Live Nation Women is utilizing its Live Nation Women Fund to invest in Gritty In Pink, a company dedicated to uniting the music industry with female creators and pros through their INPINK marketplace.
For example, INPINK worked with Joan Jett and her label Blackheart Records to get an illustrator, who was hired to design a tour poster for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer. The marketplace is a pipeline of talented female and non-binary freelancers accessible through a searchable, online roster of professionals across the country.
According to a press release serviced here first exclusively, ” The Live Nation Women Fund is a global, early-stage fund that Live Nation established to improve gender equality across the industry by investing in female-founded live music businesses. It aims to provide capital and resources for underrepresented female entrepreneurs across the live music space. This strategic deal contributes to Gritty In Pink’s upcoming $1M pre-seed round underscoring Live Nation’s strong belief in Gritty In Pink and their founder, Shira Yevin.”
The move is garnering praise from Melissa Etheridge, a Strategic Advisor for Gritty. “My partnership with Gritty In Pink has been so special to me, and I am so excited to share the news that Live Nation has now joined us,” Etheridge tells me. “It’s been amazing to see the INPINK marketplace grow and provide much-needed opportunities for female creators. Adding Live Nation to the mix will only broaden the marketplace. Let’s get Gritty!”
Gritty In Pink was founded by musician Shira Yevin, a veteran of the Warped Tour. Compelled to mobilize after seeing what she viewed as a lack of female musicians on the bill, she launched the “Shiragirl Stage,” bringing in more than 300 artists, including Paramore and Jett.
Now she has translated that Warped initiative and success to Gritty, which has inspired and impressed Live Nation.
“We are thrilled to support Gritty In Pink through the Live Nation Women Fund with an investment to advance gender equity through their new INPINK platform,” said Ali Harnell, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Live Nation Women. “The Live Nation Women Fund is intended to support female entrepreneurs like Shira and her business that is full of passion, purpose, and tenacity and work together to create access and opportunity for women in live music.”
As part of the new collaboration, Gritty In Pink is also partnering with Live Nation Women on a residency at The Echo LA for their All GRL Jam series, which features more than 50 female/non-binary musicians performing themed cover songs. The event series, which included installments for Pride and 90s editions, has garnered over 2M impressions. The next All GRL Jam: Holiday Special isThursday, December 8, and entry is free with login to INPINK.
With women and gender-marginalized people still underrepresented within the music industry, there is a huge opportunity and freelance talent pool. Gritty In Pink is striving to be the global destination to hire female freelancers in music and every industry.
This investment from Live Nation brings that goal one step closer to reality. “It’s been the ride of my dreams so far, watching Gritty grow from a little event series in January 2020 to a livestream show, online network, launching a marketplace, teaming up with legendary names like Melissa Etheridge, Joan Jett, and now Live Nation. And to think, we’re just getting started,” says Yevin. “The future of music is female.”
Women creatives and professionals are encouraged to sign up and submit a free listing on the platform and those hiring in the music industry can search the network of diverse female professionals at INPINK.com.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
