Meet the Team
Meet our team of full time and freelance creatives behind some of our most impactful projects
CEO
JOSHUA RYAN
​Joshua founded SME in 2020, after spending his early career as a radio producer at the BBC. His skills were acknowledged by The Radio Academy as part of their 30 Under 30 Class of 2020. With a number of successful radio and podcast titles under his belt, he was able to transition into TV, where he developed and produced a number of ground-breaking shows. A force in music, Joshua has negotiated several artist deals and licensed music for TV and social media.
CCO
JANINE KEMPADOO
Having recently served as the Head Commissioning Executive at BBC Radio 1Xtra, Janine is an experienced executive and expert in youth audiences. With a 20 year history of working in the broadcast media industry, she is skilled in Content Creation, Multi-Media, Artist Relations, Team Management, Strategic Thinking And Media Production.
Executive Consultant
CHRIS CRIchLOW
Chris is an experienced and passionate technical event and broadcast leader with 15 years executing across EMEA, APAC & the Caribbean. Chris has worked across major projects, serving as Head of Production and Broadcast Ops at TikTok, including programming for EURO2020, International Women's Day, Black History Month, Ed Sheeran, Sir Elton John, Alicia Keys, and many more. Chris has also supported SME in major live activations, a notable project being the Black Filmmakers Curriculum.
Creative Consultant, Music
JOSHUA THompson
Josh is a creative consultant with SME. He's worked on various radio campaigns with The Push with some notable ones being Tanika’s single ‘333’ and J.Fields’ single ‘Afternoon’. He's also engaged with upcoming artists through creative consultations leading to support with strategic roadmaps and content strategies.
Other skills involve development of projects such as podcasts, audio dramas and short-form content, as well as a music licensing project that is in the works.
Creative Strategist, Development
ASHlee TUITT
Ashlee is a dynamic professional who has contributed significantly to multiple sectors, including artist development, TV development, and digital content. His ability to integrate creative vision with practical execution enables him to deliver impactful and regular results in dynamic, fast-paced environments. He has worked on projects with BBC Radio 1Xtra, Brown Forman and many more. He's successfully transitioned into TV development, applying his creative insights and strategic thinking to craft compelling content for Silver Music Entertainment.
Exec Producer, Development
RAj PANDER
Raj is a multi-award-winning Creative with a history of developing and creating high-quality live and pre-recorded content for multiple BBC Radio stations (Asian Network, Radio 1, 1xtra, Radio 2) as well as presenting (Radio 1, Acast), creating social + digital content (ITV, ITV2, BBC R1, 1xtra, Island Records, Britbox US) producing podcasts for brands + talent (Vestiaire Collective, Warner Bros Discovery, Into Film) and producing live events (Black Filmmakers Curriculum, Turning Point Festival).
Producer
ARCHIE FORSTER
Archie produces 1Xtra’s Afro Sounds Show with DJ Edu, The 1Xtra Rap Show with Kenny Allstar, and 1Xtra’s R&B Show with Chuckie. He is passionate, diligent and committed to representing the scenes and audiences linked to the shows. Since joining Silver Music Entertainment he’s had a massive influence on the Voice of the Streets freestyles, as well as deliver station priorities such as 1Xtra’s Afro Sounds weekender. His knowledge, creativity and talent management skills can be felt across the shows.
Producer
RENEE PHILLIPS
Renee is a highly valued member of the team. She has stepped in to produce 1Xtra’s R&B Show with Chuckie, as well as The 1Xtra Rap Show with Kenny Allstar on several occasions. As a senior technical producer, her expertise goes a long way in ensuring we deliver the highest quality audio for Voice of the Streets freestyles. Renee has also been responsible for delivering studio training for the majority of the team. Her music knowledge and overall broadcast skills set her apart from her peers.
Producer
Robert (Robby) Williams
Robby is a Radio and Podcast producer based in London. He produced The 1Xtra Breakfast show with Dotty, which went on to win Gold for 'Best Music Breakfast Show' at The Radio Academy Awards 2020. He has strong skills in Audio and Visual editing, excelling in the use of Adobe Audition, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Light Room and Logic Pro. He excels leading teams and collaborative working, taking initiative and making time sensitive decisions.
Producer
weyland Mckenzie-witter
Weyland is an extremely accomplished podcast producer working with several different platforms as publishers. As a freelance producer he launched The 1Xtra Rap Show with Kenny Allstar, producing impactful moments on the show. He’s a valuable member of the team with skills including audio editing, live studio production, compliance and more.
Producer
ishtia may
Isthia is an experienced freelance producer, covering shifts across 1Xtra’s Dancehall Show with Seani B and 1Xtra’s R&B Show with Chuckie. Ishtia is no stranger to on location recordings, having led the content capture for our coverage of All Points East festival earlier this year. Ishtia is creative and dynamic. Her skills include talent management, compliance, live studio producing and more.
Assistant Producer
NIeema Hassan
Nieema Hassan:
Assistant Producer
RECHMIAL MILLER
Rech is a talented and reliable freelance AP, working across The 1Xtra Rap Show with Kenny Allstar, Voice of the Streets, and 1Xtra’s Dancehall Show with Seani B. He’s proficient using a multitude of editing software; however, his commitment to pitching ideas and collaborating with different teams makes him stand out as a key team player. His experience includes podcasting and digital content for other networks.
Assistant Producer
Sinead barton
Sinead is a radio and content producer from South London. Over the past 7 years, she has worked at broadcasting companies like Reprezent Radio, BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Apple Music 1 and talkSPORT. She champions new music and particularly shines when producing content that focuses on Black culture. From launching social media accounts for flagship radio shows to producing viral and culturally relevant social media clips, Sinead has a flair for optimising interview content.
Assistant Producer
Naima sutton
Naima is a London-based multidisciplinary creative and music journalist with a deep-rooted passion for sound. Naima graduated from our Audio Production Accelerator Bootcamp and made her presence felt working with us on our coverage of All Points East Festival, as well as supporting content for 1Xtra’s Alternative Selection. Inspired by the rich tapestry of Black British music, she is dedicated to crafting projects that celebrate diaspora and cultural identity through transformative audio experiences.
Assistant Producer
Janicia Lamona
Janicia is a Freelance AP with an abundance of skills, enabling her to work across a range of shows. She regularly covers shifts on 1Xtra's Afro Sounds Show with DJ Edu, in addition to 1Xtra’s Alternative Selection with CassKidd. She led content capture for our coverage of BST festival, headlined by SZA earlier this year. Her skills include audio editing, recording and idea generation.
Social Media Producer
Jada-Kai Francis
Jada-Kai's role is an AP in TV, online content, radio and live events. She specialises in casting, celebrity booking, talent liaison and welfare. Recent works with Silver Music include coverage of Breakin' Convention hosted by Fee Mak for BBC 1Xtra socials, DLT: The Recipe Festival with Chuckie Online and The 1Xtra Rap Show with Kenny Allstar. She has cast talent for The Rap Game UK, Big Brother, Soccer Aid for UNICEF and many more popular TV shows. Alongside this, Jada-Kai has music industry experience as a music artist manager, DJ and radio co-host.
Designer
JONO THOMPSON
Jono specialises in illustration and graphic design and has created integral assets for productions such as The 1Xtra Rap Show with Kenny Allstar, as well as, Union Black: An Ode to Home as part of Google’s Art & Culture program. He's also been the core designer for various campaigns with The Push e.g. EPK Doctor, as well as designing social media content that has been posted across The Push and SME’s platforms.
Audio Engineer
BRANDON MCDONALD
Brandon is an experienced sound engineer with skills in recording, mixing and mastering, also serving as live sound engineer at UD Talent House for live events. Brandon has also contributed to significant cultural projects, notably the mixing and mastering for the viral 2021 Blackbox U18 Cypher. For SME, Brandon has supported a number of live productions including the live podcast episode of “Bar-Fabric Presents” where he assisted in the audio delivery.
