About

MLN Group is a music, entertainment & culture brand strategy, partnerships & marketing firm founded by award-winning executive Melissa Newhart. Built on a tenure of leadership at companies such as Columbia Records, Roc Nation & United Talent Agency (UTA), Newhart brings together her extensive experience across digital marketing, media, brand strategy & partnerships to help clients engage their communities & build lasting impact.

Throughout her career, Newhart has brokered over 350 deals for over 100 different artists & has worked with global brands such as Adidas, AMEX, AT&T, Bose, Diageo, GM, Google, L’Oreal, LVMH, Mastercard, Meta, Microsoft, Nike & SONY. From global multi-channel campaigns and tour sponsorships, to creative director & product design collaborations, to music festival sponsorship & fan activations - Newhart’s diverse portfolio of partnerships make her & the team at MLN Group an invaluable asset to assist clients in deal negotiation and execution.

Prior to launching MLN Group, Newhart helped build & run the Global Music Brand Partnerships team at UTA for nearly a decade & was instrumental in recognizing new lanes of business for the agency.

She was at the forefront of UTA’s expansion in the Hip Hop & Latin music genres, where she guided the agency to place a stronger focus on global leaning clients & strategy. Newhart was a key member of the signing teams & oversaw brand strategy & partnerships for superstars such as Anitta, Jonas Brothers, Karol G, Latto, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Rauw Alejandro, Tierra Whack & Young Miko, among others.

Prior to UTA, Newhart was VP of Brand Partnerships at Roc Nation, working across their sports, entertainment & music rosters, including Made in America Music Festival. Prior to Roc Nation, she held positions at The New York Yankees Broadcast Network working across their digital media business for the New York Yankees & Brooklyn Nets, & was an integral part of the marketing team at Columbia Records - working across artists such as Adele, Beyonce & Jack White.

Newhart has been named to Billboard’s Branding Power Players & Latin Power Players, Variety’s NY Impact Report, Pollstar’s Women of Live, & received Advertising Week’s “Future is Female” Award. She has been featured in HITS “Noisemakers,”, Muse by Clio & Campaign. In 2024, she became a voting member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & joined the prestigious Clio Awards Jury.

Newhart is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of professionals across the industry, & is an Adjunct Professor at NYU, teaching a course on strategic music & branding. She also sits on the board of WhyHunger, an organization working to end hunger & advance the human right to nutritious food by providing critical resources to support grassroots movements & fuel community solutions rooted in social, environmental, racial & economic justice.