National Independent Venue Foundation

Empowering more inclusive and sustainable independent live entertainment communities.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Today, we’re celebrating the people who showed up, shared what they know, and helped open doors. 💙

To our 2026 VOX mentors: THANK YOU for investing your time, experience, and energy in the next generation of independent live. 👏

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

30 participants. 15 venues. And this is just the beginning. 🎓

We are so proud to celebrate the 30 graduates of our fifth Venue Operations eXperience (VOX) cohort!

Please join us in celebrating the VOX Class of 2026! 👏 #LiveEntertainmentCareers

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

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[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Please give a warm welcome to our final mentor for the 2026 VOX cohort, Rachel! Rachel is from Cleveland, Ohio, and is the Marketing and Operations Director at Grog Shop.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

NIVF offers a FREE Training Hub for the live entertainment community! Explore on-demand resources in marketing, safety, wellness, production, and more at your own pace. 👉 Check it out: https://t.co/R4EF5n9GVi

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Let’s meet Melissa! Melissa is from Washington, D.C., and currently is the Marketing Manager at Tysons Community Alliance. Melissa is actually one of the first ever mentors for the VOX program.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Meet the next mentor, Stephanie! Stephanie is originally from Chicago, Illinois, but is now living in Los Angeles, California. She started her business Stephtorious in May of 2022, and currently runs the marketing and tour booking for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

POV: Your boss asks for pics of you and the crew 📸 Shoutout to our host venues giving the next generation of live music pros their start. The Venue Operations eXperience (VOX) program is making it happen, one show night at a time. 🎸🎟️

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Let’s welcome the next returning mentor for our 2026 cohort, Keona. Keona has called Atlanta, Georgia home for 11 years. She is the Marketing Director at Rival Entertainment, an Atlanta-based live event and concert production company.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Let’s welcome the next returning mentor for our 2026 cohort, Keona. Keona has called Atlanta, Georgia home for 11 years. She is the Marketing Director at Rival Entertainment, an Atlanta-based live event and concert production company.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Please welcome the next returning mentor for our 2026 VOX cohort, Daniel! Daniel was born and raised in Sacramento, CA, and currently serves as the talent buyer, marketing director, and assistant general manager for Harlow's and The Starlet Room.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Please welcome our next mentor for the 2026 VOX cohort, Brian! Brian is originally from New Jersey, but currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia where he works as a Production Manager at Center Stage Atlanta with Rival Entertainment.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Let’s introduce the next new mentor for our 2026 cohort, Ashley. Ashley is a Colorado native but currently is based in Los Angeles. She is the Founder of AshBar Advisors. After 20+ years in the entertainment industry, Ashley now works directly with talent.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Please join us in welcoming Maggie Preston as a mentor for the 2026 VOX cohort! 🎉 She loves mentoring because it gives her the opportunity to give back to the live entertainment communities she cares deeply about while helping shape the next generation of industry professionals.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Let’s meet the next returning mentor for the 2026 cohort, Jim! Jim was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a PM / FOH for Little River Band and is the Head Audio Engineer for Brantley Services.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Please welcome our next mentor, Maggie! Maggie is an Integrated Marketing Manager at AEG Presents. Previous to this role, Maggie worked at several other independent companies, such as The Basement East in Nashville, which also hosted VOX participants from previous cohorts.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Please meet Mika! Mika is the Director of Event Marketing at Elsewhere, and lives in New York City. She says she is very lucky to work across many different genres at Elsewhere. She has gotten to work with artists such as Chanel Beads, Slayyyter, and horsegiirL.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Let's welcome Taj! Taj is currently a partner at Friends and Lovers in Crown Heights Brooklyn, and is originally from Vermont. He started at FnL as an audio engineer in 2018. He worked as the tech director, graphic designer and talent buyer.

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Improv builds more than just laughs—it sharpens communication, adaptability, and collaboration. Huge thanks to the team at Third Coast Comedy Club for sharing your expertise. We can’t wait to partner again! 💙

[National Independent Venue Foundation @NIVFdotorg]

Welcome the next mentor for our 2026 cohort, Adam. Adam is from Pittsburgh, PA, and is the Marketing Director for Drusky Entertainment and Four Chord Music Festival. He has worked with artists such as Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, All Time Low, Pierce the Veil, and more!