Shanna Jade got her start working for a concert promoter in high school, then eventually managing bands, booking tours & releasing records in college with one of her friends under the name GHouse. She took some time away from the music industry for a bit to lead social strategy for branded campaigns at Complex Media, and now is back in music as the Director of Community at Stem.

Tell me about some of the work you do and how you got started?

Stem is a platform that makes it easy for everyone involved in the creative process to get paid for their work on original music & video.  We essentially help artists keep track of their earnings so they don’t have to worry about doing complicated accounting. When creators use Stem to distribute their content, we ask them to tell us who worked on it and what their share of earnings should be. Once there’s consensus on splits among collaborators in Stem, we automatically honor those agreements, paying collaborators directly and providing a unified dashboard of their content’s performance.

What is the focus of your panel?

The focus of my panel is to share stories among women who got their start in corporate music & entertainment, and eventually leveraged their passion for the arts and interests in tech to pioneer new ways of approaching the creative industries in today’s tech-driven world. I’m fortunate enough to feature Marjai Roberts of musical.ly, Malika Quemerais of Facebook & Cortney Harding of Cortney Harding Consulting on my panel, and I can’t wait to give them a platform to discuss their experiences.

Beyond the career-driven aspect of the panel, I’d say my bigger goal for it is to help identify role models for young women (and men!) who want to pursue similar paths in this industry. Growing up & attending school for music business, pretty much all of my teachers, bosses and mentors were men. While they were all incredible and gave me invaluable direction and advice, I always wished I had a woman to look up to and try to emulate. This panel is my way of giving that to the next generation.

What made you/your company want to speak at SXSW?

I’ve been attending SXSW since I was 19 years old. GHouse booked unofficial showcases at the Austin Museum of Art for several years, and artists I’ve managed have played the festival. It not only makes sense for Stem to have a presence there to reach new artists, managers & labels, but it’s also one of the best places for a professional in the industry to meet people and network.

What makes your panel stand out from other panels?

I think we’re one of the few (or only) panels that are focusing on the intersection of entertainment & technology, and how women are pioneering those fields. I’m also particularly excited about and honored to share the time and space with the women who have agreed to speak on my panel; I look up to each of them and the work they do, and I think everyone will see why when they hear our conversation.

Would you like to give us a sneak peek of your panel?

Expect all of the panelists to talk about their beginnings and how they ended up where they are today. We will shed light on everything from our high points and big wins to our frustrations and pain points, and most importantly, how we can continue to improve the industry for the generations to come.

You can reach Shanna on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Thursday, March 16
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Hilton Austin Downtown – Salon A / 500 E. 4th St.

Find out more: A Woman’s Take: Moving from Music to Tech Startup