About us
Stagehand was launched in 2016 with the goal of helping emerging artists thrive.
Every city has an abundance of talented emerging artists. Stagehand is a web platform that communities can use to support local artists for social, cultural and economic benefit. We believe that technology is the key that will unlock the potential of this industry.
Scalable solution: Established artists and large performance venues have dedicated teams, emerging artists and small or unconventional venues need DIY tools. Technology provides expertise, automation and efficiency that allows artists and venues to work together at scale.
Data & transparency: Funders and advocates for local culture understand the value of the grassroots arts ecosystem; Stagehand offers a data collection engine to help them measure and optimize impact.
Open, connected, inclusive: Stagehand is an open system where data is shared for the benefit of all. Our open approach demystifies the ecosystem, removes barriers and welcomes new participants
Innovation for growth: We believe that it is possible to grow the pie by using technology to enable new use cases and unconventional performance venues.
Stagehand was a co-recipient of the Business for the Arts 2022 Community Impact Award, and in 2023 was nominated by the Music Cities Awards for the Best Digital Innovation to Support Musicians or Music in Cities.
Meet the founders
Derek Manns, Chief Executive Officer
Derek has spent over 30 years in the technology industry in technical, sales, marketing, and leadership roles. He and his wife are both engineers but ironically have three daughters who are talented emerging artists. Derek was inspired by his daughters and the incredible talent that he saw in the local community, and he also saw how difficult it is for emerging artists to thrive. Ideas percolated for years, and in 2016, Stagehand was born.
As CEO, Derek is responsible for the company’s overall strategy, execution, and growth. In 2021, Derek was honored to be named Industry Person of the Year by the YYC Music Awards.
Kiley Hykawy, Chief Techology Officer
Kiley joined Stagehand as a full-time contract-based developer in early 2016 and then Kiley became integral to Stagehand in early 2017, initially joining as a full-time contract-based developer before transitioning to a full-time role as Chief Technology Officer in February 2017. With a background as a Software Engineer and over 25 years of expertise in leadership and hands-on software development, Kiley brings a wealth of experience to the team.
In the capacity of Chief Technology Officer, Kiley oversees the technical architecture and design of the Stagehand platform, playing a pivotal role in shaping its technological landscape.
