{{Short description|American music manager}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Jake Udell | image = Jake Udell.jpg | birth_name = Jake Udell | origin = Northbrook, Illinois | genre = Pop, R&B, dance, alternative rock, indie | occupation = Music manager, entrepreneur, founder/owner/CEO of TH3RD BRAIN<br /> Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Metalink Labs | years_active = 2012–2018 | label = TH3RD BRAIN | website = www.th3rdbrain.com }}
'''Jake Udell''' (born February 21, 1989) is an American music manager, entrepreneur, founder of TH3RD BRAIN (a talent management company), former head of activation at Community.com, and founder of Metalink Labs.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/boot-camp-aims-to-help-musicians-amp-up-careers-1474833507 | title = Boot Camp Aims to Help Musicians Amp Up Careers |date=25 September 2016 | accessdate = 28 September 2016 | newspaper = Wall Street Journal | first = Hannah | last = Karp}}</ref><ref>Bain, Katie [http://www.laweekly.com/music/gallant-played-a-show-for-10-people-but-two-of-them-helped-launch-his-career-5775663 Gallant Played a Show for Ten People, but Two of Them Helped Launch His Career] ''L.A. Weekly''. January 17, 2016</ref><ref>Buerger, Megan [http://www.billboard.com/articles/6458360/ims-engage-2015-lyor-cohen-jake-udell-seth-troxler-chuck-d IMS Engage 2015 Announces Lyor Cohen, Jake Udell, Seth Troxler and Chuck D for Unmoderated Debate] ''Billboard''. January 17, 2016</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Metalink Labs Company Profile: Valuation & Investors {{!}} PitchBook |url=https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/491595-49 |access-date=2022-05-17 |website=pitchbook.com |language=en}}</ref> At the EDMbiz conference in Las Vegas in June 2014, Udell moderated a panel featuring panelists in the industry under the age of 30. After viewing the panel, music industry analyst Bob Lefsetz included an excerpt about Udell in his newsletter, "Jake is a new Shep Gordon, maybe a new Irving or Geffen."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2014/06/21/vegasedmbiz/|title=More Vegas / EDMBiz|last=Lefsetz|first=Bob|date=21 June 2014|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}</ref> Udell was featured in ''Forbes'' 2016 30 Under 30 list in the Music category, and was listed as one of ''Billboard'''s 40 Under 40 in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30-2016/|title=30 Under 30 2016|website=Forbes|access-date=2016-11-15|date=2016}}</ref><ref name="bb40"/>
==Education and early career== At the age of 13, Udell began selling autographed sports memorabilia, most of which he attained by encountering athletes in-person, on eBay. Initially operating out of Chicago, by the time he was 16 Udell had hired a team of people in different cities which allowed him to cover most of the major sporting events in the United States.<ref>Morris, David [http://www.askmen.com/entertainment/better_look/jake-udell-interview.html Are These Guys The New Rock Stars? How Super-Managers Are Taking Over The Game] ''AskMen''. January 19, 2016</ref>
Udell attended Indiana University and briefly pursued a career as a performer before getting involved in music management and promotion. In 2011, Udell graduated from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business with a degree in entrepreneurship.<ref name="IU">[http://viewpoints.iu.edu/iu-inc/2016/01/11/two-successful-iu-alumni-among-those-in-forbes-30-under-30-lists-in-tech-and-music/ Two successful IU alumni among those in Forbes' "30 Under 30" lists in tech and music] Indiana University Inc. January 17, 2016</ref> After graduating, he worked for Campus Candy for one year as the company's chief marketing officer.{{cn|date=September 2024}}
===TH3RD BRAIN=== In early 2012 Udell founded TH3RD BRAIN, a talent management firm, claiming his motivation for becoming a manager was that Krewella was the first act he believed in more than his own performing career.<ref>Robehmed, Natalie [https://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2015/10/15/the-future-of-edm/#2715e4857a0b2085debc792f The $6.9 Billion Bubble? Inside The Uncertain Future Of EDM] ''Forbes''. January 17, 2016</ref> Udell had attended Glenbrook North High School in Chicago with Krewella. He vacated his CMO role at Campus Candy and assumed management responsibilities. TH3RD BRAIN has helped launch the careers of the platinum-selling electronic music group Krewella, Grammy-nominated musician ZHU, and Spotify Spotlight Artist Gallant.<ref>Sills, Greg [http://www.youredm.com/2015/02/25/edms-30-30/ Your EDM's 30 Under 30] ''Your EDM''. January 18, 2016</ref><ref name=":0">[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Krewella#search_section American single certifications – Krewella – Alive] Recording Industry Association of America.</ref> ''Billboard'' noted Udell's social media strategy for Krewella and chronicled their meteoric rise in 2013, focusing on TH3RD BRAIN's work with blogs, narrative building, and free downloads.<ref name=":1" /> Udell's recording artist roster also includes Pegboard Nerds, Stephen, and others.<ref name=":1">Buli, Liv [http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/4334347/how-krewella-leveraged-its-social-strategy-into-a How Krewella Leveraged Its Social Strategy Into A Career] ''Billboard''. January 18, 2016</ref><ref>Miller, Kiera [http://www.youredm.com/2014/04/15/aspire-inspire-003-danielle-gruberger/ Aspire to Inspire 003: DANIELLE GRUBERGER] ''Your EDM''. January 17, 2016</ref><ref>Medved, Matt [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/6715386/billboard-dance-picks-four-tet-zhu-hot-since-82 Billboard Dance Picks: Listen to Four Tet, ZHU, Hot Since 82 & More] ''Billboard''. January 17, 2016</ref><ref>Mazur, James [http://www.earmilk.com/2013/04/23/earmilk-interview-jake-udell-manager-of-krewella/ Earmilk Interview: Jake Udell, Manager Of Krewella] ''Earmilk''. January 19, 2016</ref>
After a bidding war, Krewella signed to Columbia Records, and released their first album ''Get Wet'' in 2013. The album debuted at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. After selling out all 55 dates of the group's first North American headlining 2013 Get Wet Live tour, Krewella's single "Alive" reached platinum status in 2014.<ref name=":0" />
While still managing Krewella, in 2013 Jake Udell began developing TH3RD BRAIN's next client ZHU.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-truth-about-zhu-from-frat-house-outcast-to-grammy-nominee/|title=The Truth About ZHU: From Frat House Outcast to Grammy Nominee|newspaper=Thump|language=en-US|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref> In December 2014, "Faded" was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 57th Grammy Awards, and ZHU continued to perform with a hidden identity and embraced non-traditional advertising methods with street art, flash announcements, and guerrilla digital marketing.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6312201/how-dance-pop-act-zhu-scored-a-major-label-deal-using-just-his-logo-and|title=How Dance-Pop Act Zhu Scored a Major-Label Deal Using Just His Logo and His Music|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2016-11-15}}</ref>
In November 2016, Udell interviewed music manager Shep Gordon.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Medved|first1=Matt|title=Manager Shep Gordon: 'Everybody Beat Up Donald Trump for Saying Exactly What Jay Z's Songs Were Saying'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/7647554/shep-gordon-jay-z-donald-trump-jake-udell-summit|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
In 2017, Udell signed 2016 America's Got Talent winner Grace VanderWaal to management under TH3RD BRAIN;<ref name="grace">{{cite magazine|last1=Kaufman|first1=Gil|title='America's Got Talent' winner displays maturity on a new tune.|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/grace-vanderwaal-new-song-moonlight-listen-7841029/|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> and led the marketing campaign for her debut album ''Just the Beginning''.<ref name="bb40">{{cite magazine |last1=Billboard Staff |title=40 Under 40: Music's Top Young Power Players Revealed |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7989300/40-under-40-music-industry-power-players-2017-full-list/ |access-date=17 July 2021 |magazine=Billboard |date=6 October 2017 |language=en}}</ref> VanderWall said of Udell, "Jake doesn't think the way most people in the industry do, that makes him stand out to so many young artists."<ref name="bb40" /> Udell was named one of ''Billboard'''s 40 Under 40 leading media industry executives in 2017.<ref name="bb40" />
Udell writes a daily newsletter covering topics for the music industry.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Cherie|first1=Hu|title=Double Vision: Behind the Popular Trend of Releasing Two Singles at Once|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8094078/2-single-release-strategy-music-industry|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
====TH3RD BRAIN Accelerator==== In 2016, Udell launched TH3RD BRAIN Accelerator, a twelve-week program aimed at helping the development of promising musicians, modeled after tech entrepreneur Paul Graham's Y Combinator.<ref name="accel">{{cite news|last1=Karp|first1=Hannah|title=Boot Camp Aims to Help Musicians Amp Up Careers|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/boot-camp-aims-to-help-musicians-amp-up-careers-1474833507|newspaper=Wall Street Journal}}</ref> The program helps teach artists how to grow their business and maximize their impact on culture and in the marketplace.<ref name="mag">{{cite web|title=JAKE UDELL LAUNCHES ARTIST DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM TH3RD BRAIN ACCELERATOR|url=https://www.magneticmag.com/2016/09/zhu-krewella-manager-jake-udell-th3rd-brain-accelerator/|work=Magnetic Magazine}}</ref>
===Community.com=== Udell became head of activation for Community.com, Inc., a SaaS company specializing in outreach, after launching a text-messaging campaign to reach musician's fans due to limitations he saw with social media algorithms.<ref name="dot">{{cite news |title=The Pandemic Has Changed the Music Industry Forever. Meet the LA Music-Tech Startups Poised to Reshape It. |url=https://dot.la/music-startups-2647008629/particle-2 |access-date=17 July 2021 |work=dot.LA |date=19 August 2020 |language=en}}</ref> "The thing I kept noticing was that the algorithms were making it really challenging for us to reach our audiences," Udell told dot.LA.<ref name="dot"/>
===Metalink Labs=== In July 2021, Udell founded [https://metalink.com Metalink Labs], becoming the company's CEO. He later left Community.com in September 2021, going full-time on "The place where NFTs hang out".<ref>https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeudell/ {{Self-published source|date=June 2022}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *[http://th3rdbrain.com/ TH3RD BRAIN Official Site] *[https://twitter.com/imjq Jake Udell on Twitter]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Udell, Jake}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:American talent agents Category:American media executives Category:American businesspeople in the entertainment industry Category:American music industry executives Category:Talent managers Category:Kelley School of Business alumni