Future is Female

A former Future is Female winner in 2022, Keely is the CEO of Making Space, a venture-backed, accessible talent acquisition and learning platform designed to help companies train, access, and retain pre-qualified disabled talent. Making Space creates tangible pathways to employment and career advancement through employer-supported education and has secured partnerships with NBCUniversal, Netflix, and Amazon, among others.

To kick off season 2 of the Future is Female podcast, we’re pleased to speak with Kristin Patrick, CMO of Claire’s. Ruth and Kristin discuss Kristin’s career path, as well as how to reinvent your business and yourself.

On this final episode of season 1 of the Future is Female Podcast, we’re pleased to welcome Carly Zipp, Global Director of Brand Marketing at Amazon Ads. Carly walks us through her early career to present, discusses the importance of investing in teams, and offers advice to other women working in the industry.

We’ll be back with Season 2 of the Future is Female podcast very soon!

On this episode of the Future is Female podcast, we’re pleased to welcome Melissa Newhart, Executive, Music Brand Partnerships at United Talent Agency. Melissa discusses her amazing career working with music and brands, some of her favorite brand partnerships, and the importance of self-education.

About Melissa:

Melissa Newhart is an award-winning entertainment & music industry executive with extensive advertising, marketing, branding, strategic partnership, and media experience. Newhart has been named to Billboard’s “Branding Power Players” and “Latin Power Players” lists, spotlighted in HITS! “Noisemakers” and featured in publications Muse by Clio & Campaign. In 2022, Variety named Newhart to their New York Impact Report, and in 2023, Advertising Week awarded her their “Future is Female” award.

Melissa began her career at Columbia Records & joined United Talent Agency in 2017 from Roc Nation, where she was Vice President of Brand Partnerships. Throughout her career, Melissa has closed over 350 deals for over 100 different artists such as Anitta, Bebe Rexha, Jonas Brothers, Karol G, Latto, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Tierra Whack, and Young Miko, working with global brands such as Mastercard, Google, Xbox, Louis Vuitton, Levi’s, and Cadillac.

Currently an Executive in UTA’s Music Brand Partnerships group, Melissa leads the team’s East Coast business. In addition to artist specific brand strategy, Melissa has experience negotiating & executing partnerships for large-scale music properties such as Made in America Festival and TIDAL X Concert, as well as global tour sponsorships. Newhart has also been instrumental in recognizing new lanes of business for UTA and was at the forefront of UTA’s expansion into the Hip Hop and Latin music genres.

Not only does Newhart advance her clients’ careers, but she is equally as dedicated to mentoring the next generation of professionals across the entertainment industry. She is actively involved in UTA’s Mentorship Program, UTA’s Women’s Interest Group, & Le Femme Majeure – a UTA organization & event series dedicated to bringing together music’s next generation of female leaders. Newhart has also been a featured speaker at universities such as NYU, Pepperdine, Drexel, & The Roc Nation School at Long Island University.She is currently an Adjunct Professor at NYU, teaching a course on strategic music & branding.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mnewhart

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissanewhart/

On this episode of the Future is Female podcast, we speak with Kathy Magee, Co-Founder, President, and CEO, Operation Smile and Kristie Porcaro, Chief of Strategy & Partnerships, Operation Smile about their work, their lives, and their careers making a difference in the lives of children worldwide.

On this episode of the Future is Female podcast, we’re very pleased to welcome Lilly Ledbetter, American Activist, and Kate Kelley, Associate Producer and EVP of Partnerships, LILLY.

Lilly Ledbetter is a women’s equality activist, public speaker, and author who is most well-known for her contributions to equal pay, including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. 

On this episode of the Future is Female podcast we welcome Katie Kempner, Founder of Kempner Communications and host of Perspectives with Katie Kempner, part of Advertising Week’s podcast network. Katie discusses owning her own business, how she got where she is today, and the importance of being your own best friend.

On this episode of the Future is Female podcast we welcome Future is Female Award Winner Katie Ingram, Trade Marketing and Insight Director at the Evening Standard. Katie discusses career, loss, mentorship and more.

Trigger Warning: Baby loss is discussed in this episode.

On this episode of the Future is Female podcast we speak with Jody Shiroma, Vice President of Communications at PBS Hawaii.

Jody’s bio:

An accomplished storyteller, marketer, and communicator with more than 20 years of experience delivering comprehensive marketing, public relations, and communications solutions to diverse clients. Demonstrated success in leading advertising, social media, marketing, event development, and digital marketing campaigns. A natural and adaptive leader with a talent for nurturing employees, guiding teams, and fostering collaborations with various stakeholders to establish impactful partnerships that enhance brand awareness and loyalty. Proficient in crafting strategic go-to-market communications aligned with organizational priorities and initiatives.

On this episode of the Future is Female podcast, we welcome Gerry Anyanwu.

Gerry’s bio:

Multi passionate, I have built a portfolio career over the last 10 years that I am immensely proud of. I have successfully navigated a career to senior management level, working with agencies and clients to create and sell advertising campaigns and partnerships.

My desire to lead a more purpose driven life has encouraged me to develop my skills set further and launch a social enterprise called The Uncommon Collective. Passionate about seeing a more diverse and inclusive landscape I have used my transferable skills such as business development, digital marketing and project management to create something that pushes for better representation within the classroom and the creative industry.

Currently client director at Global Media I continue to look at how I can build more purpose led commercial opportunities for clients. Taking a more holistic approach to their media planning I collaborate with various stakeholders both in and outside the business to deliver initiatives and campaigns that don’t just generate revenue but have a real social impact.

My career has spanned all the traditional disciplines such as outdoor, press, cinema and radio as well as working in the digital and influencers space. More recently I have trained as an L&D facilitator and work into the D&I commercial committee.

My career has moved me from start-ups to large corporations and down again. But what matters is not that title but that I am in an environment that is always supported.