MUSIC & MARKETING PROS DINA MARTO AND COURTNEY R. RHODES PARTNER TO FORM ALL-WOMEN MANAGEMENT FIRM
(ATLANTA) – October 20, 2020 – Entertainment and marketing powerhouses Dina Marto and Courtney Rhodes have joined forces to launch an all women-led management firm known as C&D | The Agency.
Driven by Marto and Rhodes’ combined 40+ years of industry savvy and extensive relationships, C&D offers a mix of marketing, public relations and talent management services to business and entertainment professionals. Their client roster includes five-time Grammy award-winning music producer Tricky Stewart, Wade Ford owner Steve Ewing, Little Italia Restaurants (Antico Pizza, Gio’s Chicken, Tropicale) and the Law Offices of Julian Lewis Sanders.
The agency’s inaugural project is a voter education initiative aimed at combating voter suppression in Georgia during the 2020 election. Entitled #ExerciseYourRights, the campaign’s mission is to educate and encourage registered voters to know their legal rights and to support efforts to create a safe and accessible election. The initiative kicks off today. Users can join the movement and empower others to know their voting rights by visiting canddtheagency.com and taking the “Voter’s Pledge.”
“Courtney and I have accomplished so much individually,” says Marto, a music industry veteran and founder of the hit-making house Twelve Music & Studios. “Now it’s time to combine our knowledge, relationships and experience to become even more powerful together. We both believe our greater purpose is to empower and mentor the next generation of women innovators and leaders.”
“We formed this company around the principle of ‘creating and doing the work from within,’” says Rhodes, a seasoned marketing pro whose communications strategies generated millions for companies such as Ford, Clear Channel (now) and CBS-TV. “This means that we not only want to design effective brand campaigns for our clients, but we want to produce meaningful, socially responsible work that yields positive change in our communities.”
The C&D co-founders’ pro-woman approach to business includes creating a safe and positive environment for women to work together and flourish in male-dominated industries. Their goal is to support projects that advocate for causes such as women’s empowerment, social justice and mental health awareness.
ABOUT COURTNEY R. RHODES
Courtney R. Rhodes is a branding and marketing expert, the founder of Digital CEO School and co-founder of C&D | The Agency based out of Atlanta, Ga. Equipped with an M.A. degree in Communications Design from the University of Baltimore, for 20+ years, she has worked with multi-million-dollar businesses in getting their marketing messages seen, heard, and experienced across television, radio, magazines, e-commerce, digital and social media platforms. After a rewarding career with Clear Channel Radio (now iHeart Media) as an Account Executive and General Sales Manager for radio stations and their digital counterparts, and CBS Television as an Account Manager for television, magazines, and digital media, she embraced entrepreneurship. As of today, she’s placed over 100 million dollars in advertising dollars across television, radio, digital, social and outdoor media. As the founder of Digital CEO School, through her Brandista platform, Courtney provides content, coaching, and online courses to help women build and monetize their personal brands by marketing and selling their expertise online. She’s the author of Make Your Mark; Personal Branding through – On Purpose Living, which explores how to use your story, strengths, and authenticity as the foundation for career and personal fulfillment. Courtney has appeared on/in Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, CBS, NBC, Jezebel, the Atlantan, MadameNoire and others. She serves on the Board of Trustees at Bethune-Cookman University and has served as a brand influencer for the likes of Coca-Cola, Diageo, and The Fashion Institute of Technology.
ABOUT DINA MARTO
Dina Marto is a seasoned entrepreneur, having shattered gender and ethnic glass ceilings during her nearly 20 years as a music executive and small business owner. She is co-founder of C&D | The Agency, an all women-led management agency formed in partnership with marketing professional Courtney Rhodes. Prior to C&D, she founded Atlanta staple Twelve Music & Studios in 2012 and curated one of the South’s most sought-after creative environments to develop talent and produce Billboard-shattering hits. Previously, she served on the A&R team for music mogul Antonio “L.A.” Reid at Island Def Jam, acting as A&R coordinator for albums by Young Jeezy, Nas, Rick Ross, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J and more throughout a six year period. Currently, she manages a hand-selected group of talent, as well as consults emerging and established artists. Dina is on the management team for superstar Tip “T.I.” Harris and helped launch his popular podcast “expediTIously” which became #1 on Apple Podcasts. In 2015, Dina received a Proclamation from the City of Atlanta for her contributions to the music industry. Dina is a proud Palestinian who was born in Amman, Jordan and grew up in Marietta, Georgia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Oglethorpe University.
