Meet Dina Marto of C & D | The Agency
Dina Marto is a seasoned entrepreneur, having shattered gender and ethnic glass ceilings during her nearly 20 years as a music executive and small business owner. She founded Atlanta staple Twelve Music & Studios in 2012 and curated one of the South’s most sought-after creative environments to develop talent and produce Billboard-shattering hits. Previously, she served on the A&R team for music mogul Antonio “L.A.” Reid at Island Def Jam, acting as A&R coordinator for albums by Young Jeezy, Nas, Rick Ross, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J and more throughout a six-year period.
Currently, she manages a hand-selected group of talent, as well as consults emerging and established artists. Dina is on the management team for superstar Tip “T.I.” Harris and helped launch his popular podcast “expediTIously,” which became #1 on Apple Podcasts. Additionally, Dina has partnered with marketing professional Courtney Rhodes to form C&D The Agency; an all women-led management agency dedicated to empowering minority women. In 2015, Dina received a Proclamation from the City of Atlanta for her contributions to the music industry. Dina is a proud Palestinian who was born in Amman, Jordan and grew up in Marietta, Georgia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Oglethorpe University.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Entrepreneurship is usually never a straight and smooth path – there are always obstacles along the way you must overcome and challenges you must maneuver. However, in my opinion, this is the fun part of being an entrepreneur as well – there is never a dull moment! My previous struggles included building the right team, separating from business partners that were not a good fit, and managing finances. I had to learn to delegate tasks and bring on the appropriate people that would help with the things I wasn’t great at doing. It takes a lot of heart and tenacity to be a self-starter and act on your vision, especially as a woman in male-dominated industries.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about C & D | The Agency?
Established in 2020, C & D | The Agency is an all women-led management agency that provides Marketing, Branding, Public & Media Relations services along with Project, Talent and Operations Management specializing in Business and Entertainment. Our mission is to empower, mentor and lead businesswomen to collaborate together and increase the opportunity for minority women. We are dedicated to building brands and campaigns that are rooted in meaningful initiatives, especially within the African-American and Multicultural communities. Founded by branding and marketing expert Courtney R. Rhodes and music executive and entrepreneur Dina Marto.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I fell in love with music at an early age which is the reason I pursued a career in the music business. Some of my favorite memories were of me singing Mariah Carey and Paula Abdul songs to my stuffed animals on my bed with my hairbrush as the microphone.
Contact Info:
- Email:[email protected]
- Website:www.canddtheagency.com
- Instagram:@canddtheagency
- Twitter:@canddtheagency
