Click Here To Listen Nashville Business 100 Leading African Americans Courtney Coko Eason
Born in Atlanta, GA, Courtney “Coko” Eason moved to Memphis, TN at a young age when her father was relocated for work. She attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville for one year and then transferred to MTSU on a small drum scholarship. Known as the future Missy Elliot in her hometown, Coko surprised everyone she knew when she decided to study music business rather than embrace the stage as a performing artist.
Coko went on to work as the US Admin Coordinator for Sony/ATV Music Publishing, but her passion for music and entrepreneurial spirit enticed her to explore other avenues in the music and entertainment industry. In 2009, Coko began hosting urban music events for fun, and the events exploded, not only diversifying the Nashville music scene but making noise around the world. As a result of this success, Coko officially launched Soundtrack Entertainment, LLC. in 2012. As the President and CEO, she created unique events that shined a spotlight on undiscovered talent and later managed that talent for production, touring and endorsement opportunities. The company has become particularly well-known for its events Strange Arrange and The Soundtrack Beat Battle, which both featured musicians battling it out in front of a live audience, a panel of celebrity judges and competing for cash, gear and major deals. Coko’s accomplishments as the owner of Soundtrack Entertainment have earned her prestigious awards and competitive spots on top lists including: The Nashville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list; The Nashville Black 40 Under 40 award; Billboard’s 30 Under 30 Nomination; the Advance Nashville Top 16 Entrepreneur List. And in 2013, MTSU’s mass communication department highlighted Coko as one of their most successful graduates.
In February 2017, Coko’s career took a drastic turn when the Code2040 program, powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, selected her as the next Nashville Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) in recognition for her mobile application idea, MILK. MILK rewards people for not using their phones in places or situations where they shouldn’t, such as movie theaters, dinner tables or cars. To assist Coko in bringing the app to fruition, the program granted her $40k in seed capital, a designated workspace at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, and mentorship from Google experts. Switching her focus from entertainment to tech was no easy transition, but Coko graciously accepted the challenge and applied her business experience to this new venture with excitement. When Coko isn’t working on her tech startup, creating new ventures or managing artists—a rare occurrence—you can find her in the studio perfecting her first love (music), meeting friends at a new restaurant or cooking up a new recipe at home.
Her long-term goal is to return back to the music industry and develop her own entertainment district, starting at home in Music City. In 2013, she received a head start on this goal by enrolling in the REDI Foundation which is a school for beginning real estate developers and Coko was given the Award of Distinction for having one of the best real estate development presentations that the school had ever seen. Coko is definitely a trailblazer for women everywhere, or anyone thinking about transitioning into any field that is outside of their expertise. Coko hopes to be a positive influence and show that success is possible through hard work and resilience.
