Shain Shapiro, PhD is the Founder and CEO of Sound Diplomacy. Sound Diplomacy is the leading global advisor on growing music and night time economies in cities and places. He has defined a new way to think about the value of music in cities and places and through it, influenced over 100 cities to invest in music and culture. He is also the co-founder of Music Cities Convention, the world’s largest event bringing together the music industry with city planners, developers, policy makers and executives. Through Sound Diplomacy, he has consulted in over 60 cities and countries, including developing the Cuban official music strategy for the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. He delivered the first ever music presentation at a UN World Urban Forum and consulted at length with the Greater London Authority, including working on the development of London’s Night Czar and across the Mayor of London’s music policy. He has delivered a TEDx talk on the value of music to cities and spoken at the European Parliament, MIDEM, MIPIM, SXSW, Smart Cities Expo, and others. He is also an accomplished journalist, frequently contributing to CityMetric, CityLab and others. Shain holds a PhD from the University of London and was one of the top 10 Creative Entrepreneurs in Britain in the British Council’s h100 list, as well as a ‘Ones To Watch’ in YN’s UK Real Estate Awards and a nominee in Estates Gazette’s Rising Star and British Property Federation’s UK Future Leaders awards.