A passionate entrepreneur and music enthusiast, is the founder and CEO of BeatStars, a revolutionary music marketplace and distribution platform for independent musicians. Growing up in a musical family, Abe recognized the challenges faced by independent artists in gaining exposure and fair compensation. Established in 2008, BeatStars now has over five million registered users and has empowered thousands of artists to earn a living from their music. Abe's dedication to empowering musicians has earned him recognition in Forbes, TechCrunch, and Billboard, and he is a sought-after speaker at global events. Committed to helping independent musicians succeed, Abe continues to innovate and expand BeatStars, connecting artists with fans worldwide and transforming the music industry for the better.
Bringing over 15 years of leadership experience in the technology sector, David Penner joined BeatStars in 2023 as Vice President of Engineering, leading a global team of engineers dedicated to supporting BeatStar's mission. David has a proven track record of delivering innovative and scalable software solutions that drive business growth, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Throughout his career, David has helped guide companies at every stage, from startup through IPO. David is a lifelong musician and songwriter, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As BeatStars’ Director of Product, Gus partners with the CEO to translate the company vision into products and services that creators love. He leads the team responsible for product strategy, design, and analytics across the organization. Gus has spent the last decade building tools to help musicians share their music, connect with fans, and get paid. He has led product development and monetization teams at UnitedMasters, SoundCloud, and most recently his consultancy, Superluminal. As a lifelong musician, Gus is deeply passionate about using technology and human-centered design to help creators build sustainable careers. He holds a Bachelor’s in Music Business Management from Berklee College of Music.
As BeatStars’ General Counsel, Kyle applies his legal expertise and passion for helping others to support the company’s mission of empowering creators worldwide. Kyle first discovered BeatStars as an Artist and eventually joined BeatStars as its first in-house attorney. Now, he proudly leads the BeatStars Legal Department, focusing on growth, acquisitions, intellectual property protection, legal operations, and compliance. Kyle also plays a pivotal role in supporting thousands of talented Creators through BeatStars Publishing and the Creator Rights Agency (CRA). He aims to ensure Creators receive expert legal guidance in the ever-evolving global music industry. Cultivating his love of teaching, he also serves as a Business Law adjunct professor at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Kyle is an undergraduate alumnus of the Historically Black College and University, Albany State University, and alumnus of Barry University School of Law.
As BeatStars’ VP of People, Sara is responsible for leading the overall people and talent strategy, global talent acquisition, people operations, leadership development, organizational activation and growth, and cultivating a performance-driven culture. Prior to joining BeatStars’, Sara spent fifteen years building startups and most recently lead people functions in several hyper-growth SaaS companies with valuations exceeding $1 billion. Sara holds a BA in Fashion Design from the International Academy of Design & Technology, Chicago, and an MBA in International Business from the American University in London. Sara also earned her SHRM-CP certification. Sara has a passion for building community with other modern HR practitioners and is involved in several HR community groups as well as being a member of CHIEF.
As BeatStars’ Chief Operating Officer, Sean partners with the CEO to build a profitable, professionally managed technology company that empowers music creators around the world to become successful entrepreneurs. He brings a strong combination of global operating experience, deep leadership skills, and expertise in consumer technology platforms to BeatStars. Prior to his current role, Sean was the COO at Panopto Inc. where he grew revenue 10X and led every functional group in the company except Finance. Earlier at Amazon, he was the Director of the Kindle Store, building ebook sales volume from the first Kindle until paid ebook units surpassed Amazon’s paperback units. Previously, he led strategic planning for the Xbox business at Microsoft, including the lifecycle financial plan to achieve profitability for Xbox 360. Sean earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Product Design from Stanford University and a Master's degree in Business Administration from UCLA.