Troy Carter went from growing up in West Philadelphia to managing Lady Gaga during her rise to global superstardom. That alone is a career. But Carter has also become one of the most connected investors in the tech world, which is not a sentence you'd expect about a music manager from Philly.
He got into the music industry young, working with Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff early on. He eventually founded Atom Factory, a management and investment firm that represented Lady Gaga, John Legend, and other major artists. The Gaga years were transformative, both for her career and for Carter's understanding of how technology and music were converging.
That's what led him into tech investing. Carter got in early on companies like Spotify, Uber, and Dropbox before they were household names. He later joined Spotify directly as the global head of creator services, helping the platform build relationships with artists. The guy understands both the creative side and the business side of the music and tech worlds, which is a rare combination.
He also co-founded Q&A, a music and technology company focused on helping artists connect with their audiences.
On Shark Tank as a guest shark, Carter brings entertainment, media, and tech investing expertise. He knows about talent management, content strategy, and the kinds of platform businesses that sit at the intersection of culture and technology. If your business lives in that space, he's the shark who gets it.
Worth noting:
- Managed Lady Gaga during her rise to global fame through Atom Factory
- Early investor in Spotify, Uber, and Dropbox
- Served as global head of creator services at Spotify
- Started in the music industry working with Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff