Welcome & Introduction - The MMF-US
Featured Speakers:
Chris Hardin, President & Owner, Music Mgmt Inc, National Board Member & Chair of LA Chapter MMF-US
Chris Hardin is an artist manager, founder/owner of the music management firms Hardin Bourke Entertainment and Music Mgmt Inc. He has guided the careers of such music artists as LIVE, Robert DeLong, The HU, Starship, Indigenous, Los Amigos Invisibles, Galactic, Rahzel (of the Roots), Si*Se, Yerba Buena, Tom Tom Club, Lou Gramm, Sweet, Ed Kowalczyk and others. He’s produced multiple tours for his clients that have grossed millions of dollars and toured in over 16 countries. He has also helped his artists achieve Gold and Platinum sales awards in many countries and achieve Grammy nominations.
teams around the world to build vertically; transformed music business department curriculum at the most prestigious universities; and worked to expand the originally UK-based company into the US, Japan, China, the Nordics, Latin America, and Africa.
Outside the music and tech industries A’Harrah and his friends run CaracolLabs, a multidisciplinary residency program for artists, researchers, and experts of different backgrounds to collaborate with each other on projects relating to art, being, education and sustainability, and EGG, a high-engagement art, philosophy, and book club.
He holds an M.A. in Global Entertainment and Music Business from Berklee College of Music
Neeta Ragoowansi, President, MMF-US & IMMF
Neeta Ragoowansi is a seasoned music business executive and entertainment attorney with over 30 years of experience. She has served as a strategic advisor, business development resource, and legal counsel to clients across the entertainment and tech industries. Neeta is President of Music Managers Forum – US (MMF-US), President of the International Music Managers Forum (IMMF), Co-Founder of NPREX (National Performing Rights Exchange), and Global Co-Chair of Women in Music. She also serves on the advisory boards of Gritty in Pink and the All About Music Conference (India).
Her past roles include Executive Director of Folk Alliance International; Senior Counsel, Legal & Business Affairs for Global Citizen; founding head of artist-label relations and legal counsel for SoundExchange; Vice President of Business Development & Legal Affairs at Tunesat; and Assistant General Counsel for The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra Association. Neeta has also served as a board governor of The Recording Academy (New York and DC Chapters) for over a decade, and as Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force and Sponsorship Chair of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Industries.
A sought-after speaker, Neeta has presented at more than 400 music industry conferences on topics including the global music business, artist management, licensing models, legal and copyright issues, as well as diversity, women’s leadership and empowerment.
Wesley T. A’Harrah - VP of Membership & Education, MMF-US
For nearly a decade Wesley T. A’Harrah has been working to help creatives and the teams around them have better lives. He primarily does this from his role as VP of Education at the Music Managers Forum-US and as a longtime leading consultant across digital and strategic innovation spanning entertainment and tech.
A’Harrah has trained teams at, run campaigns with, and developed products + GTMs across companies such as Meta, Snap, Google, Spotify, Red Bull, Universal, Warner, Sony, and most major independent record labels in 40+ countries, along with their agencies of record, primary marketing/tech partners, and startup investment properties; and has worked to improve and build teams behind artists including Tyla, Phoebe Bridgers, Cigarettes After Sex, The Script, Charli XCX, and many more.
A’Harrah and his colleagues are recipients of the Grand Clio Award for music marketing—the highest honor in marketing—awarded to his team for two years running from 2020–2021.
Previously, A’Harrah ran the consulting and educational arm of B2B services firm and trade magazine Music Ally, from which position he began driving record label and artist management
She later moved to New York, managing artists such as CAKE, Bebel Gilberto, Neneh Cherry, Eagle-Eye Cherry, and Grant-Lee Phillips at The Umbrella Group. In 2003, Tapper transitioned into music publishing as one of the first U.S. employees at Kobalt Music Publishing, serving as VP of Creative for eight years. During her tenure, she was instrumental in signing artists and writers including Slash, G. Love, The Dresden Dolls, Gomez, and Harry Connick Jr., as well as publishers Arthouse, TVT, Red Bull Media, House of Hassle (now Rough Trade), Reservoir, and Razor & Tie.
Following Kobalt, she served as SVP of Music Publishing at Razor & Tie, overseeing a series of successful signings and placements. Highlights include four Country #1 singles with Blake Shelton, Jake Owen, and Tyler Farr—as well as the 5x Platinum hit Home by Phillip Phillips, along with cuts by Mary J. Blige and Jessie J.
A long-standing member of the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy, Tapper was elected to multiple terms as Governor and Secretary of the Executive Committee, serving a total of fourteen years. She also served six consecutive terms as Co-Chair of the Chapter’s Advocacy Committee, on which she continues to serve diligently. Additionally, she served four years on the NY Chapter Board of the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) and co-founded the New York City Creative Community (NYC3), a network of music professionals dedicated to supporting and revitalizing NYC’s creative ecosystem.
Sharon Tapper - Executive Director, MMF-US
The Music Managers Forum-US (MMF-US) is the leading trade association for artist managers and self-managed artists in the United States. Under her leadership, MMF-US provides vital educational resources, networking opportunities, and advocacy efforts on behalf of music managers and the broader music community. Since she joined in 2022, the organization has experienced a period of significant expansion—growing by over 600%. MMF-US has expanded its presence by building on its existing chapters in Los Angeles and New York, and establishing new chapters in Miami, Chicago, Nashville, Austin, and Boston—most recently launching in Atlanta this year. MMF-US is also a key member of the International Music Managers Forum (IMMF), a global network that connects over sixty Music Manager Forums across Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.
Tapper brings a wealth of experience spanning artist management, music publishing, and studio operations. She began her career in London at the legendary Sarm West Studios, where she worked with artists such as Seal, George Michael, Pet Shop Boys, Michael Kamen, and Sir Paul McCartney. After relocating to Los Angeles, she held roles at Left Bank Management—working with The Cranberries, Meat Loaf, and Richard Marx—and at Gallin Morey Management, where she supported artists including Lisa Stansfield, Neneh Cherry, and Eagle-Eye Cherry.