Jaybird Communications, LLC was founded in 2009 to provide a full range of strategic communications services for digital businesses, especially startups, B2B, and entertainment-related ventures.
With team members located in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Philadelphia, the team works together to provide our clients with unparalleled industry knowledge and cohesive support. Jaybird also collaborates with additional consultants to ensure clients have exactly the right expertise for their needs.
Our Flock
Bill Greenwood – Director
Bill Greenwood is a communications and public relations expert with nearly 15 years of experience at the intersection of technology and the music business. He currently serves as Director of Jaybird Communications, where he manages a team of communications specialists based in music industry hubs throughout the U.S.
Bill joined Jaybird Communications as its first hire in September 2011 and has worked closely with founder and President Laurie Jakobsen to grow the company into the premier PR and communications firm for the business side of music. He has been instrumental in the planning and execution of successful campaigns for clients such as the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP), Bandsintown, Bandzoogle, music clearance expert Deborah Mannis-Gardner, LyricFind, Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME), AI ethics expert Dr. Martin Clancy, the Music Business Association, the NY Tech Alliance, ole (now Anthem Entertainment), OpenPlay, Soundstripe, Symphonic Distribution, Tracklib, and more.
Bill has established multiple clients as go-to experts in their industry by placing op-eds, features, Q&As, and quotes in major publications such as Music Business Worldwide, Billboard, Variety, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Tennessean, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, CNET, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Music Ally, Music Week, Complete Music Update (CMU), Playbill, and more. He has also helped plan and promote major industry events such as the annual Music Biz conference and AIMP Global Music Publishing Summit, assisted with corporate rebranding campaigns for the Music Business Association (formerly NARM) and the NY Tech Alliance (formerly NY Tech Meetup), and booked speaking opportunities for clients at key conferences such as SXSW, Music Biz, Mondo.NYC, Midem, Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), MaMA Music & Convention, the Ohio University Music Industry Summit, the Miami MusicTech Summit, Podcast Movement, and the A3C Conference. In addition, Bill has had success in the recognition of clients on Billboard’s coveted Power 100, Indie Power Players, Women in Music, and Pride lists; the Inc. 5000 and Inc. Regionals lists; and the inaugural Agent of Change Award for MIME at the Music Biz 2022 Bizzy Awards.
Prior to joining Jaybird, Bill spent several years in the journalism industry, where he worked as a Staff Writer for local newspapers The Cranbury Press and South Brunswick Post before becoming an Assistant Editor for information-technology B2B publications Information Today, Streaming Media, and Computers in Libraries. He also interned at Sony Music Entertainment and has done marketing work for independent bands Roosevelt Dime and The Paper Jets, the latter of which he also managed until their disbandment in December 2018. Bill received his BA in Journalism from Rider University in 2006 and his Master’s in Media Studies from The New School in 2011.
After over a decade in New York City, Bill now lives a stone’s throw from Philadelphia in South Jersey with his wife and their pet dog, May. He is always up for a round of karaoke or a midnight screening of B (and C) level films like The Room and Cats. He is a proud owner of Billy Joel’s pre-fame heavy-metal album on vinyl and would love nothing more than to meet his idol, Dave Grohl.
Communication Specialists
Ashley Friedman
Ashley Friedman joined Jaybird Communications in August 2021 as Content Coordinator, bringing her expertise to the creation of press releases, email newsletters, social media campaigns, and other strategic initiatives for Jaybird’s diverse roster of clients. She transitioned into the role of Communications Specialist in February 2022.
A Chicago native who recently made the move to Nashville, Ashley began her career in B2B marketing for a variety of industries including higher education, packaging, and hospitality. While in those roles, Ashley became involved in the music industry by serving as the Producer and Publicist of Swiftcast, the #1 Taylor Swift Podcast from 2013-2018, engaging fans in the digital space. This experience ignited her passion for the music industry and changed the trajectory of her marketing career. She is also a music reporter for The New Nine, where she features female artists who are shaping the future of music.
Ashley received a double BA in PR/Advertising and Communication Studies from DePaul University. When not working you will almost certainly find Ashley at a concert, preferably Lorde, Maggie Rogers, or Carly Rae Jepsen.
Zachary Gulino
Zachary Gulino joined Jaybird Communications in the Spring of 2020 as an intern while finishing his degree at NYU, eventually joining the team full time in January of 2021 as a Communications Specialist. As a Communications Specialist Zach focuses on drafting and distributing press releases and press alerts; identifying and submitting clients for industry conferences, speaking opportunities, and awards; managing content creation and distribution for multiple clients including internal and external newsletters, events, YouTube videos, social media content, etc.; planning and executing client events; representing Jaybird at industry events, mixers, client events; and more.
In his time at Jaybird, Zach has successfully led and implemented PR campaigns for multiple clients and placed client news, interviews, and op-eds in major entertainment publications including Billboard, Music Business Worldwide, The Hollywood Reporter, Hypebot, Creative Industries News, Music Ally, and more. He has also pitched and placed panels and executives at top music industry conferences including Music Biz, A2IM Indie Week, Mondo.NYC, Nola MusiCon, and Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Global Music Publishing Summit; as well as in leading industry podcasts Your Morning Coffee, New Music Business With Ari Herstand, Break The Business, Unlimited Supply, Future of What, Music Industry 360, and more. Clients Zach has worked with at Jaybird include The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP), Angry Mob Music, CCS Rights Management / Daytripper, DDEX, Deborah Mannis Gardner, Exactuals, Head Bitch Music / Jessica and Ryan Vaughn, Lyric Find, Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME), Mondo.NYC, Music Business Association / Music Biz Conference, New York Tech Alliance, OpenPlay, SourceAudio, and Symphonic Distribution.
Prior to joining Jaybird, Zach studied Music Business at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, graduating with a Bachelors of Music in Music Business with a Minor in BEMT (Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology) from the NYU Stern School of Business. While at NYU he learned from some of the Music and Entertainment Industry’s best and brightest including Larry Miller, Judy Tint, Carlos Chirinos, Marcie Allen Van Mol, Jennifer Blakeman, Ruby Marchand, Laurie Jakobsen, Erica Gruen, and more. During his studies he worked in the NYU IT Department’s Distributive IT Services as a Student Technology Assistant, and maintained internships at not only Jaybird Communications, but the famed East Village venue Drom, as well as the legendary audiophile music label Chesky Records and their HD music marketplace, HD Tracks.
Outside of Jaybird, you can often find Zach plane spotting at the LAX In-N-Out Burger, attempting to improve his golf game, watching a Dodger Game, NASCAR or Formula One race, and dreaming of restoring and owning a 1967 Corvette.
Laurie Jakobsen – President
Laurie Jakobsen, the founder and president of Jaybird Communications, has over 25 years of public relations and marketing communications experience, ranging from artist representation to start-up dot-coms to major multi-national music companies.
As part of the boutique public relations firm Shore Fire Media, she represented Bruce Springsteen, Wynton Marsalis, Everything but the Girl, the family of Jimi Hendrix and Natalie Merchant. In 1997, she joined the first Internet-focused record label, N2K Encoded Music, helmed by the legendary producer Phil Ramone. From there, she worked with AT&T’s early music distribution company a2b Music, and as part of public relations firm Middleberg Associates, worked with many start-up and established companies in the early Internet era. In 1999, she was recruited to handle all new technology-related communications at Sony Music Entertainment, including the launch of one of the first subscription music services, pressplay (now Napster), and oversaw public relations for all of their incubated properties.
In 2003, she joined the leading U.S music licensing agent, The Harry Fox Agency (HFA), to create the company’s marketing and communications discipline so it could better respond to the digital marketplace. In 2009, the company was named #182 in InformationWeek’s top 500 innovative American companies — the highest-ranked music company on the list.
Laurie is also active in fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs and creating more opportunity for underrepresented voices. From 2013-2023, she was involved with the NYU Steinhardt Music Business program’s capstone Entrepreneurship class as an Adjunct Professor, mentor, and as Executive in Residence. She is an early-stage investor in several women- and femme-founded startups through Pipeline Angels, and has been a speaker and mentor for DWT Project W, including the Women Entrepreneurs Boot Camp and the inaugural Black Founder 1:1s program. In addition, she is a regular speaker at conferences and schools on topics related to creative communications, the music industry, and entrepreneurship. She has a BA from Tufts University in English, and an MBA from NYU Stern.
When not Jaybird-ing, Laurie enjoys cooking (because she also likes eating), horseback riding, Pilates and yoga.