Swallow Hill Music is excited to welcome, from left to right, Dave Ratner, Nina Sharma, and Kyle Harris to our Board of Directors.
Swallow Hill Music is excited to announce the addition of three music lovers to our Board of Directors. Nina Sharma and Kyle Harris were elected to the Board in January, and Dave Ratner was elected at our March Board meeting.
“Swallow Hill is thrilled to welcome Nina, Kyle and Dave to our board of directors,” Swallow Hill CEO Paul Lhevine said. “These three individuals embody the spirit of the Swallow Hill community. Their passion for our mission to bring the joy of music to life every day is matched by their deep professional backgrounds and extensive experience in community building.
“Dave has been providing pro bono legal support to Swallow Hill for years,” Paul added. “And just recently he was named Volunteer Attorney of the Year by the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA), in recognition of his pro bono legal services provided to Colorado’s creatives.”
Paul added “Not to be outdone, Nina was recently named as one of Denver Business Journal’s 40 under 40 and brings an entrepreneurial spirit from her work at Project X-ITE and Kyle is literally building communities with McWHINNEY.”
That Nina, Kyle, and Dave are all community-focused music lovers is a given, and we look forward to bringing their diverse set of expertise and passion to Swallow Hill.
“I strongly believe in Swallow Hill’s mission and in the value of music in our everyday lives,” Dave, who specializes in entertainment, intellectual property, and business law at Creative Law Network told us. “I love how Swallow Hill brings music to so many, varied members of the community.”
“I have been a music enthusiast my whole life,” Nina, who is the Managing Director of Project X-ITE at the University of Denver. said. “I’m thrilled to bring my background in fundraising and project management to helping Swallow Hill continue to grow and reach more and more audiences throughout neighborhoods in Denver.”
“Music is an essential part of a culturally rich life,” Kyle, who is Vice President of Community Development and General Manager of Baseline at McWHINNEY, shared. “And Swallow Hill ensures that music – whether through instruction, school programs, therapeutic classes, or performances – is made accessible throughout the community. I look forward to working with the other talented members of the board to further the mission of Swallow Hill and, in the process, reconnect to music I love.”
A classically trained pianist who discovered bluegrass while still in high school, Kyle admits to a hankering to learn the guitar. “If I can figure out that elusive work/life balance, I really want to learn how to play the guitar,” he said before quickly adding, “If for no other reason than it is easier to haul to the campfire than a piano.”
Nina told us “I have been a singer since I was a teenager, and I’m looking forward to taking voice lessons as an adult so I can impress everyone at Karaoke!” Just like Kyle, though, she’s considering adding another instrument to her repertoire. “I’d also love to pick up the violin again – I took two years of lessons and would love to learn again (apologies in advance to my neighbors!).”
As for Dave, who built a career supporting musicians and other creative professionals, playing an instrument might not be in the offing, but that won’t stop him from continuing to support those who do.
“When I was managing bands, I would say ‘I play manager,’” he said. “Now, I play lawyer. I don’t play an instrument but love supporting those who do!”
Welcome, Nina, Kyle, and Dave!!
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR NEWEST BOARD MEMBERS
Kyle Harris, McWHINNEY
At McWHINNEY, Kyle brings nearly two decades of experience in creating unique master planned communities in resort settings to McWHINNEY. As Vice President of Community Development and General Manager of Baseline, he develops and oversees the strategy, vision, development, and execution of large-scale multi-use projects and master-planned communities.
Founded in 1991, McWHINNEY is a comprehensive real estate development, investment and management firm.
Nina Sharma, Project X-ITE
Nina is the Managing Director of Project X-ITE at the University of Denver. She launched her career in nonprofit institutional development, holding operational roles at the New York Public Library, Carnegie Hall, Yale University, the Ad Council, First Descents, and Handshake. She is currently pursuing her Executive MBA from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.
Project X-ITE connects all the resources of the University of Denver together to advance innovation, technology and entrepreneurship across our community, region and world. It is a cross-disciplinary community that supports the next generation of entrepreneurial thinkers through collaborative events, experiential programming, and strategic global partnerships.
Dave Ratner, Creative Law Network
Following a career in the music and entertainment management businesses as a tour manager, publicist, band manager and founder of his own management agency, Dave now specializes in entertainment, intellectual property, and business law at Creative Law Network.
Building on his music industry experience, Dave is an expert at band formation and separation agreements, management and agency deals, recording and distribution contracts, and all forms of licensing. Outside the realm of music, Dave works with all members of the creative community including filmmakers and video production companies, graphic designers and web services providers, authors, publishers, photographers, fashion designers, and anyone else who considers their work an art form. His clients are not just traditional artists but include creative individuals and entities in a variety of industries. Dave’s practice concentrates on advising both creative and general business clients on all aspects of intellectual property and business law.