From the Appalachians to a global stage
Radda was born from a simple truth: talent can come from anywhere, but opportunity often cannot. Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains, founder Michelle Schodowski relied on the internet to reach precollege mentors she couldn’t find nearby. Inspired by her early experiences, she created Radda during her MBA studies at the University of North Texas in 2019. That year, Radda was awarded first place in the Ed Tech Ascend Business Pitch Competition—an early milestone that marked the beginning of its journey to empower musicians everywhere, no matter where they begin.