In conversation with:

Daouda Leonard, CEO, CreateSafe; manager of Grimes

Daouda Leonard is a philosopher at the forefront of the creator empowerment movement. With more than a decade of service in the entertainment industry, Daouda has worked as a manager, publisher, producer, A&R and creative director for Grimes, DJ Snake, Skrillex, BloodPop® and more. His creative contributions have generated over 15 billion global media impressions and sales to date for cultural leaders including Lady Gaga, Drake, Madonna, Kanye West, Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Weeknd and Justin Bieber.

Before becoming an entrepreneur in the music business, Daouda graduated from Northeastern University School of Business with a degree in Management Information Systems and worked on Wall Street at Tudor Investment as an information technology analyst. Daouda worked full-time while simultaneously attending school and contributing to the culture of internet-fueled file-sharing that preceded the music streaming era.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Daouda grew up practicing meditation, Yoga, and Tae Kwon Do. Now, Daouda leverages the power of intentional breathing to overcome obstacles and manifest surprising advantages for his creative collaborators. Daouda is a steadfast champion of transparency, consent, education, and artist development.

Above all, Daouda believes in a world where artists are seen, heard, and economically empowered. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of CreateSafe, Inc., a music tech company building an AI production studio for artists to automate the creation, distribution and marketing of music IP. In his free time, Daouda enjoys learning, writing, hiking, and collaborating with his wife, Nikki.