QUEER Capita Expands Nationally With New Board Members Based in Nashville, Austin, San Francisco, Oakland, and Charlotte
Queer Capita, the 501(c)(3) diversity development organization supporting LGBTQ+ professionals in the music industry, announced its 2025–26 Board of Directors as the non-profit marks another year of community building and advocacy. Since launching in fall 2021, Queer Capita has supported more than 1,000 Queer music industry professionals representing over 200 top companies. The newly expanded Board will continue to advance Queer Capita’s mission to strengthen visibility, opportunity, and career development for LGBTQ+ professionals across all sectors of the music business.
This year, Queer Capita expands its national footprint with new board members located in Nashville, Austin, San Francisco, Oakland, and Charlotte, joining those in New York and Los Angeles. These regional hubs will allow the organization to host in-person programming, networking, and professional development events tailored to local LGBTQ+ music communities.
"Diversifying our Board of Directors was a priority for us this year so that we could stay in touch with the multitude of industry perspectives from our community,” says Co-President Dan Iammatteo. “As we grow, we want to continue our focus on developing helpful resources, programs, and media, specifically with our community of professionals in mind."
Fellow Co-President Nico Machlitt adds, “Our growth over the past four years shows what’s possible when LGBTQ+ professionals have a seat at the table. Queer Capita has become more than an organization; it’s a movement shaped by the passion and resilience of our members. As we expand to more cities nationally, our focus remains on creating spaces where Queer voices can thrive, lead, and redefine what representation looks like in the music industry.”
Meet the 2025-26 Board of Directors Behind the Vision
Queer Capita’s 2025-26 Board of Directors represents an impressive range of senior-level voices within the LGBTQ+ music industry community who are helping to build a more inclusive community for Queer professionals. The Board will help grow Queer Capita’s presence, provide invaluable resources, and build the future of the music industry—one that reflects the diversity, creativity, and commitment of the LGBTQ+ community. We are incredibly proud to introduce our 2025-26 Board leadership:
Dan Iammatteo, Co-President/Director of Digital Marketing & Commercial Partnerships, Reservoir (New York, NY)
Nico Machlitt, Co-President/Associate Manager Digital Marketing, VEVO (New York, NY)
Andrea Pearl, Board Member/Streaming Relations Specialist (New York, NY)
Dave Yeager, Board Member/Founder & Producer, Showcase (Philadelphia, PA)
David Hawkins, Board Member/PR Agency Owner, My PR Lab (Nashville, TN)
Ed Razzano, Board Member/Admin. Services, ASCAP (New York, NY)
Evangeline Elder, Board Member/Brand Partnerships Consultant, All Angles Agency (Oakland, CA)
Frederico Tonete, Board Member/Public Relations Executive, My PR Lab (Nashville, T/N)
Hector Rosario, Board Member/ A&R & Artist Management (Los Angeles, CA)
Jack Babnew, Board Member/ Artist Independent Manager & Founder, Automatic Classic (Los Angeles, CA)
Johny Gonzalez, Content Director/A&R & Music Content Coordinator, Meta/Magnit (Newark, NJ)
Malik Welton, Board Member/Marketing & Brand Partnerships Consultant (New York, NY)
Meredith Nadeau, Board Member/Director of Brand Marketing, The Orchard (New York, NY)
Michael Tomczak, Board Member/Director of Media & Artist Relations, The Orchard (New York, NY)
Miguel Ramos, Treasurer/ Founder, Artist Management, Elevación Talent (Austin, TX)
Nicholas Douglas, Board Member/Creative Director & Co-Founder, NOTION (Los Angeles, CA)
Nico Delle Femine, Secretary/UGC Conflicts Specialist, Fuga (New York, NY)
Paulina Vo, Board Member/Co-Founder & GM/Co-Founder & COO, The Digilogue/Highnote (New York, NY)
Samantha Moura, Vice President/Technical Account Manager, Music Labels, Meta (New York, NY)
Zach Porfiris, Board Member/Director of Business & Legal Affairs, Symphonic Distribution (Charlotte, NC)
Expanding Nationwide
Queer Capita is thrilled to be expanding its national footprint this year with new board members based in Nashville, Austin, San Francisco, Oakland, and Charlotte, joining those in New York and Los Angeles. These regional hubs will allow the organization to host in-person programming, networking, and professional development events tailored to local LGBTQ+ music communities.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As Queer Capita looks ahead to 2026, the organization is committed to developing new initiatives focused on professional growth and visibility. Stay tuned for more details on our podcast series dedicated to professional development for LGBTQ+ music industry professionals to be announced soon.
“Queer Capita’s mission is rooted in community, education, and opportunity,” said Samantha Moura, Vice President. “As we expand into new markets and look to the future, our focus remains on fostering inclusion and representation for Queer voices across every part of the music industry.”
Years of Impact
By fostering meaningful partnerships with major companies and cultural institutions, Queer Capita has become a leading voice in building community and visibility for Queer music professionals. Key milestones include:
Research and Advocacy: Partnered with Luminate and Billboard on The Power of LGBTQ+ Music report, which highlighted the growing influence of Queer consumerism and was presented at the Music Biz 2022 Conference.
Industry-Wide Data Initiatives: Spearheaded the comprehensive State of the LGBTQ+ Music Industry Professional survey that highlighted the fact that nearly 50% of LGBTQ+ professionals feel underrepresented in the industry.
Celebrating Queer Talent: Hosted annual Pride celebrations and yearlong members-only events featuring all-Queer talent, including artists like Empress Of, Orla Gartland, Aluna, Dorian Electa, Madison Rose, The Dragon Sisters, and Rodney Chrome.
Authentic and Meaningful Partnerships: Built authentic and meaningful partnerships with leading companies and local organizations such as Sony Music, The Orchard, Recording Academy, Vevo, Live Nation, Virgin Music Group, Music Business Association, Downtown Music Holdings, SoundCloud, YouTube Music, Women in Music, A2IM, Backline, RAMPD, The Digilogue, and more.
Professional Development: Crafted workshops and panel discussions tailored specifically for Queer professionals throughout the year, tackling topics such as navigating the lack of representation in the music industry, applying for jobs in an oversaturated market, and tools for leadership development.
Networking Mixers: Collaborated with industry leading companies to provide safe, community-oriented networking spaces.
Membership Job Referral Program: Solicited our 1,000+ member network to launch an ongoing job-referral program.
Trans Allyship Initiative: Announced our Music Industry Trans Allyship Pledge that encourages inclusive practices across the industry, which received 300 signatures to date and was supported by organizations including The Recording Academy’s Proud Group, Women in Music, Gender Amplified, Asian American Collective, PEG Records, Jump Global, and the Music Business Association.