Mel Carter is a Senior Vice President of A&R at Republic Records, the first-ever SVP without prior corporate experience. Carter scouts and signs new talents for the record company. With 12 years of experience in the music industry, Carter is a force to be reckoned with. Alongside his position at Republic, Carter owns (along with his partner P) Hikari-Ultra Records, a music label and management company that helped Cee Kay and City Morgue rise to fame, and is a co-founder of Calliope, a music rights business. Carter applies his specialized expertise in the industry to identify opportunities that enhance the music rights of the artist, while staying true to the artist’s musical vision and intentions. Carter is an active investor across the blockchain, venture, consumer and entertainment sectors. He recently became the largest Black franchisee of Bojangles, is an investor in Sweet Chick, and actively invests in crypto and NFT companies. Mel Carter’s life hasn’t always been this way. He came from humble beginnings – born in Trinidad & Tobago, moving to Flatbush Brooklyn in 1996. Carter is focused on inspiring young Black teenagers from his neighborhood and giving back to the community, speaking at local high schools each month. Additionally, Mel enjoys giving back to his community in Trinidad & Tobago through a Christmas time toy drive where he donates over 10,000 toys to his hometown.