Entertainment

DJ RIA Has Our Eye

Published

3 years ago

February 16, 2022

Born and raised in New York City, Maria Clifton– otherwise known as DJ RIA– is truly a force to be reckoned with. After spending several years playing professional basketball overseas in Germany, she took her talents back to the city and established herself in a handful of professions, including modeling, acting, and leading DJ.

Soon after her basketball career, Clifton began working in the entertainment industry at the age of 21. Before her many jobs in the industry, she worked at the front office for the New York Knicks as a coordinator in field marketing and community relations. She also worked for the NY Rangers and the NY Liberty in event presentations. But it didn’t take her long to figure out she was meant for much more than just a desk job.

Thanks to her tenacity and her hustle-mentality from playing sports, she decided to pursue acting and modeling full time after signing with the prestigious Wilhelmina agency. Clifton has now worked everything from sports & fitness to commercial and runway. However, she has certainly been adamant about mentioning it was no easy feat. “It took a lot for me to make the decision to chase this somewhat far-fetched dream,” she explained. “I had to sacrifice a lot. But I’ve discovered that the hard work you put in is everything you’ll get back.”

And the female powerhouse didn’t stop there. After modeling for three years, while catching up with her old boss Ryan Halkett from her time in event relations, he suggested she had the ideal look and background to take up DJing. Halkett recalled that Clifton had played the violin and the flute throughout grade school, so he explained that the transition to music wouldn’t be a far jump. She, of course, mastered the art of DJing in no time and was hired by a company created solely for female DJs in the current scene. Eventually, she found herself playing exclusive gigs that were hosted in high-end venues such as the W and The Dream Hotel. Within a saturated, male-dominated industry, RIA found herself succeeding beyond comprehension. As per her history in sports, she was ready and willing to conquer whatever stood in her way for achieving greatness.

Once the company she was working for disintegrated, Clifton began to manage herself. Her fame as DJ RIA blew up due to her established networking relationships that played alongside her talent. She began to receive freelance gig invites from MLB and NHL teams who wanted her DJing at the games. She has now DJed for the MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, and NFL. She’s also worked events for companies such as Nike, Puma, Moët & Chandon, Hennessy, and more. As of 2020, she’s gotten signed as a contracted host and DJ for the NY Liberty and the NY Islanders. She’s also gotten the opportunity to co-host Scram Jones on Shade 45, a SiriusXM radio station, for the past six years.

Although she’s enjoyed the nightlife gigs (and still does), Clifton claims her transition over to the production portion of the industry allowed her to “find her niche” and play her own personal flow of music. Her favorite gigs usually consist of corporate events and weddings, where she gets to “curate a vibe”. Her current freedom as an artist, and being able to share her talents with people that enjoy it, are the main reasons she so flawlessly thrives in her career.

So what does a woman who’s done it all do next? Well, Clifton tells us that her ultimate long-term goal is to own a company resembling that of an agency that can sign a number of talented female DJs and provide them with top-of-the-line opportunities. In an industry where female DJs are few and far between, this kind of business endeavor could be a game-changer for women who stand where Clifton once stood at the very beginning of her journey. Granted, it seems like quite the task. But a challenging factor has never been one to scare off Maria Clifton.

You can stay updated with DJ Ria on her Instagram www.instagram.com/riaria5

Entertainment

Going Public: The Groundbreaking Series Transforming How Americans Invest

Published

1 month ago

May 16, 2025

Jonathan Grilli

In a media landscape saturated with reality TV and startup showcases, Going Public stands apart, not just as a show but as a movement. Now in its third season, the interactive series invites viewers to do more than just watch entrepreneurs chase success. It gives them the tools and the opportunity to invest in startups in real time, democratizing access to early-stage funding and reshaping how ordinary Americans engage with entrepreneurship and wealth-building.

Launched by Todd M. Goldberg, a former MedTech executive who hit a frustrating wall while preparing his company for a Nasdaq IPO, Going Public was born from a moment of personal disillusionment.

“When I brought a list of interested friends and colleagues to the Chairman of the Board,” Goldberg recalls, “he explained that all the IPO shares were reserved for institutional investors. That was my epiphany. I just knew that was wrong. Regular people should have a chance to invest in IPOs, but it needed to go even further.”

That insight became the foundation for Going Public, a hybrid of entrepreneurial storytelling and financial access that offers retail investors a seat at the table usually reserved for venture capitalists and insiders. The show brings audiences inside the capital-raising journey of startups, often before they go public, and leverages a powerful innovation: its “Click-to-Invest” feature.

“The bottom line with Click-to-Invest is that it’s seamless,” says Goldberg. “Viewers can go from watching the show to literally clicking a button. It feels more like a Shopify or Amazon checkout than a traditional investment process.”

This accessibility is central to the show’s mission: to educate, inspire, and empower everyday people to participate in early-stage investing. Unlike financial news channels that target seasoned traders, Going Public merges entertainment with financial literacy, using real startup stories to highlight the risks, rewards, and realities of entrepreneurship. It’s financial content with emotional stakes, real people, and tangible outcomes.

Season 3 reflects how far the show has come and where it’s going. With more celebrity involvement, including gaming icon Ninja backing the cashew milk startup Nutcase, and a strategic partnership with the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Going Public has widened its reach while deepening its cultural relevance.

“How do you make this mainstream?” Goldberg says. “The concept was The Apprentice meets Shark Tank meets IPO, but with a twist. Viewers aren’t just spectators, they’re stakeholders.”

The show’s selection of featured companies is another defining element. Startups are chosen not just for their growth potential but also for their mission, relatability, and cultural resonance. In Season 3, that includes everything from disruptive wellness brands to tech-enabled platforms, each paired with guidance from top-tier venture capitalists and Silicon Valley mentors.

This season also introduces a livestream finale, a format innovation designed to create a real-time, high-stakes environment where viewers can watch, decide, and invest together. It adds urgency and community to the investing experience, aligning with the show’s values of transparency and participation.

One of the most surprising and meaningful outcomes has been the personal stories from viewers who never imagined themselves as investors. “We’ve heard from teachers, nurses, and even students who said this was their first time investing and they felt confident doing it because the show made it accessible,” Goldberg shares. “It’s not just about money, it’s about empowerment.”

Looking ahead, Goldberg and his team have ambitious plans. They aim to expand the format to new platforms, explore international adaptations, and build out educational tools so viewers not only invest but understand what they’re investing in. The goal isn’t just more participation. It’s smarter participation.

In a world where capital often feels distant, technical, and exclusionary, Going Public brings the financial journey down to earth and into the hands of the people. It’s not just a show. It’s a redefinition of how business stories are told and how wealth can be created and shared.