Young People Doing Cool Shit Dec 2025
Featuring Elijah De Los Santos, Of the Saint Production; Sarah Lycan-Lang, Coalition Music; Jalyssa “Jai” Mills, BAMMY Fridays; Ziyaad Haniff, storied; and Ninad Tripathi, ArtHaus.
JALYSSA “JAI” MILLS
BAMMY Fridays & Do Me Nice • With nearly a decade of experience in live music at INK, Paquin, and The Drake, Jai is presently the founder of two event series: BAMMY Fridays, a monthly lovers rock and reggae celebration of Caribbean culture, musicianship, and community; and Do Me Nice, a live Afro jazz dinner series.
BAMMY brings together a seven- piece band, DJs, emerging culinary partners, and a biannual marketplace that spotlights Black-owned vendors. “[It is] the warmth and nostalgia of growing up Caribbean, the songs our parents played on weekend mornings, and that feeling of ease, unity, and safety,” says Jai.
Do Me Nice is intimate, soulful, and romantic, blending live musical arrangements with visual storytelling and a chef-driven culinary experience by Chef FT.
Jai, an advocate for mental health, curates her events with intentionality, centring joy, belonging, and cultural safety. “These things are forms of care,” she says. “I am proud that BAMMY has grown into a trusted cultural space built by and for the diaspora. Every month, we support a full Black led ecosystem.”
Follow along: @bammyfridays / @do.me.nice
SARAH LYCAN-LANG
Coalition Music • Sarah, Communications and Tour Marketing and Logistics Manager, led marketing on Simple Plan’s recent international and headline US tours, the latter of which sold over 100K tickets.
In her role at Coalition, Sarah oversees tour marketing for all live shows, from clubs to international tours, which also included Amanda Marshall Heavy Lifting Tour (including two sold out nights at Massey Hall) and LØLØ's 2025 headline US tour with multiple sold out shows.
As live performance becomes increasingly central to artist development, Sarah sees every show as an opportunity to connect directly with fans. “Every market is a chance to reach new and longtime fans alike and the challenge is connecting the dots from awareness to ticket purchase,” she says, on collaborating with artists and their teams.
She also has a message for fans: “Take chances on artists you haven’t heard of. Support opening acts. Go to smaller venues. See live shows!”
Follow along: @coalitionmus / coalitionmusic.com
Ninad “Trips” Tripathi
South Asian Music Accelerator • Ninad is a Label Manager and Artist Manager at ArtHaus, where he leads signing and development strategy, oversees release planning, A&R, and marketing, and supports publishing A&R initiatives (including work with Yanchan, a South Asian producer with credits for artists like Russ and Lil Durk). He also manages a growing roster of artists, including Shanii, Paesler, and Ujjwal.
Ninad co-founded SAMA at ArtHaus, a development program to equip South Asian artists with education, mentorship, and access to industry infrastructure. The first song camp hosted 9 artists, from which emerged 16 finished records, further engaging over 350 community members throughout the year through mixers and workshops.
“The program created a space that many artists described as the first time they felt truly seen and supported supported within the Canadian music industry. We watched artists who entered the room as strangers leave as collaborators, and in several cases, active creative partners.”
Ninad started his career as an independent concert promoter. “I booked Freddie Gibbs for a show that sold out in 24 hours. He was one of my favourite artists growing up, and it was a full-circle moment that affirmed I was exactly where I was meant to be in this industry.”
Follow: @welcometoarthaus / @southasianmusicaccelerator
Ziyaad Haniff
storied • Ziyaad is the Creative Director at storied, a full-service creative agency providing bespoke multimedia services.
His recent project, band Keep in Touch’s “Waste My Time”, advocates for more equitable distribution of resources in the Canadian music landscape. It recreates 22 iconic Canadian music videos (including Hotling Bling, Call Me Maybe, Maybe, and Stitches)—but on a zero-dollar budget.
This year, storied launched Storied Fund, an initiative that crowdsources capital to compensate marginalized creatives for meaningful, portfolio-building, work experiences. “We've often paid young professionals' first-ever invoice, or provided their first paid opportunity,” said Ziyaad. “We’ve also helped artists secure their first grants, with tens of thousands of dollars awarded to the teams we’ve supported.”
Follow along: @ziyaadhaniff / ziyaadhaniff.com
Elijah “Of the Saint” De Los Santos
OTS Media Agency • Elijah recently launched his new creative agency, OTS Media. “We help companies turn attention into revenue,” says Elijah. “For music clients, that means transforming moments into long-term momentum.”
OTS Media, and Elijah’s portfolio, spans restaurants, tech companies, and community organizations. “It’s taught me the importance of consistency, structure, and clear branding,” he says of bridging between creativity and growth. “I make sure artists have a reliable content system, a clear identity online, and a plan that works month over month.”
Elijah has documented storied moments at festivals, industry events, and creative sessions, with clients including Manifesto Festival, Warner, Universal, Bank of Montreal, and Wingstop, and recently directed the Billboard Canada Women in Music video.
He also runs OTS Creators Hub, a growing community for emerging media creatives to learn, collaborate, and grow.
Follow along: @otsmediaagency / otsmediaagency.com
