Decades of media and music industry experience
We are built on experience. Our principals have worked at the intersection of music, law, and media for decades — advising investors, operators, and rights holders on the decisions that define their futures.
Allen BARGFREDE, Managing Director US AND EUROPE
I lead Avance's European and US advisory practice from Amsterdam. Trained as a music and technology lawyer in the United States, my work spans legal consulting, asset valuation, deal structure, and strategic advisory for investors and media companies navigating the disruptions brought by AI and emerging technology.
As a PhD researcher in copyright theory at Erasmus School of Law and a professor at Berklee College of Music, my focus has remained on music law and policy. I am also the author of Music Law in the Digital Age (Berklee Press). I co-founded the Open Music Initiative (OMI), Verifi Media, a metadata and rights verification platform, and Rethink Music at Berklee, a think tank focused on the future of the music industry. In 2013-2014, I was a Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University.
Finally, I also lead Creative Wave, an independent forum bringing together leaders across the creative industries to address pressing strategic questions of the moment.
Kirk Cornelius, Managing Director US
I am a co-founder of Avance and lead our US initiatives from Whitefish, Montana. I most recently served as the Managing Director of Strategy & Innovation for Ziba Design, an award winning multi-disciplinary design consultancy based in Portland and now work in strategy for ZaneRay Group. While at Ziba, I led early stage discussions with innovation teams and incubator groups for some of the most innovative brands in the world, helping them identify, design and validate potential future products and/or service offerings. As the Managing Director for Avance's US initiatives, I am focused on design innovation for the arts, specifically as it pertains to the music and media industries.
“New technology has re-calibrated the spectrum for new music and media experiences, enabling artists and content creators to connect with their audience in a more personal and meaningful way. Our mission is to help artists and organizations identify new opportunities that will transform their art, products and service offerings in the wake of perpetual disruption.”
Damien Laurency, SENIOR Design LEAD
As a designer with experience working in English and French, I work on Avance's visual and product design needs. My focus is on understanding the direction and the client strategy, and then delivering a unique experience which connects with the client's market and brand.
I have a decade of international design experience and finished advanced design courses at Pacific Northwest College of Art, following a year in extensive graduate design study at the School of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, USA. Prior work has included deliverables for Rethink Music, Berklee College of Music, Flipboard, Verifi Media, Societé Generale, and Jellybean Group in Ireland.
Lucas Carbonneau, Project Manager
I manage Avance's' project pipeline from Los Angeles. I graduated from Berklee College of Music where I studied Music Business and Professional Music, trying to blend a focus of entrepreneurship and artist development. I was selected for an exclusive course to work with global design company IDEO and began my venture into design and systems thinking.
“Design innovators are tinkers and testers, optimists and makers, experimenters and creators. Similar to our artists and the companies we provide for we think big and often our approach pushes creativity to its full-potential and it leads us to solutions we never dreamed of when we started."
Governance: Non-executive Board members (2024-2026)
S. GUY BROWN - USA
JANET GREENE - USA