Ahmed Diabate
Overview
Ahmed Diabate is a Boston-born music executive and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, currently serving as Senior A&R and Artist Engagement lead at Duetti. He combines expertise in music industry financing with a passion for technology, education reform, and community impact. Ahmed is exploring innovative ways to democratize tech investment for athletes and entertainers while building bridges between technology and underserved communities.
Background & Professional Details
Current Role
- Senior A&R and Artist Engagement at Duetti: Helps deploy funding to independent artists by purchasing shares of their music catalogs
- Has deployed over $10 million in funding to artists including Mario, UnoTheActivist, and IDK
- Works at company that raised $114 million in funding in 2024
Additional Ventures
- Partner at Integral Studio: Los Angeles-based creative agency and strategic consultancy
- Previous Experience: Leadership positions at Era of the Engineer, collaborating with Young Guru
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Finance from Bentley University
Network & Connections
- Brother-in-law at Google: Works in formerly DEI department (rebranded after Trump election), now focusing on people operations
- Sister-in-law: Head of communications for influential LA city councilwoman
- Sister: Heads youth job sourcing, partners with Netflix, Nike, Stussy for placement programs
- Wealth Manager: Active advisor connecting him with other entrepreneurs
Connection to Gary
- Reconnected on October 22, 2025 for strategic discussion about AI hackathon during NBA All-Star Weekend
- Shares interest in community impact through technology
- Both exploring democratization of tech investment for celebrities and athletes
- Gary sees potential for partnership in bridging tech companies with cultural influencers
Family & Personal Context
- Family Status: Married with 6-month-old child ("little man")
- Parents: Recently visited Istanbul for week-long shopping trip, building house in Ivory Coast
- Location: Lives in effectively South Central LA
- Personal Philosophy: "I'm an energy guy" - values authentic connections
- Describes himself as a "dreamer" who prefers outdoor conversations
Current Initiatives
NBA All-Star AI Hackathon (February 2025)
- Vision: Bridge between AI technology and underserved communities during All-Star Weekend in LA
- Goal: Demystify AI and showcase practical tools for community impact
- Venue: Clippers Arena (Intuit Dome) - described as "stadium of the future"
- Resources: Can leverage family connections for government officials, youth participants, facilities
Key Features Planned:
- Focus on civic technology and government service improvements
- Celebrity judges including current and former NBA players
- Partnership opportunities with tech companies (Google, Anthropic, OpenAI)
- Lasting community impact beyond the event weekend
Areas of Expertise
- Music industry financing and catalog valuation
- Artist development and A&R
- Event organization and hackathon coordination
- Community engagement and youth development
- Cultural bridge-building between tech and entertainment
- Strategic partnerships and network development
Strategic Value
- Applied AI Society Celebrity Bridge: Ahmed's unique position connecting tech companies with cultural influencers (NBA players, musicians) provides unprecedented access to high-profile ambassadors for AI adoption in business
- Community Impact Scaling: His expertise organizing civic technology hackathons and youth engagement programs offers proven model for expanding Applied AI Society's community outreach beyond traditional business audiences
- Entertainment Industry AI Integration: Through Duetti's $114M funding and artist relationships (Mario, UnoTheActivist, IDK), Ahmed can demonstrate AI's practical applications in creative industries, creating compelling case studies for business AI adoption
- Government Partnership Development: His family's LA political connections and civic technology focus provide pathways for Applied AI Society to partner with government agencies on AI implementation projects
Potential Collaboration Areas
With Gary:
- "Rich Kleinman as a Service": Democratizing tech investment advice for athletes/entertainers
- Civic Technology Initiatives: Using AI to improve government services
- Celebrity-Tech Partnerships: Facilitating connections between tech companies and cultural influencers
- Event Formula: Replicable model for major events (Super Bowl, Olympics) with community tech components
- Youth Mentorship Programs: Connecting tech professionals with underserved communities
Key Insights & Perspectives
On Cultural Adoption:
"ASAP Rocky started wearing the meta glasses. And then I go to New York a few weeks after... and I see a long ass line of kids from Harlem waiting for these meta glasses. That's the adoption."
On Event Impact:
"What can I do for the community that could actually have impact?... using NBA all star week would be a great bridge."
On Network Building:
"Using this as like a network builder, to then be able to say, hey, we have the Rich Kleinman as a service that NFL, you should be implementing in your rookie onboarding."
On Athlete Investment Gaps:
"A lot of these athletes, artists... that seem kind of like tech savants kind of have a person that's like, 'Hey, no, you should be doing this.'"
Interactions
- 2025-10-22: Strategic discussion about AI hackathon, civic technology, and democratizing tech investment for celebrities. Explored partnership opportunities and community impact initiatives during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Transcripts
| transcript-id | date | one-line-summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-22-ahmed-diabate-ai-hackathon-partnership | 2025-10-22 | Strategic discussion about AI hackathon, civic technology, and democratizing tech investment for celebrities during NBA All-Star Weekend |
Next Steps
- Immediate: Follow-up call scheduled for next day (October 23, 2025)
- Intel Gathering: Research boardroom advisor program by Kevin Durant's company
- Messaging: Refine hackathon messaging and strategic approach
- Partnership Development: Determine collaboration structure with Gary for various initiatives
- Stakeholder Engagement: Connect with city officials, Google contacts, youth organizations