The music industry is no stranger to the promise or challenge of new technology. This conversation will examine major AI issues impacting the music business and those who create it. From educating policymakers, courtroom battles, consensus building and free-market licensing, learn the vital issues creatives and rightsholders need to know. These tactics explore protecting IP, responsible innovation and where legislation is necessary, plus watch a real-world demo.

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Presented by MusicBiz RIAA

With real-time spin data collected from over 9,000 radio stations around the world, explore an exciting new tool that offers a deep dive into your domestic and international radio presence.

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Presented by A2IM

March's Lunch and Learn is coming up - our virtual series exclusively for SONA members that showcases experts in our field with a guided conversation and member Q&A. This next installment is TikTok Best Practices for Songwriters with Emily Mitchell, Manager of Music Publishing Partnerships at TikTok.

This masterclass will cover how songwriters and producers can best leverage TikTok to build their brand, market themselves and level up their careers. Whether you're on TikTok already or you're looking to get started - we've got you covered!

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About Emily
Emily Mitchell has spent her entire career in music publishing. Currently, she leads Music Publishing Partnerships for the Americas at TikTok, where she is dedicated to championing the work of songwriters and producers. She is focused on enhancing TikTok's strategy for elevating songwriters, ensuring that they are recognized beyond the backdrop.

Join us Tuesday, March 3 at 12 P.M. PT/. 3 P.M. ET. Link to Zoom registration above. A recording of the event will be made available to members. If you cannot attend the zoom but have questions you would like to ask Emily, please email info@wearesona.com.

Presented by SONA

We welcome Sam Duprey, MBA ’16, and Max Gaby, MBA ’16, principals at Caliber Companies, to lead a session titled “Power in Business Partnerships: Collaborate, Divide & Conquer.” They will share lessons learned from conducting a partnered search and successfully acquiring their business, Innovative Lab Services. If you are considering a partnered search, you will appreciate the insights given as we discuss pros, cons, and things to consider.

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Presented by Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

This will be a practical explainer on implementing the HITS Act this tax season, featuring a guided walkthrough of IRS guidance that is tailored for independent artists, labels, and music accountants.

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Presented by A2IM

AI success starts small. Discover how the best teams deploy AI in days, prioritize the right use cases, and deliver fast, defensible business outcomes. Ideal for executives aiming to prove AI’s value without overhauling their operations.”

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Presented by Small Business University

Presented by BACP and Ebony Crump, Instructor, City Colleges of Chicago 

In this session, we’ll break down networking into a practical growth system entrepreneurs can use to generate referrals, build strategic partnerships, and increase community visibility without feeling salesy or awkward. You’ll learn how to identify the right people to connect with, what to say to make your outreach clear and memorable, and how to follow up in a way that turns conversations into real business opportunities.

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Social media doesn't have to feel overwhelming or inauthentic. Artists Jennifer Meeker, Ramona Muse Lambert, and Akwi Nji discuss different ways to use video to share your work and process to connect with online audiences. Drawing from both artistic practice and communications strategy, this conversation offers adaptable ideas you can use across platforms

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Presented by Arts Midwest

Growth shouldn’t come with bloated processes or wasted spend. Discover how modern teams centralize promo ordering to stay on brand, on budget, and on pace.

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Presented by Small Business University

Brand and product discovery used to be about placement: shelf position, keyword rank, influencer reach.

But wellness shoppers increasingly want personalized answers: what works for my body, my goals, my constraints. AI is becoming an interface for those answers, sitting between brands and consumers. The following panel of experts will discuss how wellness is evolving, how AI is changing and aiding discovery and what brands can do right now to stay findable, credible, and chosen.

• Margie Omastiak, Senior Buyer, Whole Foods Market

• Tracey Halama, Founder & CEO, Creekside Ventures

• Katie Kloke, Senior Manager, SPINS

• Shiv Gupta, Founder, U of Digital

The panel will be moderated by Katie Rosholt, Managing Director, SOCIETY U.S.

Wellness concerns may be peak during the cold Chicago winter, but consumer demands for wellness products is high year-round. Join us to learn more about this important industry sector.

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Presented by Naturally Chicago

If you follow this series closely, you notice that I very seldom conduct the interviews myself. Well I am honored to come off the bench to conduct this one with someone whom I admire and respect so much.

Scott Scovill is one of the most interesting people I count among my friends. He is the founder and CEO of Moo TV, a hugely successful video production company that counts many A-list acts as its clients. This includes Luke Combs, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Brad Paisley, Tyler Childers, Peter Frampton, Alice Cooper, Dropkick Murphys and Tame Impala among many others. The company has won Pollstar's Video Production Company of the Year more than a dozen times, including 10 in a row.

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Presented by WHO KNEW

In this session, Bootleg founder Rod Yancy and Cloverdale Records’ co-founder & CEO Kyle McEvoy dive into the rise of artist-led business models. Cloverdale, created by rising star artist Evan Honer, unites label services, publishing admin, recording studio access, and hands-on management under one roof to empower artists. Rod will break down how Bootleg helps artists like Evan capture and own their live performances, build recurring revenue from touring, and deepen their connection with superfans. Together, they’ll outline a new blueprint for career ownership in the modern music landscape.

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Presented by MusicBiz and Bootleg

Documentation is often the first way audiences and funders encounter your work. In this panel session, artists and documentation specialists Mariah Moneda, Christopher Selleck, and Seth Dahlseid discuss approaches for capturing 2D, 3D, and video artwork for portfolios, applications, and digital platforms, from DIY setups to professional techniques

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Presented by Arts Midwest

For growing CPG brands, few decisions feel as high stakes as the first hires. This session will help founders move from guessing to making confident and strategic choices about building their teams.

We'll explore:

* When to make the leap from solo founder or tiny team to your first key hires.

* Which roles to prioritize first (spoiler alert – much of this will be driven by your strengths, your channel strategy and current headaches).

* How to decide when to hire a full-time employee vs. contractor, broker or fractional help so you protect cash while still growing.

* Why an Organizational Chart is critical.

* Practical tips for recruiting and interviewing.

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Presented by Naturally Chicago

This webinar offers artists practical tools to craft grant applications and proposals that resonate with decision makers. Anitra Budd will blend the essentials of strong writing with insights into how reviewers evaluate applications, helping you write with confidence and clarity.

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Presented by Arts Midwest

Presented by BACP, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Ladder Up

This workshop will answer important tax questions for your business including: Are you required to file a tax return? Is your worker an independent contractor or an employee? What business records must be kept? Are you required to make estimated tax payments? What resources does the IRS have for small business owners?

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Join us on February 11 1-2PM ET for our first virtual event of 2026! Rachael Bronstein, Founder & Financial Coach for Life's Jam! Rachael works to help music industry professionals make their money on and off the road.

Rachael Will Discuss

• Why traditional money advice doesn't work for creative and freelance careers

• The difference between income fluctuation and financial instability, and why that matters

• How to create a calm financial baseline even when income changes month to month

• A simple 3-bucket framework (fixed, flexible, future) for organizing money

• What to focus on at the start of the year by identifying pressure points (slow months, big expenses, mental load) .

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Presented by Women in Music

Join us as Scott Uhl gives an exclusive deep dive into the new features of Shure's SLX-D+ wireless system. You'll get a walkthrough of the latest enhancements, like ShowLink Ease, Interference Management and Digital Feedback Reduction, with practical tips and real-world applications to help you maximize performance.

Whether you’re upgrading from SLX-D or deploying SLX-D+ for the first time, this webinar will help you simplify your setup and elevate your audio experience. 

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Presented by Shure

In this program, we will provide specific best practices advice in responding to visits from ICE at your venue, including:  

• Rights you, your staff, and your patrons have when confronted by ICE agents; how to effectively assert those rights, and most importantly how to avoid threats to the safety of yourself and others in these situations;  

• Court and administrative warrants;  

• Suggestions for documenting and recording that will help to preserve your rights.  

This program equips members of the Chicago area arts and culture community with practical knowledge they can share with their staff, collaborators, and audiences to help foster safer, more informed spaces. The training is designed not only for individual preparedness, but also to support participants in sharing this information with their broader communities, venues, and networks. 

There will be an opportunity for Q&A. 

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Presented by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

About the Speaker:  

Fred Tsao, Senior Policy Counsel, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) 

ICIRR is dedicated to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society. Created in 1986 in response to President Reagan signing into law the Immigration Reform and Control Act, ICIRR has been at the forefront of helping immigrants realize and contribute to the dream that is America. 

Presented by Wintrust Bank and BACP

In this webinar you will learn the concept of financial management and why it is important to a small business. You will learn to identify financial management practices, rules and tools that are commonly available. You also learn how financial management practices, rules and tools work along with the basics of start-up financing and growing a business. The webinar will also cover the basics of working capital and financing fixed assets.

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Casting a wide net ensures you find every use of your catalog online, but is every use truly worth finding? A small amount of content drives the majority of views and therefore ad revenue. Rightsholders are also missing millions from unclaimed black box royalties and need solutions to search within these vast pools of data. Instead of tracking their catalog against everything, rightsholders should be tracking their catalog directly against high-value databases and channels, like top social media accounts and black boxes.This webinar will cover what accounts have the highest value for rightsholders and how to monitor them effectively.

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Presented by MusicBiz and Vobile

Immersive technologies like virtual reality are reshaping exercise by turning workouts into interactive, game-like experiences that prioritize engagement and enjoyment. Instead of following repetitive routines, users enter virtual environments where their bodies become the controllers – punching, squatting, lunging, or dancing to progress through challenges. VR fitness programs such as rhythm-based games, boxing simulations, and guided workouts place users in visually rich settings, from futuristic arenas to scenic landscapes, which helps reduce boredom and lowers perceived exertion. Research shows that many of these experiences reach moderate to vigorous intensity levels comparable to traditional cardio, while participants often report feeling less fatigued because their attention is focused on gameplay rather than effort.

Beyond physical benefits, immersive fitness supports motivation, consistency, and accessibility. Multiplayer modes and shared virtual spaces add a social dimension, allowing friends or family to work out together from different locations, while competitive elements like scores and leaderboards encourage users to push themselves. VR workouts also lend themselves to short, flexible sessions that can be “microdosed” throughout the day, making it easier to meet movement guidelines without committing to long gym visits. For people intimidated by traditional fitness settings or burned out on standard routines, immersive exercise offers a private, adaptive, and often more sustainable way to stay active – blurring the line between play and physical training.

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Presented by VRAR Chicago

A professional website can showcase your art and connect with your audience. This webinar with educator, software engineer, and artist Anniessa Antar will guide you through the essential components you need, clarify whether now is the right time to build your site, and cover the fundamental steps to get you started.

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Presented by Arts Midwest

​In our second online Frontier Briefing, we'll hear from Steve Blank, co-founder of the Lean Startup movement and the Hacking for Defense program, and Silicon Valley historian. Blank's "Secret History of Silicon Valley" lecture was a foundational resource for Frontier Mission Network, and we'll discuss how the role of defense spending can catalyze regional tech-based economic activity, among other topics.

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Presented by Frontier Mission Network

Are you a songwriter, composer or lyricist streaming your songs on a digital platform? The MLC helps creators like you (and your publishers and administrator partners) collect your streaming royalties. This webinar from The MLC introduces who we are, why self-published writers should become Members of The MLC, and why registering your songs with The MLC is critical to ensuring you receive ALL of the royalties you are entitled to when your songs are streamed in the U.S.

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Presented by The MLC

Whether you are the founder of a startup or an executive leading multiple teams, how you manage your direct employees influences their motivation and productivity. Naturally, you want to build mutual trust and respect, but how do you go about that? How do you keep your employees engaged?  In this session you will hear from two music executives and how their approaches to management continue to elevate their teams and organizations.  

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Presented by MusicBiz and Entergain

Kick off 2026 by reconnecting with your money mindset and turning insight into action. We’ll identify your dominant money archetype, work through targeted reflection prompts, and then get practical: know your numbers, set up a Monthly CFO Day, and sketch a simple strategy for the next 90 days. You’ll leave clearer, calmer, and ready to move.

Featured Speaker: Aditi Kapadia, CFA, CFP®

Aditi Kapadia, CFA, CFP® is the Founder of Wealth IQ, a boutique, fixed-fee Registered Investment Advisory firm based in Chicago. She specializes in helping high-achieving women, entrepreneurs, and globally minded professionals build a financially confident, values-aligned life.

Aditi blends rigorous financial planning with behavioral money psychology, distilling complex decisions into clear, empowering strategies. Her work sits at the intersection of wealth, well-being, and conscious leadership, and she is known for making finance feel accessible, human, and deeply relevant to women building businesses and lives on their own terms.

Through Wealth IQ, Aditi provides comprehensive planning, investment guidance, and cross-border advisory for entrepreneurs and professionals who have relocated to the U.S. from around the world — helping them navigate U.S. taxes, retirement systems, and the financial complexities of launching or growing a business in a new country. — helping them navigate taxes, retirement systems, investing, and the financial complexities of building a life in a new country. She also designs interactive financial tools — including her Money Mindset Game and Goal Visualization Pyramid — to help entrepreneurs understand their money habits, clarify their goals, and take action with confidence.

Aditi holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and brings eighteen years of experience across wealth management, corporate finance, and global markets. Her work has been featured across workshops, women-led networks, and community organizations committed to elevating economic power and financial literacy.

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Presented by Cook County Small Business Source and Women’s Business Development Center

Need to launch a new product or service and not sure where to start? Does your messaging need a marketing makeover? We will discuss how to create a brand, communications strategy, and ecosystem that deeply engages your target customers and stakeholders. Learn how to talk to your employees, your vendors, your colleagues, your mom (maybe) and create a strategy that cuts through the static to bring clarity to your audience, and sales & engagement to your brand.

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Presented by Women’s Business Development Center

Latino consumers are not just a growing demographic—they’re a powerful force reshaping the future of grocery. As we head into 2026, brands and retailers that understand and authentically engage this audience will be best positioned to drive meaningful revenue growth.

In this webinar, Diana Leza Sheehan, founder of PDG Insights, will dive into exclusive insights from the US Diverse Consumer Pulse study to reveal what motivates Latino grocery shoppers, how their behaviors are evolving, and where the biggest opportunities lie. You’ll learn how to move from data to action with brand and retail strategies that resonate—and convert.

What you’ll gain:

• A fresh look at Latino consumer sentiment, values, and shopping habits

• Proven brand and retail execution tactics that build loyalty and drive sales

• Real-world examples of what works—and what doesn’t—in Latino engagement

• A strategic roadmap to fuel growth in 2026 and beyond

Whether you're in marketing, merchandising, innovation, or retail operations, this session will help you turn cultural insight into competitive advantage.

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Presented by Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network

Happy New Year and welcome to our 6th year of producing these amazing webinars. I don't know about you, but I am very bullish on what lies ahead in 2026. And I am thrilled to come out of the gates with two absolute rockstar guests. 

Randy Nichols is one of the most impressive people I've met in a very long time. He is a music business polymath, and a strategic innovator bridging the gap between music and technology, with a proven track record of transforming industry challenges into scalable solutions. With deep expertise spanning artist management, tech advisory, and industry advocacy, he specializes in identifying emerging trends and translating them into practical applications. In short, he is the literal definition of what we strive to present in all our shows.

Matt Watts is a global marketing executive and platinum-selling musician with a 20+ year track record of building beloved, culture-driven brands across footwear, apparel, consumer products, hospitality, and entertainment. He is a brand builder and cultural translator who knows how to move at the speed of the consumer - while making them feel something in the process. He is also the guitarist and co-founder of platinum-selling rock band, The Starting Line.

I am so thrilled to present these two rockstar guests. I promise it will be the best hour of your whole week. Check it out!

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Presented by WHO KNEW