Bios: How to Make It in Today's Music Industry
MODERATOR:
Alex Flores is the Senior Vice President, Creative at BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.). In this role, Flores oversees the Creative teams in BMI’s seven offices in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta, Austin, London and San Juan, helping to support the Company’s songwriting community and cultivate key industry relationships. She works closely with Mike Steinberg, Executive Vice President, Creative & Licensing to oversee the continued development and execution of acquisition and retention strategies that are in line with BMI's overall mission of growing our leading market share across all genres of music.
Before joining BMI, Flores held various positions at BMG, including her most recent post as Senior Vice President of Marketing, North America. In that role, she managed the day-to-day operations of the U.S. Synch Marketing teams while continuing to secure placements for BMG’s repertoire across all media platforms. Flores also worked closely with her international counterparts, songwriters, producers and artists to maximize synch opportunities in the U.S., as well as acquire talent and renew deals. She joined BMG in 2012 as a Director, Marketing, Film & Television where she was responsible for placing music in films, TV shows and soundtracks. She also held positions of increasing responsibility at Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures and Univision Music Group.
In 2020, she was honored as one of Billboard’s Women in Music, and in 2021, she was named one of LAMC’s Wonder Women of Latin Music. Flores has an MFA from Loyola Marymount University and a BA from Universidad Iberoamericana Noroeste.
SPEAKERS:
Loren Medina is the founder of Guerrera PR, Marketing & Management, a hybrid agency focused on public relations, marketing, artist management, consulting, and brand partnerships representing avant-garde Latin Urban bilingual artists. Prior, Loren founded and co-owned Digital Girl in 2009, a PR and digital marketing company whose client roster included icons such as: Shakira, Maná, Calle 13, Ricky Martin, Romeo Santos, Aventura, amongst others.
Francisca Valenzuela has an extraordinary way of tapping into the core of her listener’s emotions. With her 2007 debut, Muérdete La Lengua, Valenzuela established herself as a Latin pop force. To date, she has performed across the globe with some of the world’s most influential and iconic musicians such as Miguel Bosé, Pablo Alborán, Natalia Lafourcade, and the legendary U2.
Jesus Gonzalez is the Vice President, Creative, Latin, at Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). Based out of the company’s Los Angeles office, he oversees the Latin Creative team, helping to sign and develop new talent, assist BMI’s family of songwriters and publishers, and serve as a liaison between the Latin music community and the industry at large. He reports directly to Senior Vice President, Creative, Alex Flores. Prior to joining BMI, Gonzalez was Senior Vice President of Brands & Partnerships at Universal Music Group, where he helped secure deals for internationally acclaimed performing songwriters, including J Balvin, Juanes and Luis Fonsi, with top brands. As a songwriter, Gonzalez played his first showcase at the BMI SXSW stage in 2005 and was a recording artist from 2003-2009. He is a voting member of the Recording Academy for the GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Awards, and was a mentor for the 2020 Adweek Executive Mentor Program.
Gil Gastelum has been in the music business since 1989. In 2004 he created the boutique music management + record company Cosmica Artists, representing artists such as GRAMMY winning artists Carla Morrison, Gaby Moreno,The Marías, Luna Luna, The Red Pears, Katzu Oso, Luna Luna, Junior Mesa, GRAMMY award winning producer David Garza, film maverick Robert Rodriguez, Lila Downs, and a few select others. His role at Cosmica has been that of a marketer, manager, head of label services, publisher, and founder of the company.
Andrés Torres is a Colombian record producer and musician, best known for producing the 2017 song "Despacito" by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee. Torres made his professional debut in 2012 as an assistant engineer and won a scholarship for drummers at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles producing his first album thanks to Colombian producer Andrés Saavedra. Through Saavedra, Torres met Argentine producer and engineer Sebastian Krys, who became his mentor and helped him to work with Spanish singer David Bisbal and Argentine singer Noel Schajris.
