Kent Nielsen is a serial entrepreneur focused on improving the processes, solutions and viability for professional artists in the music, film/video and creative tech sectors. In December of 2011, Kent and business partner Dan Mahoney acquired and successfully turned around a failing 55,000 square foot band rehearsal/storage business on the north side of Chicago. Re-branded and launched as Fort Knox Studios, the existing 92 studios at Knox quickly became sold out and Fort Knox currently maintains a multi-year waiting list for new tenant band applicants.
In the years since, Kent and Dan have expanded Knox to 160,000 square feet. Fort Knox now houses significant footprint for nearly every vertical in the music industry, including band rehearsal, national/international act facilities, composing, recording, video production, schools, office space for management, booking, promoters, labels, non-profits, photographers, stylists and commercial industrial space for production companies. In July 2015 marks the launch of 2112, the world's first music/film/video/creative tech sector incubator and accelerator space.
Recognizing that the music and film/video sectors run on relationships, Kent and Dan have sought to create the best environment in the world for people to develop them naturally.