Meet the Team

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Nancy Eckert is Executive Director of The EVEN Network, leading initiatives that expand opportunities and strengthen the workforce across the live events industry. With more than 20 years of experience spanning entertainment, sports, education, and law, she brings expertise in operational leadership, strategic development, and workforce innovation.

Nancy is founder of Verge Legal, representing recording artists, athletes, production companies, and entertainment businesses, and co-founder of Field2Fame, a sports and entertainment solutions company focused on education and athlete development. She previously served as COO of the Nashville Kats, overseeing operations, sponsorships, venue partnerships, ticketing, and live event production during the team’s relaunch.

She has also held leadership roles in career and technical education, developing workforce programs and curriculum for skilled trades and technical industries. Nancy is recognized for building strategic partnerships and creating pathways that connect education, entertainment, sports, and live events.

FOUNDER & BOARD CHAIR

Seth Robinson is a production designer, architectural consultant, software developer,  inventor, and all-around problem solver. During his 25 year career, Seth has toured with many acts including Sting, Jane’s Addiction, and Barney (the dinosaur). Following his passion for innovation, Seth has created custom control solutions for Avicii, Linkin Park, Galantis, and Duke Dumont, allowing for unprecedented live interaction with lighting and video playback systems. His theatrical consultant work includes projects for Apple, Netflix and the City of Beverly Hills. Most notably, Seth developed and sold Robospot, a remotely-controlled followspot system which has fundamentally changed the way lighting designers approach followspot use and placement, ultimately saving money and increasing safety for live shows around the world. In the wake of COVID-19, Seth has co-founded EVEN, the Events Vocational Education Network, in order to address issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion for technical workers in the live entertainment industry. Seth is a senior partner at Sightline Design Group. In his spare time, Seth enjoys flying FPV racing drones and camping with his wife and young children near his home in Franklin, TN.

FOUNDER & BOARD SECRETARY

Sooner Rae Routhier is an award-winning Designer, Producer, Director, and one of today's leading creative minds in the world of experiential entertainment. She has developed and produced some of entertainment's most recognizable performance moments for some of today's biggest headlining artists including, Coldplay, The Weeknd, KISS, Imagine Dragons, The Lumineers, Rhianna, Pentatonix, Jay-Z, Halsey, Motley Crue, and Depeche Mode just to name a few.

Sooner’s incredible story began in 1999 where she worked as a lighting technician and lighting director for Rainbow Concert Productions while attending Emerson College in Boston. After graduating in 2001 with BFA in Technical Theater, she launched her career as a Lighting Designer for the rock band Chevelle. Her talent and grit were quickly recognized in the industry allowing her to collaborate and design for some of the industry’s leading live and televised events.

Most recently, Sooner has begun working as lighting designer with creative director Jesse Lee Stout on Muse’s acclaimed Simulation Theory World Tour. She has also joined Coldplay’s creative team, Misty Buckley and Phil Harvey, as lighting designer for the band’s live and televised performances.

FOUNDER & BOARD TREASURER

BOARD MEMBER

Mark is a Director German Light Products GmbH in Germany, a leading global manufacturer of entertainment lighting equipment, and also runs the sales & marketing division of the companies US subsidiary, based in Los Angeles, California. Since starting his career in entertainment lighting in high school, Mark has had the roles of Lighting Technician, Followspot Operator, Programmer, Lighting Designer, Stage Manager, Technical Trainer, Product Manager, Technical Director, and Vice President at the Danish manufacturer, Martin Professional. Mark has no idea how any other industry works and that doesn’t bother him.

FOUNDER

Vada (vay.dah) is a freelance Lighting Designer, Lighting Director, and Lighting Programmer/Operator for theatre, broadcast, and live events.

Some favorite credits include Overwatch League 2018-2019 lighting director, tour programmer for Esperanza Spaulding ‘12 Little Spells Tour’, programmer for Doechii’s MTV Push and lighting design for Intiman Theatre’s Two Mile Hollow

She is a proud first-generation American currently based in Los Angeles (but will always remind you she’s from Chicago) and in her spare time, loves to sketch, drink iced coffee, and read.

Vada is happy to work with EVEN and its advocacy work to be a part of the solution.

FOUNDER

With a career in the music industry spanning more than two decades, Stuart Berk is one of the most experienced and respected production and tour managers around.

 Originally from Boston, Berk was driven by music as a child, picking up the guitar at age five, and, a few years later, sneaking into concerts where he became enamored with lighting and audio production. Taking stagehand and runner jobs for Live Nation in various clubs, theaters, arenas and stadiums throughout high school, Berk absorbed the nitty gritty of production, becoming obsessed with the constant buzz of behind-the-scenes set management. At age 18, through serendipitous connections, he became friends with the legendary front man Peter Wolf of The J. Geils Band. This led to a personal assistant position, and within a few years, Berk moved into tour coordination and production for Wolf’s solo shows as well as the reunion tours when The J. Geils Band regrouped. 

 In 2010, Berk relocated to New York City. Invited to see a new band at The Mercury Lounge by a mutual friend, he found himself tour managing Young the Giant two days later. This six-year adventure cemented Berk’s direction within the industry, while allowing him to work with other artists while the band was off the road or recording new albums, such as indie/roots sensation Dispatch. Since then, he has managed the highly successful tours of a variety of artists including Brandi Carlile, Lauv, John Legend, Vance Joy, Walk the Moon, Phillip Phillips, Matt Nathanson, Camila Cabello and many others. Through his dedication and commitment, he continues to work with all these artists to this day.

Berk currently resides in Nashville, where he has launched Porter Rose Productions and is working with viral video sensation Kaylee Federmann. Very much looking forward to getting back on the road post-pandemic, Berk has also been lending his expertise to Even Initiative, which seeks to bring a more diverse workforce into the music industry through high school programming and mentorship.

FOUNDER

FOUNDER

Danielle Edwards is a hard-working, fun-loving freelance lighting nerd based in Nashville, TN. She enjoys the wild world of live events and has experience in roles from lighting director, to programmer, to operator.  A love for music and a desire for something outside of the box led her down a non-traditional path to a career in lighting. After 3 years at the University of South Florida she made the decision to move to Texas to participate in an internship that offered road experience. She began touring professionally in 2014 and has worked as Lighting Director for artists such as Maren Morris, Lizzo, and Jake Shimabukuro. As the only black female on most of the crews she has been a part of, Danielle is aware of issues surrounding equity, diversity and inclusion in today’s society and in the live events industry. Danielles' personal and professional experiences are the inspiration for her role in EVEN and its goal of creating solutions, inspiring individuals and helping develop passions.To keep grounded, Danielle enjoys making her friends and family laugh, cooking and kayaking.