Studio Bank Lays Groundwork To Enter Nashville Market

Pictured (L-R): Aaron Dorn, Studio Bank’s Chairman, President, CEO and Ron Cox, Studio Bank’s Executive VP overseeing Music, Arts, & Entertainment Division.

The team behind Studio Bank recently filed notice with the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions of its intent to apply for a banking charter. This is the first regulatory filing in the process of becoming a bank and, upon approval, will allow organizers to begin raising the bank’s main round of capital as early as next month.

Among those heading the initiative are former Avenue Bank leaders with a strong presence in Nashville’s creative sector and close ties to the music industry. They also have plans to extend beyond the music community to the city’s diverse industries encompassing healthcare, residential construction and development, small to mid-size businesses and the local freelance economy, as well as retail, mortgage and private banking.

The executive team includes Aaron Dorn, Chairman, President, CEO; Larry Dorris, Chief Operating Officer; Richard Bynum, Chief Credit Officer; April Britt, Chief Experience Officer; and Greg Barron, Chief Financial Officer.

Ron Cox, who serves as co-founder of Studio Bank, and was previously co-founder of Avenue Bank, will serve as Executive VP of Studio Bank and oversee the music, arts, and entertainment division.

Dorn has music industry experience and previously served as co-founder and senior leader with Avenue Bank, while also heading marketing and branding initiatives. “I am honored to represent such a phenomenal and growing coalition of community and business leaders who share a passion for this endeavor,” said Dorn. “The company we are creating will reflect the soul of Nashville, which is beloved for its creativity, innovation and collaborative spirit. Imagine a boutique bank that is hyper-local, sophisticated and nimble, with an amazing client experience, tech-savvy products, and bankers who are highly engaged in serving our city—a bank that is social and enjoys making connections, bringing together a diverse community of clients and friends.”

The Nashville music industry is well represented on the bank’s board of directors by CAA’s Rod Essig and THiS Music’s Rusty Gaston, alongside others on the distinguished list (see below).

The team is also assembling a board of advisors who represent Nashville’s signature industries and civic organizations. Additionally, John Ingram, Chairman of Ingram Content Group, has been reported as an investor in the bank by the Nashville Business Journal.

Board of Directors:
• Howard C. Bluver, former President, CEO, and Director, Suffolk County National Bank (NY); former Director, Bank of Georgetown (Washington D.C.)
• Ronald L. Corbin, Principal, RBBC Holdings; former head of All-State Insurance Company’s Southern Region
• Aaron J. Dorn, President & CEO, SFH Pursuit Company, Inc.
• Josh Deutsch, Chairman & CEO, Downtown Records (NYC)
• Patrick G. Emery, President, Spectrum|Emery
• Rodney A. (Rod) Essig, Co-Head & Agent, Creative Arts Agency (CAA), Nashville
• Sara J. Finley, Principal, Threshold Corporate Consulting, LLC; former General Counsel, CVS Caremark Corporation
• John R. (Rusty) Gaston, General Manager & Partner, THiS Music
• Lawson H. (Mike) Hardwick, III, Founder & CEO, Churchill Mortgage Corporation
• Matthew H. Kisber, CEO, Silicon Ranch Corporation; former Commissioner of Economic Development for the State of Tennessee
• Tara Scarlett, President & CEO, Scarlett Family Foundation
• Patricia G. Shea, Founder & Chair, Womens Presidents’ Organization, Nashville; former President & CEO, YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee
• Kent D. Wood, Entrepreneur and Investor, ImageQuest, PTS of America, Latitude, Healthcare TTU