In this first episode of Season 2, Michael interviews Hildur Maral.

Hildur is an Icelandic-Iranian music industry executive, artist manager, and co-founder of OPIA Community which is a record label, traveling festival series, and creative platform. With over two decades of experience across artist, event, and label management, she has worked with major music institutions including Universal Music Group, Coachella and Roskilde Festival, and is part of the management team for acclaimed composer and producer Ólafur Arnalds.

Season 2 shifts focus from entrepreneurial behavior of artists to their creative leadership—helping others unlock their creative potential.

The two discuss the launch of OPIA and how Hildur's wildly diverse career prepared her for artist development, community development, and label development. She shares how artist development is like dating and why different modes of leadership—foreground, background and "side-by-side"—are necessary in community development regardless of one's role.

They discuss the importance of both "learning by doing" and "learning by education" and how she values her experiences at Kaospilot and Berklee College of Music. The conversation closes with an exploration of grassroots organizations as communities of care.

Recorded in front of a live audience on January 7, 2026 at Huldunótur in Reykjavík.

For this special edition of Two Beats Ahead Live! in Reykjavik, Michael speaks with Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir at Iceland Innovation Week.

Lóa is a Reykjavík-based visual artist, illustrator, and entrepreneur, known for her creative studio Lóaboratorium. Her work spans comics, visual art and design objects that often feature playful, character-driven stories. In addition to her visual art and product design, Lóa is a founding member of the electro-pop band FM Belfast, where her energy and creativity come to life on stage.

In this short episode we talked about Lóa’s “accidental” careers, how the disruption of Covid was a catalyst for her entrepreneurship, and the supportive creative community in Reykjavík. We also discussed the joys of toys!

See Loa's work here.

In this 10th episode of Two Beats Ahead Live!, Michael speaks with Jóel Pálsson, acclaimed saxophonist and cofounder of Farmers Market, an Icelandic design company and clothing brand. A five time recipient of Iceland’s Jazz Album of the Year, he has performed in concerts and festivals in Europe, America, Canada and China and appeared on over 150 albums with various artists and groups. He is also a graduate of Berklee College of Music.

Their discussion weaves together the similarities of jazz and fashion retail. They discuss taking inspiration from the past, finding an authentic voice, and working with trusted collaborators. They also discuss connecting with audiences, staying committed to iteration and the value of setting constraints to unlock creativity.