It all started when…
At the age of 16 when Katrina met a professor at her local community college in San Luis Obispo. She was taking night classes to learn about black and white photography and fill the void that high school seemed to leave empty. In this class, with this professor, she was able to unearth a passion and clarity for the arts. She found language and community amongst in the darkroom, the textbooks, the critique, and the final display of work. Upon graduating high school, Katrina left her small town for San Diego to study film photography at Point Loma Nazarene University. There she was able to study abroad in India, UK, and throughout Europe and was given the gift of seeing commerce and art not just collide but support each other.
In 2011, Katrina entered Claremont Graduate University to bring together her passion for entrepreneurship to the arts industry. While managing the band, Urban Rescue, and working at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music she was able to see how systems could be created to track and affirm hours in the field.
Upon gaining her Master’s degree from Claremont Graduate University in Arts Management, Katrina Frye has had the privilege of fostering new conversations around art and business through her company Mischief Managed. She believes that by unveiling the truths behind managing your business as an artist and creative, our society will be changed for the better.
Katrina has been able to bring her 10+ years in the music, arts, non-profit, and freelance fields to the next generation of artists and creatives. By day you can find her leading workshops around Los Angeles or consulting for creative businesses and by night a college professor in music entrepreneurship and music marketing. Honored to lend her voice at the United States of Women, Netflix, ArtCenter, Colburn School of Music, and more, she is thrilled to champion the message of hope to emerging artists and creatives who have the power to transform our nation.
Naturally, Katrina Frye focused her work on creative and tech companies to provide structure for systems change within the workforce. Through Culture Shift Collective she and her team work to unpack and make space for hard conversations. With the cultural climate tense and demanding transformation, this work must start in our workplace, especially when employing creators.
In 2020, Katrina Frye launched her dream of owning her own independent record label, Lauretta Records. Lauretta Records is home for emerging artists and brands to claim their place in the vibrant, ever-expanding music landscape.
As the CEO and founder of Lauretta Records, Katrina seeks to engage artists in a new and sustainable way. By embarking on a new approach to “traditions” in the music industry she is giving artists education and access to information. She is thankful for programs like Black Independent Music Accelerator Fellow (A2IM) which gave her an entire year of mentorship. She believes empowered artists and executives make our entire industry stronger!