Beats Xbeers

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Brandon Corder, CEO, and founder of Beats x Beers, has vision… big vision…not only for his company but also for his hometown of Flint, Mich. Launched in 2015 in Austin, Texas, as a showcase at South by Southwest, one of the biggest music festivals in the world, the Beats x Beers Festival is the brainchild of Corder. His long-term strategic foresight included major collaboration with big players in the Festival arena and these partnerships would only open the door and lead the way for more opportunities to come.

Fast forward to 2019. Beats x Beers is on fire, as is Corder, and there is no slowing this train down. Corder currently travels the nation putting on large scale festivals, while still headquartered in Flint, remaining committed to his community, one that is still healing and resurging from a major water crisis.

Having previously lived in Los Angeles and New York, Corder is now living back in his hometown of Flint. Though he loves the West Coast, he came back home to refocus, regroup and rebuild…continuing to work on a national scale while building his company.

Being home in Flint serves him well and allows him to forge better relationships with influencers and decision-makers while inspiring his peers and colleagues. This reset time, if you will, facilitates his ability

to showcase an industry very new to a city that has always been primarily focused on the automotive and manufacturing industries. Given the recent shift to a focus on health and education, Flint’s economy and downtown development are improving every day. While the business of Festivals, if you will, is still in its infancy, Beats x Beers is leading the way.

Corder’s next endeavor is a partnership with Kettering University for its Centennial Fest on July 20. The celebration will include a music festival with multiple stages where the rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer T-Pain will headline a performance at Atwood Stadium.

While Corder’s demeanor is low key, his ambition is anything but. No matter where he lives, Beats x Beers will not only grow, it will continue to thrive. “In Flint, there are more barriers to jump over [than in other cities], because a lot of this stuff is new to the city. Now we are finally getting around to some progressive things happening, some progressive ideas and knocking down barriers. We are introducing new ideas and people might not understand certain aspects, which isn’t a bad thing. It was something I expected because I am the type of person who will jump out on a limb and these questions of the unknown is something I expected. We have plenty more conversations to go but we have made tremendous progress,” said Corder.

Overall, there is no doubt the needle is moving for the city of Flint, and Corder not only sees the movement but is part of the progression. The Beats x Beers/ Kettering partnership is only the beginning in growing the festival platform. Corder is creating signature events here in Flint, events that wouldn’t have otherwise come to fruition and will be on the calendar for years to come. His vision for his business mirrors that for his city.

When asked what he sees for the future, Corder replied, “Flint will always be part of the plan. The partnership with Kettering alone, I know for a fact no one has seen anything like that and this will continue on an annual basis.”

As Corder travels the country and sees different events, he observes the economic upside (not to mention the overall wonderful benefits) to these cities. While Corder admits he does not have all the answers to fix Flint’s problems, he does know how to move forward and assist in moving economic development while tapping into the heartstrings of the community.

Corder is confident that the July 20 T-Pain concert is just what Flint needs. “I felt I wanted to bring someone in that was all across the board—every genre, every race, every age group and across all demographics,” he said. “I wanted to reach a lot of people on a lot of levels.”

Rarely do A-list celebrities perform in Flint, and that’s Corder’s vision—to attract more large-scale performers and help drive more economic growth for the city.

Beats x Beers will bring an artistic energy and open mindset. With the recent influx of Flint entrepreneurship, it is Corder’s hope that Beats x Beers will pioneer an attraction of outside interest that will bring revenue to the city and keep the momentum on the upswing.

Brandon Corder is living his passion and undoubtedly represents Hope for Flint.

Advisement

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