24 Seven Artist Development provides full-service artist management as well as short-term consulting for independent artists. Founded in 1992 by Karen Kennedy, the company has guided the careers of Grammy-nominated and award-winning artists including Kenny Barron, Gretchen Parlato, David Sánchez, Stefon Harris, Jacky Terrasson, and genre-bending innovators James Francies and Camila Meza.

Alongside Gail Boyd, she co-founded Vanguard Arts, a consulting firm that develops strategic, forward-thinking solutions to support individual artists and strengthen organizational growth within the arts community.

Ms. Kennedy created the Y.E.S. To Jobs internship program at A&M Records in 1987, a nationwide initiative designed to expand access, training, and early career exposure within the entertainment industry. During her tenure at A&M, she served as product manager for R&B, Jazz, Gospel, and Pop artists before being selected to launch Perspective Records, where she oversaw projects by Grammy-winning Sounds of Blackness and Mint Condition.

An industry leader and advocate, Ms. Kennedy is the Immediate Past President of the Board of the National Association of Presenters, Agents, Managers and Artists (NAPAMA) and continues to serve on its Board. She also serves on the boards of The Jazz Bakery (Los Angeles) and Jazz Congress, presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center, and is a member of the APAP Conference Committee.

Ms. Kennedy has taught at The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music and is a returning lecturer at the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles. She has held academic and administrative positions at Pitzer College, Loyola Marymount University, and the University of Southern California, and continues to consult with educational institutions and city governments on diversity and inclusion initiatives.

She holds a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA, a M.A. in Counseling and College Administration from the University of Southern California and is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education at UCLA.