MERU

Mike Kaufmann (he/him)

Mike Kaufmann collaborates to make space for the creation and experience of surprising beauty. He believes in the power of music, art, and design and its ability to ask critical questions, build social cohesion, advance community resilience, and imagine new possibilities. He founded MERU on these principles.

In addition to his artist development and management work with MERU, Mike consults community foundations and non-profit organizations on place-based investment strategies. He is the grant writer and project manager for Central Indiana Community Foundation’s Connected Community Initiative, which was awarded $25M from the Lilly Endowment Inc. and resulted in an additional $25M investment by the City of Indianapolis for the development of Indianapolis’ greenways network.

Mike started his career in music as A&R and label manager for Asthmatic Kitty Records. He signed and released debut albums by the Castanets, Julianna Barwick, and Helado Negro. Through the label, he also supported the growth of many artists, including My Brightest Diamond and Sufjan Stevens.

In his spare time, Mike enjoys riding his bike, writing via Substack, and continuing his three-decade collaboration with Wayne Felman through their minimalist punk band, Therefore. He is married to the wonderfully talented singer-poet Liz Janes and is the father of two young men full of unhinged creativity and joy.

Hannah Houser (she/her)

Hannah Houser brings with her a passion for all aspects of communication, branding, narrative identity, design, and business organization by way of marketing five of North America's top music festivals, managing a pool of marketing creatives, and assisting in the management of internationally renowned musicians.

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from Carson-Newman University in 2012 with Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and Art. She was hired within a month of her graduation to begin work at AC Entertainment and began in the artist management department. She soon moved to the marketing department to hone her skills in the festival world, but her passion for one-on-one strategic work with artists guided her back to management in 2017.

Hannah resides in Knoxville, TN where she is on her second term as a member of the City of Knoxville Mayor’s Maker Council, was named a member of Knoxville’s “40 Under 40” class of 2023, was a finalist for the Knoxville & Tennessee Valley YWCA Tribute to Women in the Arts & Culture category, serves on the Carson-Newman University Art Department (Jefferson City, TN) advisory board, and serves on the national advisory council for the AIR South Fulton Institute (Atlanta, GA) artist residency program. She enjoys spending time with her husband Jordan and black cat Ranger. You can read more about her work and interests at hannahhouser.com.

Hannah manages all artists and conducts business under HH Creative LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company. MERU, LLC and HH Creative LLC are not a partnership and instead manage their artists independently.