AUSTIN, USA // Caren Kelleher is the founder and CEO of Gold Rush Vinyl, the high-quality record pressing plant based in Austin, Texas. Named one of the “Most Innovative Companies of 2020” by Fast Company magazine, Gold Rush Vinyl is bringing fresh eyes to an old industry to answer the explosive demand for vinyl records.
Prior to starting Gold Rush Vinyl, Caren was the Head of Music App Partnerships for Google Play, leading the company’s work with top mobile developers like Spotify, Pandora and Shazam. Caren was originally recruited to Google to join the launch team of Google Music and create programs for independent musicians. Her past work also includes band management and business development at Paste and Songkick.
Caren holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BBA from Emory University. In her spare time, she serves as an elected officer of the Recording Academy’s Texas chapter and sits on the board of the Lemon-Aid Project, a non-profit that empowers kids to help kids through entrepreneurship. Caren is excited to be a part of the Design jury, having served on the Clio Music jury in 2021.