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/