Michael Solomon

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Michael Solomon is ​an established ​entrepreneur with a strong desire to help people, a sharp eye for business, and a desire to make a difference. The four organizations he’s helped found — for­-profit and nonprofit alike — share a common goal of improving people’s lives. He has a passion for personal and professional growth and views o​ptimizing himself and all that he works on as a personal mission.

He began his career​working with Jon Landau Management on several Bruce Springsteen tours, followed by a three year stint at Epic Records and Sony Music. Then at age 25, his entrepreneurial spirit took over and he’s never looked back. He co­founded four companies, three by the time he was 30.

 

Brick Wall Management — For-­Profit

In 1995, Michael co­founded​ B​rick Wall Management​ w​ith R​ishon Blumberg,​ his close c​hildhood friend.​What started as a music management company that managed, marketed, and shaped the careers of musicians like John Mayer, Citizen Cope, and Vanessa Carlton, now includes a consulting business that touches nearly every angle of the arts.

In 2007, Brick Wall expanded its roster to include award­-winning and chart­-topping songwriters, producers, and directors like Marshall Altman, Michael Counts, Jarett Bellucci, and Adam Landry. Entertainment consulting clients include Young & Rubicam, The Rock Boat, Jon Landau Management, zveza-kds, Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain, Natalie Merchant, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Human, The Clive Davis School of Recorded Music at New York University, Miramax, and more.

Brick Wall helped produce John Mayer’s music film, Any Given Thursday, which was certified gold. It also produced TV specials for its clients, including Operatic Heat for PBS. Collectively, Brick Wall’s roster has earned more than 12 Grammy Award nominations and four wins, multiple Emmy Award nominations and two wins, and more than 10 million albums sold, resulting in multiple platinum and gold records.

10x Management — For-­Profit

In 2012, Michael co­founded 1​0x Management ​with Rishon, as well as a third partner who exited the company in early 2016. By bringing decades of experience managing musicians, directors, and other creative entities to the technology sector, 10x has created an entirely new concept in that sphere. Regarded as the first talent agency for tech professionals, 10x has rocketed to the forefront of the tech industry, carving out its place as a trusted and exclusive resource for companies seeking the best and most coveted freelance tech experts.

10x’s story, “Rock star managers who now manage the new rock stars” has been heralded by several national media outlets, putting Michael at the center of the conversation about the tech talent shortage, and what the future of this work holds. 10x has been featured in​ T​he New Yorker ​and T​he Economist,​ and Michael frequently appears on M​SNBC,​ B​loomberg, ​B​BC,​​ Al Jazeera,​and other television networks.

The Kristen Ann Carr Fund — Nonprofit

Michael serves as the pro­-bono administrator for The Kristen Ann Carr Fund (KACF), a nonprofit dedicated to finding treatment and a cure for sarcoma and improving the lives of all cancer patients. It’s a cause close to his heart — it was founded in 1993 after his girlfriend of four years, Kristen Carr, lost her battle with sarcoma. KACF has raised more than $18M as of this writing.

Musicians On Call — Nonprofit

KACF inspired Michael to co­found Musicians On Call, a nonprofit that brings live music to the bedsides of hospital patients. MOC currently has programs in 18 cities nationally and counting. Michael has been featured on countless news and entertainment programs (Nightline, The Today Show, Access Hollywood, Turning Point) talking about MOC. Volunteer musicians have played for more than 500,000 people nationwide since MOC’s first performance in 1999. Michael remains an active member of MOC’s Board of Directors.

Entrepreneurial Endeavors

  • In 2015, Michael and Rishon became strategic advisors and investors in ​TestNotice,​a highly successful web platform that assists drug courts and testing centers manage their programs while increasing compliance and improving user experience on both sides of the marketplace.
  • In 2010, Michael and Rishon partnered with Bruce Springsteen to create the first­ever official app for Springsteen fans.
  • In 2013, Michael and Rishon partnered with filmmaker Josh Franer to produce a short film that educates kids and parents about child sex abuse. M​y Body Belongs to Me, ​which has been viewed more than 300,000 times, is now one of the most successful and useful educational tools in its field.​

Accolades and Awards

Michael was featured on N​Y1​ as a N​ew Yorker of the Week. ​and he received the 2014 President’s Volunteer Service Award from President Obama for his work with MOC. He was honored at the Kristen Ann Carr Fund’s 20th Anniversary N​ight to Remember​ in 2013, as well as being featured in the 2011 bestselling philanthropy book, T​he Art Of Giving.​ In 2019, Michael was honored at Musicians On Call’s 20th anniversary celebration with the Lifetime Achievement Award for co-founding the non-profit. Musicians On Call also re-named one of their volunteer awards to the Michael Solomon Volunteer Musician Golden Ukulele.

In The Media / Public

Michael and his companies have been widely featured in publications and across media. Select outlets include:
The New Yorker, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, CNN, Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, Fast Company, MSNBC, ABC, Nightline, The Today Show, Wired, TechCrunch, Mashable, Huffington Post, The Guardian, The Economist a​nd I​nc.​

Michael’s diverse management and marketing expertise makes him a sought-­after voice. He has spoken at SXSW ​and C​MJ,​and taught courses on music and philanthropy at New York University. He’s also been a mentor and speaker at the Founder Institute, and appeared at numerous events and conferences.

Personal

A born and bred Manhattanite, Michael moved to Montclair, NJ in 2014 w​ith his awesome wife, Jenny, and two fantastic kids, Lucy and Rainen.