The Chicago Department of Public Health offers free Narcan, fentanyl test kits, and harm reduction training. Contact the Office of Substance Use at osu.cdph@cityofchicago to access these resources.
Brian "Z" Zisook is a veteran of the music industry and the co-founder of Audiomack, an artist-first music streaming and audio discovery platform boasting 40 million monthly users worldwide.
Under Zisook's leadership as EVP of Global Operations and Head of Artist & Label Services, Audiomack stands out as a leading player in the global music streaming space. He oversees a team of 12 across four continents and manages relationships with more than 400 record labels and distribution partners, including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Merlin.
Before co-founding Audiomack, Zisook served as the VP and Editor-in-Chief of DJBooth, a New York-based digital music publication and media house he launched with Audiomack co-founder David Macli.
Over 19 years, Zisook and Macli transformed DJBooth from a niche website into an industry leader in long-form music journalism, achieving 8 million monthly page views at its peak and generating annual revenues exceeding one million dollars.
In 2020, DJBooth entered into a content partnership with Audiomack.
Zisook's extensive experience in the music industry includes conducting over 500 interviews with artists and industry professionals, including J. Cole, Big Sean, Rick Ross, John Legend, Nipsey Hussle, DJ Khaled, and Anderson .Paak, among others.
In recognition of his contributions to the music industry, the Recording Academy selected Zisook as part of its new member class in 2022.
Kenjrick Watson is a seasoned event strategist and cultural connector with over a decade of experience in the event and entertainment industry. He’s managed talent for icons like Ginuwine and Jermaine Dupri, at major cultural moments like AfroTech, where culture, music, and innovation collide.
Kenjrick has a proven track record of facilitating high-impact partnerships that merge tech and creativity—enabling brands to move fast, strategically, and with cultural relevance.
Currently, he leads Brand Partnerships and Community at Eventnoire, an event tech and media company that uses innovative digital tools to connect brands with culturally influential consumers. His work lives at the intersection of music, tech, and culture—driving experiences that not only resonate, but convert.
MODERATOR
Chicago native, Chris “Classick” Innumerable discovered his love and talent for music at a young age. He comes from a family of musicians and started recording friends out of his bedroom as a teenager. After he lost his mother to her battle with breast cancer in 2005, he found comfort in music and became inspired to pursue his passion. He build a small recording studio in his parents’ basement and through word of mouth, his clientele list quickly grew. Classick quit his bank job and transferred from DePaul University as a business major, to Columbia College Chicago to study Audio Arts & Acoustics. Eventually Classick Studios needed to expand (and Classick’s dad wasn’t too keen on having people in & out of his house at all hours of the night!) so the studio moved into the basement of a three bedroom house in Portage Park. Everyone who lived at the house and walked through the doors was ready to put in work. Ready to take the studio to the next level, Classick found an empty loft space in Ukrainian Village in 2012, and decided it would be the new home for the studio. The custom-built recording facility has two recording studios, a production room and lounge. The studio has a team of eight audio engineers, several in-house producers, and interns for its continually growing clientele.
Jeff Becker is the founder and Chairman of Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP’s Entertainment and Media Law Practice Group. As a young lawyer, Jeff was blessed with the opportunity to help Chuck Roberts, “the Voice” of house music. Jeff helped Chuck enforce his right to collect royalties from the use of his acclaimed “My House” in a World-renowned video game. From that point on, Jeff focused his efforts on building a law practice that helps creative individuals and businesses protect their rights. With his roots grounded solidly in litigation, Jeff found himself representing GRAMMY Award-winning artists (including Chance the Rapper, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar) in federal copyright lawsuits, and over the next few years developed a transactional client-base comprised of musicians from all walks of life, at various stages of their career, and celebrating dozens of musical genres. Jeff’s efforts over the years have culminated in him being named as one of Illinois’ “top 40 lawyers under 40”, as well as one of Billboard Magazine’s “top music lawyers” several years running.
Ugochi Nwaogwugwu is a multidisciplinary creative who lives in Chicago and works in the world. A child of Nigeria, West Africa, Ugochi combines elements of her afrobeat and reggae influence with jazz, house and soul aesthetics. Her global sound and words pay homage to her homeland. Ugochi is an international singer, songwriter, poet, performer, playwright, educator and activist. Her personal, distinctive style emanates inspiration and expresses the vibrant spirit and atmosphere of the African culture. Generally, Ugochi fuses her choreo-poetic style of spoken word with her unique singing ability in order to generate a more powerful word sound attraction. She has written a one woman show about her families’ immigrant experience called, Seasons of Separation. Thanks to the underground success of her debut album project appropriately titled African Buttafly, and her equally powerful sophomore album project, A.S.E, (Afro Soul
Effect), Ugochi has continued to create magnificent manifestations of melody over
malady.
Kubilay Uner makes adventurous, eclectic, colorful music for media ranging from film and television to concerts and records. He blends acoustic, synthetic and found sounds, builds his own instruments, bends tempos, layers noise, and is generally convinced that good music only happens when you mix things up.
Credits include the SCL-Award-nominated score for the historical drama “American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally” starring Al Pacino, the cutting-edge climate change documentary "The Here Now Project", the Mel Gibson action film “Force of Nature”, the Lionsgate Western "Gone Are the Days" featuring Lance Henriksen, Tom Berenger and Danny Trejo, as well as "Big Sur", based on Jack Kerouac's novel; plus a genuine Wyld Stallyns track for "Bill & Ted Face the Music", record productions for soul legend Bobby Womack, the score for the Busch Gardens theme park ride "Corkscrew Hill", and music for video art installations at the Pasadena Museum of California Art and in the permanent collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Kubilay Uner is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is professionally represented by Fortress Talent Management.
From 2017 - 2023 he was an elected board member for the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL), Americas premier organization representing media composers, where he founded the Early Career committee. Currently he serves on the Steering Committee for the SCL’s newly established Chicago chapter.
Tatiana Lane, Mz.Taty, is a dynamic artist and passionate mental health professional who has dedicated her life to empowering others through the transformative power of music and mental wellness. With a background in psychology and extensive experience as a mental health advocate, Mz. Taty has made it her mission to break the stigma surrounding mental health, particularly in underserved communities. From working in different outpatient mental health facilities, to counseling
on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, to being an Executive Director of a Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Facility to curating children's books and journals around mental health, she found. her passion with bridging culture and mental wellness.
Tita Arroyo is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and Functional Medicine Health Coach. Through her business, LIFE LOVES Health Coaching, she helps clients address the root causes of dysfunction and hidden stressors while helping them create and maintain sustainable and enjoyable lifestyle changes. With an emphasis in how stress affects every area of life, Tita’s goal is empowering women to achieve balanced health and sustainable weight loss through holistic, root-cause solutions that reduce stress and support low-carb lifestyles.
2 decades of business owner and leadership experience. Founder of Apart, an electronic music event production and booking agency with strong focus on diversity, equity, representation and community building. A creative leader, adherent of collaboration, embracer of challenges and lover of strategy. Passionate about compassion, belonging and outside the box approaches.
MODERATOR
Melody Angel, the powerhouse of "electric church music," ignites stages worldwide with her unique blend of soulful vocals and electrifying guitar skills. Her self-titled album and accompanying global tour have captivated audiences across Germany, and numerous cities throughout the US, including Chicago, Denver, and Florida. Including a highly anticipated series of shows in Lima, Peru, this October. Journalists universally praise her stage presence and musical prowess, drawing comparisons to icons like Jimi Hendrix, Prince, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
A true prodigy, Melody taught herself guitar on a purple electric Fender strat that still accompanies her today. She's a multi-instrumentalist, mastering piano, bass, and drums, and demonstrating her versatility by single-handedly playing and producing her latest album. Defying industry norms, Melody embodies a generational talent committed to realizing her rock and roll dreams despite the odds.
Melody Angel's journey is a testament to perseverance and passion in the face of adversity. For more about her electrifying music and upcoming performances, visit www.melodyangelmusic.com and experience the renaissance of "electric church music" firsthand.
Celia is one of the co-founders of What Up Pitches; a multicultural, women owned music production house and music licensing company based in LA & Chicago. Their recent placements include Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, Fox, NFL, VH1, MTV, The CW, and brands such as Hennessy, Meta, Aetna, Maker’s Mark and Kraft Heinz. What Up Pitches is also known for providing both online and in person educational opportunities including their WUP It Up Sync conferences in Chicago and L.A.
Celia wrote the theme song for the 2020 Kraft Heinz campaign "Let's Make Life Delicious" and her song “Me, Oh My!” was licensed as the main title theme song for the TV show, “Call Me Kat” which aired on Fox for several seasons. She’s had songs used in Hallmark movies and on reality TV shows such as “Love Is Blind”. She has written over a dozen custom songs for the Viacom/Paramount+ Music Library and those songs have been used across a number of broadcast networks.
Portia King, The Media Maven, is a multi-media personality, host, and moderator based in Chicago.
Portia’s elegance, work ethic, and personality have allowed her to work with various local and national outlets and brands, such as REVOLT TV, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Def Jam, Soho House, Chicago Bulls, and more. With an extensive background in media, PR, and marketing, Portia created The Maven Method: Media Training for Artist and Talent to better prepare performers for publicity opportunities and interviews.
As a product of Chicago's south side and a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, Portia encompasses an element of diverse perspective and relative experiences that unite commonalities throughout society and culture.
Chrissy Dudash is a seasoned Communications and Media Relations professional with over 13 years of experience in Public Relations. As Communications Director at the Recording Academy, she drives public relations efforts for the organization’s membership and advocacy initiatives while supporting broader media relations, reputation management, and communications strategies. She also directs the production and media relations processes for the annual GRAMMY Awards red carpet and media center.
With experience spanning talent, nonprofit, television, film, and corporate public relations, she has a well-rounded expertise in strategic communications. Since joining the Recording Academy as a Senior Coordinator in 2017, Chrissy has advanced to Manager and now Director, shaping communications strategies for the annual GRAMMY Awards, the Academy’s annual New Member Class launch, and the organization’s tentpole advocacy initiative, GRAMMYs on the Hill in Washington, D.C. Before her time at the Academy, she built a strong foundation in entertainment PR, holding roles at Ryan Seacrest Enterprises, where she focused on television and talent publicity, and Allied Global Marketing, where she worked as a junior publicist supporting clients such as Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox.
As part of the Recording Academy’s Communications Team, Chrissy contributed to the award-winning MusiCares COVID-19 Relief campaign, which earned the PRWeek Purpose Award in 2020. She was also part of the team recognized as PRSA Los Angeles’ Communications Team of the Year in 2019.
Chrissy holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations and Marketing from Eastern Michigan University.
A successful Black independent artist, Saba has rooted his career in an authenticity and musicality that’s made him one of his generation’s most important and unique voices in rap. The Chicago polymath is fresh off of his illustrious third studio album, Few Good Things (FGT), the follow-up to 2018’s critically acclaimed CARE FOR ME. The FGT album and film touched on themes of generational dialogue, reflection, community and Black ownership. The film, directed by C.T. Robert, received a 5/5 from NME and was highly esteemed. Saba began making music at age 9 and was writing and producing songs by early adolescence. Building a recording studio in his Grandmother’s basement on the Westside of Chicago, he and a group of neighborhood friends formed their Pivot Gang collective. In 2019, J. Cole tapped Saba for the Dreamville collaboration album Revenge of the Dreamers III, in which Saba earned his first RIAA Gold certification for the song “Sacrifices.” That same year, Saba, Noname and Smino announced the creation of their Midwest super-group Ghetto Sage with the release of their debut track “Häagen Dazs.” 2022 marked Saba’s second RIAA Gold certification – this time for his own 2016 single “Photosynthesis.” In 2023, Saba and super-producer, executive, and mentor No I.D. will drop their highly anticipated collaboration project – thee(TAPE). On the mixtape, Saba flexes his vivid story-telling, radiating confidence and self-made success over No I.D’s illustrious production.
Andrew Barber is the owner/creator of Fake Shore Drive, a Chicago-based media, management and events company founded in 2007. Andrew is also a record label owner, playlist curator, published music journalist, artist manager, brand and record label consultant and media personality. His radio show, The Drive on Shade 45, airs weekly on SiriusXM Radio, and has been on air for a decade. He has also hosted programming for Complex, Amazon, MTV, Spotify, Fuse and Chicago's WGCI-FM. Andrew currently sits as a Governor on The Recording Academy's Chicago Chapter.In 2017, Andrew was tapped by Apple Music to curate The New Chicago Playlist. As a journalist, Andrew's work has appeared in publications such as The Ringer, VICE, Complex, Fader, XXL, Mass Appeal, Amazon Music and more. As a moderator, host and panelist, Andrew has worked with The Grammys, Red Bull, Complex, Amazon, Spotify, Mountain Dew, the NBA and more
