Anne McKinnon

Anne McKinnon is CEO and cofounder of award-winning platform Ristband, using immersive and gaming technology to supercharge the music industry.

Anne’s team won the SXSW Audience Award in 2023 for their official hybrid (live & digital) Future x Music event. In January 2023, Anne was recognized by IQ Magazine as one of the live music industry’s most visionary professionals. In 2022, she published the first Report on Diversity in Virtual Worlds. In 2021, her team received a grant from Epic Games in recognition of their work supporting emerging artists and creating new types of live gaming experiences.

Anne has a unique background spanning gaming, deep tech, media and entertainment. Prior to Ristband, Anne supported emerging technology startups through growth and acquisition. She has also worked with world-class music management, agents, and labels.

Anne is an editor and a contributor to Forbes’ writer Charlie Fink’s book Convergence on 5G and AR. She continues to write reports for the UK government on emerging technology in foreign markets, providing the evidence base for where it should invest, and identifying opportunities for UK businesses to build partnerships and collaborations with key economies.

In 2018, her speculative fiction short story “Memories Inc” was recognised by the British Science Fiction Association, and later published by New Con Press.