Milana Rabkin Lewis, founder of Stem, gives closing remarks at Billboard’s Indie Power Players 2024 event.

Hannah Karp
A woman who is one of the most incredible leaders in the music business and an incredible supporter of indie artists, Milana Rabkin Lewis, the founder of Stem.

Milana Rabkin Lewis
Thank you, Billboard, for having me tonight, and I just want to say congratulations to Brent and Ty and Jane and the whole culture. It is so amazing to watch you guys be honored for everything you have built over the last decade. And it’s been incredible having a front-row seat at watching what has happened. And this moment is one that is amazing. And for those of you who do not know the story behind these guys, you should study it, because they have literally written the playbook on what it means to be an independent company and support independent artists. And the theme of what I want to say as we close out this wonderful evening and celebration is really around being able to take calculated risks, as all of you know, life in the music business as an independent artist or an executive demands tenacity and courage, and it’s really the true pulse of innovation in this industry that beats the most strongly within the hearts of the independent artists, managers, entrepreneurs and executives, individuals like those honored here tonight and those tirelessly working around the globe, the risk that we have taken to build something that does not fit within a mold is really worth celebrating, and together, we’re up against a lot of the themes that we’ve talked about the behemoths of the majors and their indie offshoots, who sometimes masquerade as independents themselves, and artists and labels who really face a tough decision around whether or not they maintain their autonomy or succumb to the allure of the biggest paycheck available. And it’s a delicate balance between creative freedom and financial security, each with presenting its path and its own set of challenges and opportunities across the spectrum of risk.

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