Smart Women In Music Fund Recognizes Six Leaders With a 2020 NAMM Show Travel Award

Elizabeth Dale

Recently, the Smart Women in Music (SWIM) Fund announced six awardees of the fund’s 2020 NAMM Show awards program. This one-time stipend will provide the emerging female leaders the opportunity to attend The NAMM Show (January 16-19, 2020) in Anaheim, California. While there, they will have access to hundreds of professional development sessions, job shadowing with female industry leaders, and networking opportunities with their peers.

  • Smart Women in Music
  • 2018 SWIM
  • SWIM 2019
  • SWIM 2019
  • SWIM 2019

SWIM Captain, Robin Walenta remarked that “The SWIM Fund was born out of a desire to reach and serve women who wish to expand their horizons and professional proficiencies, and who demonstrate ambition to enhance their leadership skills. It is our sincere hope that the female leaders of tomorrow will arise through this opportunity.”

The SWIM Fund designed the award to attend The 2020 NAMM Show to support women with “goals to connect, support and grow as professionals and leaders, and contribute to the development of the music products industry.” As a result of the efforts of SWIM, six awardees will have the opportunity to attend The NAMM Show: Alexandra Bosier (Strait Music Company), Alice Monk (Music Industries Association), Heather Mansell (Yamaha Corp), Jane Angel (Middle C Music), Kristi Jacobsen (Alfred Publishing LLC), and Stacey Swanson (Music & Arts, a subsidiary of Guitar Center, Inc).

Alice Monk, Music Industries Association Communications and Events Coordinator spoke about the opportunity to attend The 2020 NAMM Show, an opportunity made possible with the SWIM Fund scholarship. “By attending The NAMM Show, I have networking opportunities with 7,000+ brands that I may not have connected with before and am able to choose from 400+ educational sessions that will enhance my understanding of issues from everything ranging from retail innovation to music education, all of which present me with innovative ideas from industry thought leaders.”

The Smart Women In Music Fund led by Robin Walenta, President of West Music Co., Crystal Morris, President and CEO of Gator Cases, and DeDe Heid, Executive Vice President of Heid Music was established in 2018 with the mission “to expand diversity, inclusion and support for women in the music products industry.” For more information please visit The NAMM Show’s “SWIM locker room” at the NAMM Member Center January 16-19, 2020 or visit http://smartwomeninmusic.org/.