Ron Gubitz has spent his career proving that creativity isn't just nice to have—it's the engine that drives real change. Whether he's in a classroom in St. Louis, collaborating with Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center, or testifying before California legislators about fair ticketing practices, Ron brings an infectious belief that music and community can transform lives. 

In 1999, he co-founded Hip Hop Congress, a grassroots organization that connects diverse groups of people from around the world to inspire social activism, civic engagement, cultural creativity, and economic growth. 

He began his professional career as an English teacher at Vashon High School in the St. Louis Public Schools. After four years in the classroom, he served as a recruitment manager and teacher trainer at Teach For America. In 2010, he moved to New Orleans to become a Principal in New Orleans with ReNEW Schools and the Batiste family, infusing his love of music and deep respect for New Orleans culture with the curriculum to help students improve academic performance, increase attendance, and reinforce positive behaviors that ultimately lead to higher probability of lifelong success. 

While at the ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy he incorporated an initiative launched by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities called Turnaround Arts. By making arts education fundamental rather than elective to the curriculum, ReNEW went from the 2nd lowest ranking school in the state, to one with exceptional student growth, earning recognition from the White House. The program’s success gained national recognition, leading to speaking opportunities at the National Conference of State Legislators, the Creative Coalition Advocacy Awards, South by Southwest Education Conference, and the White House Turnaround Arts Talent Show with Trombone Shorty. Ron was also recruited by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to serve as a Leadership Coach for Turnaround Arts, working with school principals and major artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Kerry Washington, Dave Matthews and Alfre Woodard to transform schools nationwide by integrating arts into all aspects of school. 

His deep interest in technology and systems-building led to him developing teacher coaching software Whetstone Education, an EdTech platform later acquired by SchoolMint. SchoolMint works in schools across the country, supporting enrollment, coaching, and training.

While serving as Executive Director at Tulane Hillel, he was named to the sixth class of Wexner Field Fellows, an exclusive highly competitive 3-year professional development program for Jewish community leaders. Gubitz has also served as an adjunct trainer for the New Leaders educator improvement program and as a Leadership Facilitator for the Millstone Fellows, a collaborative training program for emerging community leaders in St. Louis. 

Now serving as the Executive Director of the Music Artists Coalition (MAC), he collaborates closely with other powerful likeminded organizations such as the Black Music Action Coalition, Songwriters of North America, Artists Rights Alliance, the Recording Academy, and SAG-AFTRA to champion music creators’ rights to fair compensation, ownership of their work, and sustainable careers. His unique professional trajectory helps empower MAC’s work to protect the careers of those making the music that transforms others’ lives in a way that only a music industry outsider can.