SPEAKERS: 2026 GRAMMY U Conference

Serona Elton is Head of Educational Partnerships at The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), where she leads initiatives connecting students with careers in the music industry. She is also Interim Vice Dean, Professor, and Chair of Music Industry at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. In 2023, she was named Music Business Educator of the Year by the Music Business Association and is recognized as a Yamaha Master Educator. Elton is an expert in licensing and royalties, with professional experience working with Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Group. She is a licensed attorney in New York and Florida and has held leadership roles across major industry organizations, including the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association, the Copyright Society, the Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law Section, and the Recording Academy. She is the co-author of Music Business Handbook and Career Guide and a frequent contributor to outlets such as NPR, CNN, The New York Times, and Billboard.

Ruby Marchand is Chief Awards & Global Industry Officer at the Recording Academy®, overseeing Grammy Awards, membership, and key industry initiatives including Grammy U and the Producers & Engineers and Songwriters & Composers Wings. A veteran music executive, she previously held senior A&R and leadership roles at Warner Music Group and served as an adjunct professor at NYU. Marchand has been recognized by Billboard Women in Music and the T.J. Martell Foundation for her influential contributions to the music industry.

This conversation is moderated by Joslyn Bowman, Grammy U National Membership Representative.

Jade Walters is a multi-hyphenate marketer and consultant working at the intersection of early career recruiting and brand storytelling. A proud first-gen Howard University alumna and 2025 TEDx speaker, she’s the founder of The Ninth Semester, an award-winning early career resources platform guiding 270,000 entry-level professionals on how to design their dream careers. Jade has held previous roles in Advertising Sales at TikTok and as an Employer Branding Consultant at the HR Tech company, Yello/WayUp, supporting early talent teams with hiring and attracting next-gen talent.