Investing in Music Assets

Greg is the founder of HALO Studios, a venture development fund at the cross section of FinTech and Media that is focusing on new ways of monetizing the attention economy and revolutionizing the way we engage with copyrighted materials as a community. One of Greg's emphasis has been on how the music we love gets paid increasingly more within the evolving cloud-based steaming environments. Greg has several approved international patents in the process of being commercialized or seeking partnerships for development.

Formerly, Greg Leekley was a founder and former Chairman and CEO of Vertigo Media who's flagship consumer social music solution, Vertigo Music, has a mission and vision to connect the world of music so life can be shared through music socially in ways that amplify music charting and income.

Greg is a return on mission oriented entrepreneur and investor. Yahoo Top 100 on the Internet 2001 award for creating the Quicken 401(k) Advisor by TeamVest, the first collaborative online investment advisor platform. Open Finance Network ("OFN"), a turnkey family office and wealth management platform provider which administered over $23 billion in assets. Consultant to Richardson Sports' successful effort to land an NFL expansion team, The Carolina Panthers for Charlotte. As a result of the success of the Carolina Panthers effort and a unique PSL stadium financing strategy designed by Max Muhleman, the former head of Muhleman Marketing and IMG's Stadium and Arena Group, Greg assisted Muhleman in consulting many NFL, NBA and MLB franchises and their owners.

In the 1980's while still in school, Greg was a Young Life Leader; a DJ and manager of The Warehouse, then the nation's largest teen center; and Assistant to the Program Director for a top rated pop radio station in the Carolinas. On a not so vain note, Greg is most proud to be married to his wife Marianela and to be dad to Wyatt, Eliza and Weston.

John Barker is the founder, President & CEO of ClearBox Rights, LLC, an independent IP rights managements company, based in Nashville, TN. (www.clearboxrights.com) John also founded ICG (Integrated Copyright Group) in 1990. Before co-founding ICG, John was General Manager of Publishing and Copyrights for The Benson Company (1985-1989) and A&R Director for Word Records (1983-1985).

John has worked with a wide variety of clients, including the catalogs of Marty Robbins, Roy Orbison, Brad Paisley, Ray Stevens, Craig Wiseman, Kenny Loggins, Paul Overstreet, Jerry Chesnut, Mr. (Fred) Rogers, Bill Monroe, John Anderson, Loretta Lynn, Allen Shamblin, Don Schlitz, Songwriters Guild of America, Senator Orrin Hatch, Albert E. Brumley & Sons, Manna Music, Seals & Crofts, and many others.

He is past President and current board member of the Copyright Society of the South, a member of CMA, NARAS, Leadership Music 2012, ACM, Copyright Society of the U.S.A., and AIMP. In 2014, John co-organized IPAC (Interested Parties Advancing Copyright) to provide comments to the Music License Study, and frequently participates in U.S. Copyright Office studies.

John has lead copyright administration companies representing over a thousand publishing catalogs for over 30 years. He has designed and overseen the building of three copyright administration software platforms and is continuously working to enhance systems to provide greater efficiency and transparency related to licensing and royalty processing.

Mr. Oliver currently serves as the President of SoftVest Advisors, a registered investment adviser that acts as an investment manager for private fund clients. Mr. Oliver additionally serves as the President of HeartsBluff Music Partners, LLC and Carrizo Springs Music Partners, LLC, both of which are registered investment advisers pursuant to an umbrella registration filed by SoftVest Advisors, LLC.

Previously, Mr. Oliver was President of Midland Map Company, LLC, a Permian Basin oil and gas lease and ownership map producer from 1997 until its sale in January of 2019 to Drilling-Info, and was Principal of Geologic Research Centers LLC, a log library providing geological data to the oil and gas industry with a library in Abilene, Texas, sold in 2019. Additionally, Mr. Oliver has served on the board of Texas Mutual Insurance Company since 2009, where he currently also serves as Chairman of the investment committee. He has also served as a director on the board of AMEN Properties, Inc. (OTC: AMEN) since July 2001 and was appointed Chairman of the Board in September 2002. AMEN Properties directly or indirectly owns certain oil and gas royalty and working interest properties. Furthermore, Mr. Oliver serves on the board of Abilene Christian Investment Management Company, Abilene Christian University’s endowment management company, and is a former member of the Abilene Community Foundation’s investment committee. Mr. Oliver received a B.A. in Chemistry from Abilene Christian University in 1981.

Mark Mulligan is a long term music industry analyst and the Managing Director of MIDiA Research, a leading analysis and data company focused on the intersection of media and technology. As the lead music analyst at MIDiA, Mark works with all the key players in the global music business, right across the value chain, from creator platforms, through labels and publishers, through to streaming services. Mark is also the author of the Music Industry Blog and of the book ‘Awakening: The Music Industry In The Digital Age’ the definitive account of the rise of the digital music market.