Former Capitol Music Group Chair-CEO Michelle Jubelirer and former president Arjun Pulijal have announced the official launch of Soft Shock, a management and media collective that “reimagines how talent is developed and empowered across the entertainment landscape,” according to the announcement. The venture is backed by a strategic investment from HarbourView Equity Partners,
“Soft Shock operates at the edge of boutique: offering talent management, creative marketing services, brand creation, and creative development/ production/ distribution across all mediums,” the announcement reads. “Soft Shock’s mission is to bring the ethos of music – unfiltered artistic expression, direct-to-fan connection and marketplace agility – to all of media and entertainment.” Beyond music, it aims to represent comedians, filmmakers, actors, creators, athletes, visual artists, designers, chefs, makers, and more.
“The name Soft Shock exemplifies our approach to everything. We are humanistic and empathetic first… but we are going to fiercely protect artists and fight to make things happen for them,” Jubelirer said. “It’s a volatile time for the creative psyche – that applies to talent as well as those on the business side trying to build careers – these are people’s lives. We believe creative intention, personal fulfillment, and commercial success can all co-exist. It just takes curation and bravery, or as we say, ‘a soft touch with the courage to shock.’” Prior to Capitol, Jubelirer worked as a mergers and acquisitions attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and partner at entertainment law firm King, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner, where she represented clients including Tyler, the Creator, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pharrell Williams, Nas, Frank Ocean, M.I.A., and others.
“It may not always feel like it, but artists have the power now and it’s never going back,” said Arjun Pulijal, Co-Founder of Soft Shock. “Telling talent ‘go viral and then we’ll care’ is a race to the bottom. We combat that by building scale on the side of talent through a diverse network that offers thought partnership and collaboration. All artists are creators and Soft Shock is ready to provide them with the tools, resources, and creative freedom they need to build sustainable, multi-faceted careers.”
Sherrese Clarke, CEO of HarbourView Equity Partners, said, “Michelle and Arjun lead with both vision and conviction. I’ve watched Michelle fight for artists with the same courage she brings to every table we’ve shared, including our shared passion for the most vulnerable, and Arjun is equally relentless in reimagining what’s possible,” said. “At HarbourView, we look for partners who not only shift culture but expand it – with Soft Shock’s focus on artistry, equity, and impact in entertainment, they perfectly embody that.”