Jennifer Horton‘s entrepreneurial drive and razor-sharp instincts have helped her thrive in the fiercely competitive entertainment industry for two decades, and the veteran music executive’s latest venture aims to equip creatives with financing needed to boost their own success.
“I am always excited to help someone take advantage of an opportunity that could change the trajectory of their career,” Horton said.
Launched in 2023, Matrix Equity Partners (Matrix Equity) melds Horton’s passion for helping artists build out their business enterprises with a solution that goes straight to the source: access to capital. Matrix Equity provides alternative funding options for established musicians and other creatives who have viable means of future income but are met with an unexpected business opportunity or cash flow hurdle.
Matrix Equity Helps Artists and Creators with Access to Capital
Artists receive income streams from royalties, endorsements, touring, merchandise, and myriad other sources on an intermittent and cyclical basis, leaving even successful talent struggling with short-term liquidity challenges. This often results in lost business opportunities or less leverage in negotiations for lack of readily available capital.
Matrix Equity can alleviate this pain point that also impacts high-net-worth artists and creators, as well as their business managers and attorneys who are advising their deals and decisions. The approach sidesteps misconceptions that cash-strapped artists have somehow made poor choices or otherwise mismanaged their finances. The reality is these are high-growth entrepreneurs running businesses within the confines of an industry at odds with traditional financial profiles for funding.
Recognizing this critical gap, the fintech startup has deployed close to $1 million in capital to artists as well as creative executives. These accomplished clients range from Grammy award-winners to viral sensations with platinum records to growing label imprints who utilize funds to support essential business investments from tour expenses, merch drops, and video shoots to asset acquisitions, startup ventures, and promo campaigns landing them on the Billboard charts.
“You have to learn how to deal with the droughts, but you don’t have to sacrifice vision and growth in the process,” she said, likening entertainment creators to small business owners in any volatile industry.
“We are able to consider nontraditional models because we have a deep understanding of the industry nuances and how these deals work. It comes down to us being able to tap into this as value for the client,” she added.
Horton’s Other Ventures Include LA-based Matrix Artists and Matrix Studios

Horton is also the founder and CEO of Matrix Artists, where she has worked hand in hand with her clients to develop, vet, and launch multiple brands and business ventures, as well as to run operations and source capital.
Since 2009, the Los Angeles-based management, consulting, and multi-media company has worked across all aspects of her clients’ intellectual property monetization, tour production, and branding. Success for these clients has ranged from No. 1 streaming hits and charting singles on the Billboard Hot 100 to multi-platinum albums, award-winning videos with more than 100 million views, and sold-out arena tours all over the world.
In 2020, Horton built on this success by launching Matrix Studios, a 7,000-square-foot warehouse studio compound, also based in Los Angeles, that provides artists with creative space and technical resources for filming, tour design, rehearsals, recording, and private events.
Horton’s strategic business acumen doesn’t stop at entertainment, though. She deepened her financial skills at Columbia Business School in 2022, completing its one-year Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance program and gaining a fresh perspective on expanding her current business.
“Each class within the program was eye-opening. The concepts helped me see another way to approach the (entertainment) world, from developing an investment thesis to conducting due diligence to valuations and venture debt,” she said, adding, “Throughout my career, I have been lucky enough to represent the best interests of artists and their businesses — that really has always been my North Star. Matrix Equity marks a new chapter of supporting the growth of clients with different business goals and needs, but the urgency is always the same to take advantage of every opportunity for success.”
Spencer Hulse is the Editorial Director at Grit Daily. He is responsible for overseeing other editors and writers, day-to-day operations, and covering breaking news.