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Jury

Lauren Wirtzer Seawood
President
UnitedMasters

NEW YORK, USA // Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood currently serves as President of UnitedMasters, an independent music distribution startup founded by Steve Stoute. A highly respected executive in both the music and technology industries, Lauren leads a team of music and technology professionals who are building an industry alternative for independent artists.

Previously as the Head of Music Partnerships at Instagram, Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood led all efforts to connect artists with Instagram’s 1 Billion-plus global community. Prior to that, Lauren spent over two years as the Head of Digital at Beyonce’s entertainment and management company, Parkwood Entertainment. Lauren was instrumental in the surprise launch of the singer’s self-titled visual album. Her expertise in artist, brand and event management, coupled with her refined know-how in digital strategy and marketing, has enabled Lauren to effectively lead and create content initiatives to resonate with worldwide audiences.

During her time at Zynga, she implemented entertainment, brand and celebrity partnerships across the company’s portfolio, managing integrations and relationships with musicians and brands. Lauren’s foundation was built in the music industry, and throughout her 10-plus years with Def Jam Enterprises, she became experienced in strategic partnerships and operations. Her responsibilities included managing brands and artists, as well as developing and incorporating content marketing across all digital platforms. A 20-year music industry veteran, Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in business and featured on Billboard’s Power 100.

Lauren is a graduate of New York University and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her family.