Moderated by

Dior Ashley Brown & Little Bacon Bear

Dior Ashley Brown, 

Founder,  Executive Director, DC Music Summit

Dior Ashley Brown is a woman on a mission. Known for her broad range of creative roles, including community builder, humanitarian, activist, entrepreneur, and musician, she is a seasoned, respected member of the DC creative scene and beyond, committed to empowering all people, especially Black women and girls, and leaving a legacy of positive change. Dubbed the “Hip-Hop Polymath” by the Washington Post, Dior knows how to create impact. She is founder of the DC Music Summit, a premier music conference and exchange hub, featuring industry leaders, artists, influencers, and high-profile brand sponsors who join forces to help grow the music industry in the nation’s capital. 

A proud DC native, raised across the globe, Dior is a Duke Ellington School of the Arts alumna. She holds a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts from the University of Maryland.  At her core, she is about breaking down barriers and sparking a movement, revealing the ways diversity lends greater understanding of what it means to be human.

Little Bacon Bear, Host | DJ |On-Air Personality

Catch @littlebaconbear from her Radio One beginnings in 2017 to hosting segments like KYS Versus and the Crank Session, she’s dedicated to spotlighting local and major artists. A coveted DJ in the DMV, she’s a fixture in music, nightlife, and culture, spinning for brands like Essence, BET, Nike, and Youtube. Self-taught and forward-thinking, she’s determined to uplift women in music and revolutionize terrestrial radio’s image.

Sandra Basanti is a proud first-generation American, D.C. area native, and owner of Pie Shop. 

Before opening Pie Shop, Sandra's academic and professional pursuits found her working and living in Italy, England, and Australia, gaining invaluable international work experience and a widened perspective. Returning to academia, Sandra received a Master's degree in International Education Policy from New York University with research opportunities in Mexico, Uganda, and South Africa, further augmenting her understanding of diverse cultural landscapes, program analysis and implementation, and policy development.

In 2009, her professional journey came full circle when she returned to Washington D.C. to fulfill her entrepreneurial aspirations, opening Pie Shop, the world’s first and only pie shop music venue. As her venture flourished, she managed to not only develop an internationally recognized brand but also channel her expertise into guiding other entrepreneurs within the industry. This led to her consulting role, helping new entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of starting a venture in the District and assisting with the identification and application of funding opportunities.

Alongside her successful business and consulting roles, Sandra holds the position of Executive Director of the D.C. Nightlife Council. This pivotal role allows her to advocate for the D.C. hospitality and nightlife community, bridging the gap between the industry, elected officials, and local governing agencies.

When the global pandemic struck, Sandra further demonstrated her resilience and dedication to her community. She played a pivotal role in growing the DMV Music Stakeholders Coalition, helping to create clear guidance, shape policy and fortify the local music scene during an incredibly challenging period. Her ongoing advocacy for local businesses and D.C. culture remains a testament to her commitment to her city's vibrancy and prosperity.

A D.C. resident and native of the D.C. area, Sandra's professional journey is firmly rooted in her personal investment in the city's growth and development. Her passion extends beyond business and policy, reflecting a deep love for her hometown and its rich cultural tapestry.

Caroline Phillips specializes in conceptualizing, strategizing and executing political campaigns, non-profit initiatives, live events and marketing experiences. In 2014, Caroline founded The High Street LLC, a public relations and event production company with the mission of cultivating projects and ideas that leverage business and advocacy for social good. In 2016, Caroline launched the National Cannabis Festival (NCF) in Washington, D.C. and in 2018 she expanded the program to include the National Cannabis Policy Summit (NCPS) and Four20 Month. Going into year 8, NCF is now the largest ticketed cannabis gathering in the United States and NCPS is the only nationally televised cannabis conference in the country. In addition to her work on the National Cannabis Festival, Caroline is a nationally recognized social Justice advocate and deputy director of Supernova Women - a non profit focused on social equity and ensuring that Black and brown people are stakeholders in the cannabis economy. Caroline is a native Washingtonian. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University, completed post-graduate studies at Howard University and received her Master’s degree from Georgetown University. 

Tamara Wellons

Founder + Creative Director, Her Dreams Productions           Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy,                        President to the Board of Governors

Tamara Wellons is a celebrated and soulful vocalist whose music resonates in multiple realms with the timeless essence of rhythm and blues. Songs come to her, like life, in transformative cycles. Her latest artistic work, Months of Sundays is her most prolific work yet. The 2022 album/EP co-produced by her husband and music partner, Kinard Cherry and mixed by legendary mixing engineer, Dave Pensado follows three critically-acclaimed records (Life Is 2008; Songs for Janie 2012; Prey 2016). These projects in the past decade have seen her perform at renowned venues, including Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Blues Alley, Richmond’s Jazz Festival and London’s Jazz Cafe. With over two decades of experience, Tamara most recently graced the stage of her alma mater Bowie State University. Wellons, the former Miss Bowie State 1998-99 performed a stunning and spirited tribute for legendary artist Dionne Warwick in April 2023.

Tamara's love for the underground House Music community and her unique vocals and poetic songwriting style in the underground Soulful House music scene has led to collaborations with some of the most renowned names and labels in dance music, such as Ocha Records, Osunlade (Yoruba Records), Soul Candi Records (South Africa), DJ Oji (Poji Records), DJ Spen (Quanze Records), GRAMMY winner Roger Sanchez (Stealth Records), Lars Behrenroth (Deeper Shades Recordings), and renowned DJ Spinna (New York).

Tamara is also the Founder of Musicians in Healthcare Network (MHIN), a company that provides therapeutic music services to healthcare organizations and supports healthcare leaders in identifying the best use and placement of music in healthcare environments.

In addition to her remarkable achievements in the music industry, Tamara is an active member of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy, serving as a President to the Board of Governors from 2022 to 2024.

Eric “E Z” Tommy is an established music executive and native Washingtonian, affectionately known throughout the entertainment industry simply as “E Z”. He is an innovative professional who is equally excited in propelling the Washington, D.C. area to its proper place on the music and entertainment map. With a heightened vision and a zealous quest, E Z actively manages, produces, writes, and oversees the business of music in conjunction with his clients. He understands the plight of the numerous, undiscovered artists in D.C. and maintains strong ties to its active music and entertainment community. Building on his past experiences, he is actively setting up Washington, D.C. and its surrounding areas (better known now as the DMV) to be the next great incubator of music and entertainment talent for the world to appreciate.

E Z originally started his music career, as an aspiring rap artist, looking for an outlet in his hometown of Washington, D.C. Fresh out of Dunbar High School in D.C. He left UDC to attend and graduated from The Columbia School of Broadcasting propelling him into an internship and eventual job at Washington D.C.’s # 1 Radio station – WPGC FM 95.5FM. He became an on-air personality at WPGC, and its sister station, Flava1580 AM (a Hip Hop and Go-Go station), increasing his knowledge on the inner workings of radio. E Z’s gift, his ear for finding hit music, and finding the genre’s next superstars, earned him an esteem honor as a key tastemaker with the music programming management for Washington D.C.’s hottest radio stations. E Z simultaneously furthered his pervasive and burgeoning music career at Black Entertainment Television (based in Washington, D.C.), where he imprinted his mark on BET’s walls. E Z was later appointed as Director of the Hall of Fame, for Diana Ross’s induction into BET’s Walk of Fame. He continued to work in production at BET as a voiceover talent for BET’s Concert Series, network segments, and commercials.

Since leaving the grind of his New York office at Richcraft / Atlantic Records, E Z has focused his efforts on the long and overdue importance of an established, grounded music entertainment outlet in our nation’s capital.