Mel Carter is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and music executive with more than 15 years of experience spanning entertainment, food and beverage, real estate, and finance. He is widely recognized for his ability to build culturally driven businesses, scale operations, and bridge creative industries with institutional capital. Carter currently serves on multiple corporate boards, where he brings a rare combination of cultural fluency, strategic insight, and hands-on operating experience.
Carter began his career as a talent manager before rising to senior leadership roles in the music industry. He served as Senior Vice President of A&R at Republic Records and later became the top A&R consultant for Warner Records. He is the founder of Hikari Ultra, a joint venture with Republic Records, and Second Estate Records, a joint venture with Warner Records, both focused on developing and breaking new talent. Expanding beyond traditional music, Carter also founded GSM, a label and platform designed to provide streamers and digital content creators with capital, infrastructure, and ownership to scale their careers.
Beyond entertainment, Carter is an experienced operator and investor. He is the owner and managing partner of Melanbo, a franchise development company that has acquired more than 32 Bojangles restaurants across the Southeastern United States. He previously held equity in the Sweet Chick restaurant group and continues to invest in hospitality and consumer-facing brands.
In real estate, Carter is a co-founder of Adansonia, a mission-driven development firm focused on affordable housing in the New York tri-state area. His work across real estate and franchising reflects deep expertise in capital raising, deal structuring, and scaling multi-unit operations through strategic partnerships.
Carter is also a co-host of *Business Untitled*, a podcast focused on entrepreneurship, investing, and finance, alongside Galaxy Digital CEO Michael Novogratz and developer David Barry. He serves on the Leadership Council of the Robin Hood Foundation, one of New York City’s largest anti-poverty organizations, supporting education, disaster relief, and economic mobility initiatives.
A committed philanthropist and mentor, Carter is a passionate advocate for youth and underserved communities. He leads charitable efforts connected to his Trinidadian roots, including an annual toy drive launched in 2019, and actively supports mentorship and youth empowerment initiatives.
Across industries, Mel Carter is known for identifying cultural inflection points, building enduring brands, and creating pathways for both creative and economic opportunity.
Mel Carter is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and music executive with more than 15 years of experience spanning entertainment, food and beverage, real estate, and finance. He is widely recognized for his ability to build culturally driven businesses, scale operations, and bridge creative industries with institutional capital. Carter currently serves on multiple corporate boards, where he brings a rare combination of cultural fluency, strategic insight, and hands-on operating experience.
Carter began his career as a talent manager before rising to senior leadership roles in the music industry. He served as Senior Vice President of A&R at Republic Records and later became the top A&R consultant for Warner Records. He is the founder of Hikari Ultra, a joint venture with Republic Records, and Second Estate Records, a joint venture with Warner Records, both focused on developing and breaking new talent. Expanding beyond traditional music, Carter also founded GSM, a label and platform designed to provide streamers and digital content creators with capital, infrastructure, and ownership to scale their careers.
Beyond entertainment, Carter is an experienced operator and investor. He is the owner and managing partner of Melanbo, a franchise development company that has acquired more than 32 Bojangles restaurants across the Southeastern United States. He previously held equity in the Sweet Chick restaurant group and continues to invest in hospitality and consumer-facing brands.
In real estate, Carter is a co-founder of Adansonia, a mission-driven development firm focused on affordable housing in the New York tri-state area. His work across real estate and franchising reflects deep expertise in capital raising, deal structuring, and scaling multi-unit operations through strategic partnerships.
Carter is also a co-host of *Business Untitled*, a podcast focused on entrepreneurship, investing, and finance, alongside Galaxy Digital CEO Michael Novogratz and developer David Barry. He serves on the Leadership Council of the Robin Hood Foundation, one of New York City’s largest anti-poverty organizations, supporting education, disaster relief, and economic mobility initiatives.
A committed philanthropist and mentor, Carter is a passionate advocate for youth and underserved communities. He leads charitable efforts connected to his Trinidadian roots, including an annual toy drive launched in 2019, and actively supports mentorship and youth empowerment initiatives.
Across industries, Mel Carter is known for identifying cultural inflection points, building enduring brands, and creating pathways for both creative and economic opportunity.
