, the entire Woodstock album, Buena Vista Social Club, Jethro Tull, as well as Eydie Gorme, Pink Floyd, and Frank Sinatra. Her taste later evolved to listening to Circle Jerks, NoFX, Sinead O’connor, the Mighty Mighty  Bosstones, Wu-tang Clan, The Fugees, Cypress Hill, the Pixies,  Meek Mill and Eminem.

Sound Royalties:
“My favorite part about working at Sound Royalties is watching the success of the music creatives we work with. I’ve witnessed the evolution of many music careers and the amazing goals achieved with funding through SR, and nothing is more rewarding than that!”

Background:
With her father being a diplomat with the Foreign Service, Lakshmi grew up in far-flung places around the globe; everywhere from South East Asia, Europe, and Africa, to Kuwait and Jamaica.

Lakshmi attended Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL with a major in Psychology and a minor in Linguistics. Prior to joining Sound Royalties, she served as an Advertising Executive with Comcast Spotlight, and before that, she worked on the advertising agency side where she developed media campaigns for Fortune 500 companies such as Procter & Gamble and Ford.

Lakshmi’s extraordinarily rich and diverse background as well as her lifelong love of music, make her a valuable asset to the Sound Royalties team.

Musical Anecdote:
Laskhmi’s love of music was instilled in her at an early age through her parents’ passion for music. In fact, she attended many international shows hosted by her parents and met several music industry giants as a result. Through that experience, she learned that music was indeed the universal language and witnessed first-hand how it could transcend cultural boundaries.

Sound Royalties:
“My favorite part about working at Sound Royalties is watching the success of the music creatives we work with. I have witnessed so many amazing goals achieved with funding through SR, and nothing is more rewarding than that!”

Background:
Attention to detail, a flair for creativity, and the ability to provide individual attention and support to each and every client are the keys to Marysol’s success as a Sound Royalties Royalty Support Manager. In her role, she applies her deep experience in relationship-building and customer service from her days as a research analyst, underwriter, and sales support representative at another specialty finance firm.

Musical Anecdote:
Growing up in a Mexican American background, Marysol was exposed to both English and Spanish music from a young age. Her mom liked her Mexican music, but she also loved variety and could switch from country music to freestyle without notice. She recalls waking up to faint music from the kitchen as her mom danced around the house cleaning, cooking a large family breakfast, or doing what was needed to get a jumpstart on the day. Music was introduced to her to boost a mood or get the party started and motivate her even during the most challenging moments. It has been a big part of preserving many moments in her life, and to this day, a song can instantly bring Marysol back to a memory, such as dancing around a kitchen with her mom.

Sound Royalties:
“Sound Royalties is more than just a company I work for: it’s a movement. Everyone treats you like family, and we are always working toward the common goal of helping the music industry reach its goals. When I start my day, I have a mission and mindset to ensure that anyone who works with us is treated with the same respect and that the family vibe extends to them. It feels good to play a role in helping others make the most of their royalties.”

Background:
Michael Aufiero, a New York native and University of Sound Carolina alumnus, joined Sound Royalties after serving as an account executive at a financial services firm. His knowledge of the finance industry, combined with his love of music, makes Mike an excellent consultant to Creatives for Sound Royalties’ services.

Sound Royalties:
“Sound Royalties is a special place. It is a place that embodies a healthy mix of freedom and support for both employees and clients! As a lifelong music fan, you always hear about the struggle for fair funding options. With Sound Royalties, I have the opportunity to wake up every morning with a chance to present Creatives with favorable advance options for any stage in their career/life.”

Background:
Reggie graduated from Kentucky State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music degree. In 2011, he began providing financing for artists and publishers who needed a way to monetize their royalty assets. Reggie directed a sales team that was instrumental in bringing thousands  of song titles to the market including the music of artists Whitney Houston, 50 Cent, John Legend, Will Smith, 3 Doors Down, J Lo, Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Earth Wind and Fire, Travis Tritt, and more.

As a five-time Grammy-nominated artist, Reggie has always displayed a unique ear for music and business. It is no surprise that this music pioneer received a Grammy nomination for R&B Songwriter of the Year for the hit song “Casanova” in 1987.

Musical Anecdote:
Best known as the founder of the popular Techno-funk band, “Midnight Star”, Reggie led the group to international success writing, producing, and arranging a string of top mega #1 hits including “Operator”, “No Parking On The Dance Floor”, and “Freaka-zoid”. He has penned songs for Levert, (“Casanova”), Teddy Pendergrass (“Joy”), Gladys Knight, (“Love Overboard”) and Natalie Cole (“Jump Start My Heart”). One of Reggie’s original compositions entitled, “I’ll Be Good For You”, was featured on N*SYNC’s 10X’s-platinum CD, “No Strings Attached”, the best-selling Album of the last decade. Reggie is also on the Board of Directors of The California Copyright Conference and The Funk Music Hall of Fame, and is a Recording Academy District Advocate.

Sound Royalties:
“As a lifetime creative and music business enthusiast, I have always dreamed of a way to empower all creatives through financing. What we are doing at Sound Royalties is bringing that passion to life by giving others a way to reinvest in themselves and make their dreams come true.”

Background:
Originally from Portugal and raised in Boston, Ruth has over 30 years of experience in finance and communications. Having worked in the automotive banking industry, as well as TV and radio broadcasting, Ruth brings a deep well of knowledge to the Sound Royalties team. Serving as the right hand for high-level executives and Royalty Specialists makes her a valuable asset as the Sound Royalties Sales Administrator.

Musical Anecdote:
As a teenager, Ruth’s love for music facilitated her rapid learning of English. She would sing her favorite tunes by Zeppelin, Bowie, and Pink Floyd.

Sound Royalties:
“As a people person and a member of our Fun Committee, my favorite part about working at Sound Royalties is developing collaboration between our customers and our extensive internal team.”

Background:
As a Royalty Specialist, Shelley brings two key passions to the Sound Royalties team: a devotion to top-notch customer service and a lifelong love of music. For fifteen years across various professional roles, Shelley has expertise in sales, problem-solving, and advising clients on creative strategies to meet their goals. Her experience in developing custom financing solutions for her customers, merged with the ever-constant presence of music in her life, makes her a truly valuable member of the Sound Royalties family.

Musical Anecdote:
Music lifts Shelley up when she’s feeling down and energizes her when she’s tired. She has always had different playlists for different activities and listens to music all day long. Dancehall reggae is Shelley’s go-to in the sunshine, and rap tunes are always on rotation when she’s maxing out at the gym. Her obvious choice when stuck in traffic is always anything by Ariana Grande.

Sound Royalties:
“Sound Royalties truly is a great place to work. I’ve never experienced a culture quite like this one. Everyone here seems genuinely happy to be part of the team. This company really invests in their employees and seems more like a family than a business. Since day one, I’ve felt supported and motivated by the incredible people around me! I’m glad to be a part of the Sound Royalties family.”

Background:
Tatiana, a Florida native and founding Royalty Specialist, was born and raised in West Palm Beach, FL, and grew up with a strong interest in music playing the piano, songwriting, and performing. After high school, Tatiana received her Associate’s degree from Palm Beach State and is currently enrolled at South University in Royal Palm where she is pursuing a BS in Business Administration. Tatiana joined Sound Royalties over 5 years ago, bringing more than 10 years of customer service experience with her. Tatiana’s ambition, knowledge, experience, and involvement in the music community make her a great resource to her many customers and to our team.

Musical Anecdote:
Tatiana grew up in a religious home with her father and stepmother, both of them pastors. With most of her free time spent in the church, she learned to play the piano and the clarinet in middle school. Though she didn’t pursue a serious career as a musician, Tatiana learned that she loved it, and hoped to become a part of the music industry in some capacity. Luckily for us, Tatiana found that she can use her passion behind the scenes within the music industry to help artists pursue their dreams through the help of Sound Royalties’ services.

Sound Royalties:
“I love working at Sound Royalties because it allows me to build relationships with so many different artists, producers and songwriters. Hearing about their accomplishments and learning about their music really makes me happy. I look forward to coming to the office every day. It’s true what they say – if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.”

Background:
With more than eight years of experience in the finance industry, Taylor Lyra is devoted to providing creative finance solutions to Creatives! Taylor’s values revolve around staying true to her passions and living authentically, making her a valued member of the Sound Royalties family.

Sound Royalties:
“Artists should be free to make art without restrictions, and our options allow them to do just that. What makes it all worth it for me is the constant support from our team, and working to build a better community each day.”

Background:
Originally from Cuba, Yanet is fluent in both Spanish and English. She previously worked in hospitality, which allows her to truly understand her client’s goals at Sound Royalties. Her flexibility and quick thinking allows her to provide unique solutions as she helps music professionals explore their financial opportunities and enhance their careers. Yanet is deeply committed to her customers and knows how essential it is to be a trustworthy Royalty Specialist who can guide her clients in the direction that will best suit their goals.

Musical Anecdote:
After first falling in love with music when she joined the church choir as a child, Yanet went on to do solo performances in her community. She carries this passion for music into her daily work for Sound Royalties and its clients.

Sound Royalties:
“I love working at Sound Royalties because of the team-friendly environment that is dedicated to the music community. We’re all here to help music creatives achieve their goals, and it’s a great feeling when you see these goals come to fruition.”