Steve Stewart is the CEO & Co-Founder of Vezt Inc., the first music-driven tech platform giving people the ability to participate in the royalties of their favorite songs. The blockchain-based app makes it easy for artists, writers, producers, labels and publishers to monetize their IP directly from music fans.
Steve has more than 20 years of professional experience in the music, tech and television industries, and is the former personal manager of Grammy award-winning, multi-platinum alternative rock band Stone Temple Pilots, managing their career from their inception through their fifth major label release on Atlantic Records. Under Steve’s management, the band’s worldwide record sales exceeded 40 million records, generating more than $1 billion in gross revenues. Along the way, they were awarded an American Music Award, numerous Billboard Music Awards, MTV Music Video and MTV Movie Awards, and a number of Pollstar, ASCAP and BMI accolades. His acts have toured with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Neil Young and Cheap Trick, playing live to more than 5 million people worldwide.
As CEO of Steve Stewart Management, he has negotiated and secured lucrative major label record and publishing contracts on behalf of approximately 20 recording artists with companies such as Sony Music, Warner Bros. Records, Atlantic Records, Capitol Records, Disney’s Hollywood Records, A&M Records, Geffen Records, Elektra Records, American Records, Maverick Records, EMI Music Publishing, Famous Music Publishing, Rondor Music, Warner Chappell Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing.
He has held COO positions at tech startups - GoYodel (retail deal bundler) and SportsBuddyz (sports video platform), as well as Head of Business Development at SURKUS (social engagement app).
He has also managed and handled business development for new media personalities, including one of the Top 25 Most Viewed Channels on YouTube (“Hot For Words” 440 million views, 460,000 subscribers), creating, negotiating and securing media, sponsorship and advertising opportunities with companies such as HarperCollins, Go Daddy, Guthy-Renker, DC Shoes, among others, including a 100 episode deal with Russian television network RTV. He has secured more than $6 million in venture funding for new media ventures in the music/sports/ video space.
Steve has produced a number of multi-million dollar national tours (800+ live shows), at most of the major arenas in the US, including Madison Square Garden, The Los Angeles Forum and San Francisco’s Shoreline Amphitheater, and worked with rapper/actor Ice-T during development of the first Lollapalooza Tour.
He has also produced television programming for Comcast/DirecTV, MTV and VH-1. He was contracted to create the studio facility and production package for the Larry King Now show on Hulu and as well as Larry King’s 2012 Election live coverage for YouTube, and was supervising production assistant for Stephen J. Cannell Productions’ “21 Jump Street,” “Wise Guy,” and “Hunter”.
Steve is an instrument-rated pilot and has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA.
