Vanessa Ferrer

Vanessa Ferrer is the founder and CEO of Merch Cat and a seasoned business leader with over 15 years of experience across finance and the music industry. Driven by both an artist’s perspective and a strong entrepreneurial mindset, she founded InFocus Artist Management in 2009. Through managing touring artists and consulting for high-profile industry professionals, Ferrer identified a clear gap in tools available to emerging artists and their teams. Leveraging her diverse background, she created Merch Cat, launched in December 2015, a musician-friendly platform designed to simplify merchandise sales and management at live shows. 

Building on that foundation, Ferrer later introduced Merch Cat Fan, a connected direct-to-fan app that helps artists extend revenue opportunities beyond the merch table and deepen fan engagement before, during, and after shows. 
Ferrer is a recognized voice in the music industry, regularly speaking at major conferences and events. She has participated in and curated over two dozen panels focused on merchandise strategy, fan engagement, and artist business development. Her speaking credits include SXSW, Music Biz, AmericanaFest, Canadian Music Week, A2IM Indie Week, NY Music Month, and Mondo. She is also an active mentor and a member of the Recording Academy.