wbenta21@nul.org

As the Global Head of Artist & Talent Relations for Spotify, Whitney-Gayle Benta is responsible for amplifying creator experiences through customized content assets on and off platform for initiatives including podcasts, tentpole events and more. In this role, Whitney and her team have been instrumental in shaping how artists are integrated into these initiatives - including Spotify’s Best New Artist campaign with notable nominees such as H.E.R. Jorja Smith, Chloe x Halle, Cannes Lions activation with Nas, Swizz Beatz, Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo, Spotify House at Essence Fest, etc. - and how they come to life.

Prior to Spotify, Benta was the East Coast Strategic Partnerships Manager for Music at Facebook and Instagram where she managed relationships with musicians, artists and publicists across all music genres for their 2 Billion Facebook, 800 Million Instagram monthly active users.

As a true music and television enthusiast Whitney-Gayle bridged the gap of her loves when she joined MTV News in 2003 as a talent coordinator and after 10 years ascended the ranks departing in 2013 as the Vice-President of her department. She departed for a new adventure as Senior Vice President of talent relations for Revolt TV and Media TV where she was hand picked by Sean "Diddy" Combs to join the executive team to launch the network.

In the past, Benta has also held marketing positions at Island Def Jam Records and Noontime Records. Benta's efforts in music and media have been recognized through a series of awards and nominations, not limited to Billboard magazine's Women in Music 2011, MTV Networks' (MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, CMT, Comedy Central) "Share The Vision" Award and the United Nations honoring her work as a part of "Jay-Z: Water For Life."

This proud Harlem native attended Spelman College and graduated with a B.A. where she created her own major, Entertainment Industries studies. She resides in Harlem with her family.