NABFEME: The Premier Organization for Women in Music and Entertainment

The National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment (NABFEME) is a nonprofit organization for professional women in the entertainment industry. Their mission is to raise the profile, increase awareness, and magnify the number of economic opportunities women of color experience in entertainment. Committed to excellence in leadership, their members provide unique perspectives and services that help support the professional advancement of women. Membership includes women in the entertainment industry from record label executives to radio, print, film, and beauty professionals and more. NABFEME regularly hosts seminars and professional development programs for members.

Although NABFEME’s focus is entertainment, they have a variety of initiatives, including:

College Rep —Â An ambassador program for college students interested in pursuing a career in entertainment.
Celebrity Moms —Â A program that embraces moms who have stood by their celebrity children and helped foster and develop their talents.
Donna M. Moore Scholarship —Â Granted to one entering freshman and one worthy Junior or Senior majoring in music, broadcasting, communications, or a music/media-related course of study.

“This is an awesome organization that’s been around since 1999! NABFEME was birthed out of a woman named Johnnie Walker. She was at Island Def Jam for 15 years and had been in the entertainment business for a long time. There was a big music conference that happened every year, and Walker noticed that there were mostly men in attendance. She realized that women should have something of their own, so she and the founding six members created NABFEMEâ€ says Zina Brown, President of NABFEME Atlanta Network.

“You should join NABFEME for the networking and leadership opportunities through many events and programs. You should also join because this is a space where you can be showcased, celebrated, elevated, and empowered in the music and entertainment industry. This is a fabulous organization in 19 other markets that brings good camaraderie and relationships in different regions and cities. You can visit NABFEME and click to join. We have different levels, including a free associate membership, collegiate memberships, and our primary membership –Â the NABFEME 360,â€ says Brown.

Click here to learn more about NABFEME.

About Zina Brown
Zina Brown, MBA, PMP is the President and CEO of Life Dreams Entertainment, LLC (LDE). Â Ms. Brown’s versatile film, video, and television production talents along with her impressive Rolodex has enabled her to build an impressive body of work which highlights her talent, capacity, and connections in the entertainment industry. In addition to her numerous professional endeavors, Ms. Brown still finds time to volunteer her talents as a former executive board member of Women in Film (WIFA) and as President of NABFEME Atlanta Network, the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment (NABFEME), Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF), The Atlanta Press Club and Image film and video. You can follow her on Twitter @Zinathedirector and Instagram @Zina_thedirector_brown.

Author Chanel Martin (@ChanelEbone) is a co-founder and chief operations officer of Techturized (@Techturized) Inc. She is also a wife, new mom, and lover of all things hair. She works full-time at Techturized. Techturized’s first product, Myavana (@Myavanahair), provides haircare personalization for female consumers around the world. Learn more www.myavana.com and www.chanelemartin.com.