Melissa Kariuki, one of Kenya’s rising tech and creative industry stars, has been invited to join the Recording Academy’s 2025 New Member Class, the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards.
Melissa is the founder of Whip Music, placing her among global leaders shaping the GRAMMYs and advocating for the future of music, giving Kenya’s creative industry a stronger voice at the top table.
About Melissa Kariuki
Melissa Kariuki is the founder and CEO of Whip Music, a music-tech startup on a mission to leverage technology to unlock creators’ next one billion fans.
Also Read: Kenyan Couple Arrested for Selling Own Kids in Online Sex Scheme
She has worked in product at Google and Meta, and brings experience across Asia, Europe, the U.S., and Africa at organizations including Bain & Company, H&M, the Gates Foundation, and INSEAD.
Melissa holds a First-Class Honours degree from the African Leadership University in Mauritius.
She earned her Master of Management Science in Global Affairs as a Patrice Motsepe Fellow and Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where she received a 99% distinction for her thesis on Blockchain, NFTs, and Web3 adoption and regulation.
Her company has already run over 200 campaigns in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, the US, and beyond — promoting artists like David Guetta, CKay, Ayra Starr, Fave, and The Cavemen.
“I started by hosting open mics and art festivals as a university student. I never imagined it would lead me here; running a music company and now being invited to the Recording Academy,” Kariuki shared.
Whip Music
Whip Music is a music-tech company on a mission to help artists unlock their next one billion fans.
Through Whip Music, Kariuki is empowering African artists to break through the noise and reach global audiences, using data, automation, and AI to market music smarter and faster.
Whip’s mission is clear: give every African artist, especially new and independent talent, an affordable, tech-powered way to be heard.
In 2023, the company made history as the first music-tech startup from Africa accepted into the Google for Startups Africa Accelerator and has since partnered with Boomplay, Africa’s largest streaming platform with over 100 million users.
The platform leverages technology to give artists access to a wide range of services, including music and video distribution, editorial playlisting, TV placements, radio, press, influencer marketing, social media advertising, and more.
Whether an artist has zero fans or one million, Whip helps them grow and monetize an engaged fanbase.
The Recording Academy
The Recording Academy is the world’s most influential society of music professionals and is best known for organizing the GRAMMY Awards, music’s highest global honor.
Also Read: Kenya Eyes More Jobs Under UK’s New Trade Reforms
This year, nearly 3,600 music professionals from around the world were invited to join the Academy, with a strong focus on diversity: 49% women, 56% people of color, and 60% under the age of 40, Melissa proudly representing all three.
The Academy is made up of musicians, producers, engineers, songwriters, and other music professionals.
Members participate in voting in the GRAMMYs, mentorship programs, advocacy efforts, and local chapter events.
The Academy champions creators’ rights on Capitol Hill and beyond, addressing issues like AI misuse in music, fair ticketing practices, and copyright reforms.
Through the MusiCares program, the Recording Academy’s charitable arm, the academy provides health, financial, and rehabilitation support to music professionals in need, distributing over Ksh 7.7 billion in aid.
Melissa’s selection to the Recording Academy is both a personal milestone and a symbolic shift: a reflection of the growing influence of African founders, women in tech, and new voices shaping the future of music, on and off the stage.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
