As the director of development & partnerships at MusiCounts — the national music education charity associated with the Juno Awards — Regan Harney increases access to music education for young people across the country. The 35-year-old Harney leads initiatives that strengthen national collaborations, uniting artists, cultural organizations and the non-profit sector. A known relationship-builder, she’s brought on new partners and strengthened existing ones, secured funding from all four major financial institutions and gathered stakeholders in nearly every province — leading to a record-breaking $1.1 million dollars for music education programs throughout Canada. That means more access to music for children — something everyone in the music industry can get behind.

“The current landscape of the Canadian music industry is really ripe and exciting — there is so much talent at the artist level, strong managers, advocates and innovative ideas,” she says. “What motivates me about the future is that there's a palpable shift happening with my generation rising the ranks and the industry is starting to feel more equitable, fresh and powerful.”