About Us
CASH Music is a nonprofit organization and a new way of empowering artists and evolving past the mechanisms of industry that put musicians last. Artists are leaders and keepers of our culture. Art is our safest space. There are people creating new protections for government, civil society, and the press. Who will fight for artists outside of traditional business structures? We will.
We’ll fight because someone has to. Art is too important to the world around us, too influential on society to leave to industry alone. Music and art help us find a path to walk in the darkness. It unites us in ways that words and numbers alone cannot. Art is one of the first things suppressed by fascists. Supporting artists and shielding their art from governmental and corporate influence is a moral imperative.
Musicians are our partners, not our customers. Our tools will always be open and free to use with no mandatory fees. Whatever we publish serves as education not clickbait. As a nonprofit our responsibility is to serve artists instead of profits, and we can’t be purchased or acquired like so many startups.
We will continue to fight — and that “we” has to be bigger than ever, an inclusive community united by a common mission: sustainable careers for artists.
Who we are
Jesse von Doom
Executive Director, Strategy & Technology
@jessevondoom
Jesse is a designer, developer, artist advocate, and fellow with the Shuttleworth Foundation. He helped start CASH Music in 2007 and has been working with artists on the web for nearly two decades.
Maggie Vail
Executive Director, Outreach & Education
@magicbeans
Maggie has over 20 years of experience within the music industry both as a musician and an independent label executive. She was integral at preeminent indie label Kill Rock Stars, rose to VP, leaving for CASH Music in 2011. She also currently runs Bikini Kill Records and plays bass in Hurry Up.
Christopher Leckie
Creative Director
@leckieeeeeeeeee
Christopher has over 10 years experience as a designer & developer. He was previously Digital Creative Director at Beggars Group UK (4AD, Rough Trade, Matador, XL, Young Turks). He has worked on all aspects of digital marketing, creative strategy and execution for artists of all sizes and genres.
Tom Filepp
Developer
@cars_and_trains
Tom is a developer and designer with twenty years of experience making blinking yellow text and hamsters dance on the internet. He’s been using those tricks for almost as long in the music industry as a consultant, label owner, and musician.
Ashok Kondabolu
Watt A/V club president
@dapwell
Ashok Kondabolu, a.k.a. Dap, was born in Queens, New York in 1985. He is a former member of rap group Das Racist, writer, artist, and creator of the NYC-based arts collective/radio show Chillin Island. He plans to live on a communal farm when the world economy collapses.
Kathy Foster
Community
@kmfizzy
Kathy has been an active musician for over twenty years, playing and touring with The Thermals, Hurry Up, & All Girl Summer Fun Band to name a few. She’s only released music on labels that support full creative control. She wants you to be in control of your creative life, too.
Heather Ryan
Community
@atarigeek
Heather has traveled the globe as a tour manager, building connections and seeing the industry from almost every angle.
Daniel Bogan
He won’t leave our Slack
@waferbaby
Daniel accidentally started developing on the web in the murky mid-’90s, and unfortunately won’t leave it alone. He runs a little nerdy interview website called The Setup, and needs a lot more sleep.
Board of Directors
Advisory Board
CASH Music is a nonprofit organization focused on educating & empowering artists & their fans to foster a viable & sustainable future for music. We believe the best way to ensure a sustainable future for music is to invest in its creators.
Funding
CASH Music a nonprofit organization registered in the state of Oregon. Being a nonprofit means we have no investors or ownership, so our funding comes from other areas.
Our total 2015 operational budget is $310K USD. Our biggest funder is The Shuttleworth Foundation. Their support comes as part of a fellowship The Shuttleworth Foundation awarded Executive Director Jesse von Doom. We also received income from events and merch sales, public donations, and sponsorship support from MailChimp. Our server costs are donated in-kind by Rackspace and all CDN costs are donated in-kind by Stack Path. We wouldn’t exist without the help of these organizations and many others, so if you have a minute maybe join us in telling them thank you.