Ty Stiklorius (born Thaïs Stiklorius; February 25, 1975) is an American music executive and film and television producer.[1][2][3][4][5] She is the founder and CEO of Friends at Work, a management company headquartered in Los Angeles.[6]

Ty Stiklorius
Born
Thaïs Stiklorius

(1975-02-25) February 25, 1975 (age 49)
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA)
Wharton School of Business (MBA)
OccupationBusinesswoman
Years active2006–present
Websitefriendsatwork.com

Early life

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Stiklorius was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Jon and Candace (née Pfeffer) Stiklorius. She grew up in Philadelphia where she attended Friends' Central School, a Quaker friends school based in the Main Line. Stiklorius earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. She subsequently attended the Wharton School of Business where she earned a Masters of Business Administration in 2003.[7][8]

Career

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Prior to attending the Wharton School of Business, Stiklorius worked at a music tech company called G-Vox. She also worked at Monsoon Microstudios, a multi-media creative agency based in Philadelphia.[citation needed]

After receiving an MBA, Stiklorius worked in Los Angeles under Kevin Mayer at the global strategy consulting firm, L.E.K. Consulting. After L.E.K., Stiklorius worked as the Director of Business Development under Sarah Harden and Tom Fuelling at Ascent Media.[9]

In January 2009, Stiklorius became a partner at The Artists Organization (TAO), a talent management company with offices in New York, Santa Monica, and Nashville. She brought John Legend to TAO and managed his career while there.[10]

In October 2012, Stiklorius became co-president with J. Irving at Troy Carter's Atom Factory, an entertainment and management company.[11]

Friends at Work

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Stiklorius founded a music management company, Friends at Work (FAW), in 2015 and remains its CEO.[12][13][14]

In October 2024, Ty Stiklorius wrote an op-ed in The New York Times calling for reforms within the music industry.[15] She recounted a distressing experience from 27 years prior at a New Year's Eve party hosted by Sean "Diddy" Combs, where an unknown man directed her into a bedroom, leading to a terrifying situation.[16] Drawing on her experience as a talent manager and CEO of Friends at Work, she discussed issues such as transparency, artist compensation, and ethical standards in management.[17] Stiklorius emphasized the need for structural changes to ensure fair treatment and support for artists, advocating for greater accountability across the industry.[18]

JL Ventures and Get Lifted Film Co.

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In 2006, John Legend and Stiklorius founded JL Ventures. Shortly after the inception of JL Ventures, Stiklorius became Legend's full time manager.

In 2012, the Get Lifted Film Co. production company was founded. Ty is a principal alongside John Legend at the company.[19][20][21][22]

Credits

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Filmography

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Year Title Notes
2015 Southern Rites (Documentary) Co-Executive Producer
2015 Can You Dig This (Documentary) Executive Producer
2015 Breaking Through (Film) Executive Producer
2015–2016 Sing It On (TV Series) Executive Producer; 16 episodes
2016 La La Land (Film) Executive Producer
2016–2017 Underground (TV Series) Executive Producer; 20 episodes
2018 Monster (Film) Executive Producer
2018 Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (TV Movie) Executive Producer
2018 United Skates (Documentary) Executive Producer
2018 Ashe '68 (Short) Executive Producer
2018 Crow: The Legend (Short) Executive Producer
2018 A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy (TV Special) Executive Producer
2019 Sherman's Showcase (TV Series) Executive Producer; 8 episodes
2019 Rhythm + Flow (TV Series) Executive Producer; 10 episodes
2019 Giving Voice (Documentary) Executive Producer
2020 Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (TV Mini Series) Executive Producer; 5 episodes
2020 John Legend and Family: Bigger Love Father's Day (TV Special) Executive Producer
2020 40 Years a Prisoner (Documentary) Executive Producer
2020 With Drawn Arms (Documentary) Executive Producer
2020 A Crime on the Bayou (Documentary) Executive Producer
2020 Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Film) Executive Producer
2021 Philly D.A. (TV Series Documentary) Special Thanks
2021 The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song (TV Series Documentary) Executive Producer; 2 episodes
2021 The Legend of the Underground (Documentary) Executive Producer
2021 Citizen Ashe (Documentary) Executive Producer

References

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  1. ^ Meet the Women Behind the Music at Marie Claire; by Kaitlin Menza; published May 23, 2018; retrieved April 9, 2022
  2. ^ "Who's the Next You?" Our Favorite Women Leaders Answer at Muse; by Mark Ellwood and Jackie Caradonio; published April 19, 2022
  3. ^ Jason Flom, Ty Stiklorius, Binta Niambi Brown Among Mondo.NYC Conference Keynotes at Variety; by Jem Aswad; published August 12, 2020; retrieved March 27, 2022
  4. ^ 50 women who broke barriers in the music industry at Stacker; by Seth Berkman; published March 2, 2022; retrieved March 27, 2022
  5. ^ Why Mentorship Is the Key to Your Success (Sponsored) at The Wrap; by Emily Vogel; published June 17, 2021; retrieved March 27, 2022
  6. ^ 'MANAGERS SHOULD BE WELL COMPENSATED AND OWN EQUITY IN WHAT WE'RE DEVELOPING.' at Music Business Worldwide; by Rhian Jones; published March 27, 2022
  7. ^ Inquirer LIVE: Ty Stiklorius, The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  8. ^ Ty Stiklorius Founder and CEO, Friends At Work, law.upenn.edu. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  9. ^ The Leading Speakers Bureau for Booking Top Entertainment, Celebrities, and Speakers. at AAE Speakers; retrieved April 9, 2022
  10. ^ IV, Antonio Pequeño. "Talent Manager Recalls 'Terrifying Situation' At Diddy's Party In Op-Ed: Here Is The Latest Sean 'Diddy' Combs News". Forbes. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  11. ^ John Legend Manager Upped to Atom Factory Co-President at The Hollywood Reporter; published March 5, 2014; retrieved March 27, 2022
  12. ^ Manager Ty Stiklorius Launches New Firm With John Legend, Lindsey Stirling at Billboard; by Gail Mitchell; published October 5, 2015; retrieved April 9, 2022
  13. ^ Friends At Work & This Fiction Announce 'Friends of Friends' Strategic Management Alliance: Exclusive at Billboard; by Cherie Hu; published October 27, 2017; retrieved April 9, 2022
  14. ^ Create & Cultivate 100 Philanthropy: Ty Stiklorius at Create & Cultivate; published January 22, 2018; retrieved April 9, 2022
  15. ^ "The Music Industry Is Toxic. After P. Diddy, We Can Clean It Up". New York Times. October 31, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  16. ^ "John Legend's Longtime Manager Talks 'Toxic' Music Industry, Recalls Being in a 'Terrifying Situation' at Diddy Party". People.com. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  17. ^ Ford, Lily (October 31, 2024). "John Legend's Manager Pens New York Times Op-Ed on Predatory, "Toxic" Music Industry Amid Diddy Allegations: "We Can Clean It Up"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  18. ^ Kreps, Daniel (October 31, 2024). "John Legend's Manager Pens Op-Ed on 'Toxic' Music Industry Amid Diddy Charges". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  19. ^ John Legend Inks Development Deal With Universal Cable Productions at The Hollywood Reporter; by Lesley Goldberg; published July 31, 2012; retrieved March 27, 2022
  20. ^ 'True Detective' Helmer Cary Fukunaga Teams With John Legend For Pulitzer Winner 'The Black Count' at Deadline; by Dominic Patten; published April 28, 2014; retrieved March 27, 2022
  21. ^ John Legend's Film Company to Produce Movie on Gen. Alexandre Dumas at Atlanta Black Star; by Tracy; published May 1, 2014; retrieved March 27, 2022
  22. ^ Ordinary People: John Legend and Chrissy Teigen's rom-com gets put pilot deal at ABC at Entertainment Weekly; by Megan Daley; published September 18, 2015; retrieved April 9, 2022
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