HAUTE LIVING EXECUTIVE Q&A: Ashanti Abdullah, Founder and CEO, Ternwheel

Photo Credit: Ternwheel.com

HL: Was there a moment or experience that made you realize the live music industry needed a tool like Ternwheel? Who are some of the artists and names you have worked with?

Ashanti Abdullah: Absolutely, this started from the road. I spent over 20 years managing artists, from indie favorites to Grammy nominees, and whether it was Rhymesayers, MMYYKK, M.anifest, Alchemist or working behind the scenes with folks like Sway, or 9th Wonders team, I kept seeing the same thing: the touring side was chaotic, fragmented, and often financially unclear.

There wasn’t a system that could tie logistics, finances, and real-time updates into one clean workflow. Ternwheel was born out of that frustration—and the belief that artists deserve better infrastructure to grow sustainable careers.

We built it for the culture first. And if anyone wants to see it for themselves, we offer a 14-day free trial at ternwheel.com.

HL: What are some of the biggest financial and logistical challenges artists face when touring, and how does Ternwheel help solve them?

Ashanti Abdullah: The three big ones are:

Budget misfires—most artists find out what they made after the tour’s done.

Communication breakdowns—promoters, production, and artists all use different systems (or worse, text threads).

Lack of visibility—there’s no real-time pulse on profitability.

Ternwheel solves that with a centralized hub, your full tour budget, settlement projections, even guest lists and day-of logistics, all in one place. Artists can focus on the show, while we make sure the business behind it is tight.

HL: Ternwheel offers real-time insights and revenue projections. Can you give us a quick walkthrough on how the platform works and how it empowers artists to make more informed decisions?

Ashanti Abdullah: It’s like giving artists and managers a live dashboard for their tour. You can set your tour budget, track income and expenses city by city, see how you’re pacing, and even forecast whether you’re going to be in the red or the black.

Ternwheel auto-calculates your projected revenue and lets you adjust on the fly. So instead of waiting until the end of the tour to find out if you made money, you can actually course-correct mid-run. It’s peace of mind and power in your hands—and again, you can test-drive it free for two weeks.

HL: What’s the tech innovation that differentiates Ternwheel?

Ashanti Abdullah: We built a profitability engine for live touring. That’s the core differentiator.

A lot of tools focus on ticketing or planning. We focus on the money, in real-time. We combine financial modeling, team collaboration, and logistics tracking into one platform, with instant visibility for everyone involved.

And we’re not just a tech company; we’re insiders. We know what it feels like to be standing backstage, wondering if the tour’s breaking even. That’s what we’re solving.

HL: How is Ternwheel growing? What’s next up? Can you talk about the upcoming banking features? What are you hearing for feedback?

Ashanti Abdullah: We’ve grown from 50 users at SXSW to hundreds of users across North America and Europe, and feedback has been incredible. People keep telling us: finally, something made for how we actually tour.

Next up: We’re building embedded banking. Imagine routing income directly to your Ternwheel wallet, paying vendors instantly from one place, and even splitting payouts with your team automatically. It’s going to remove friction and bring real transparency to tour finances.

HL: This platform seems to be applicable to any touring entity, do you see sports and production being part of your eventual scope?

Ashanti Abdullah: Definitely. We started with music because that’s where our roots are, but the need is broader. Comedy tours, sports roadshows, even corporate production crews, anyone who moves from city to city and needs to manage budgets, logistics, and people in real time can benefit from Ternwheel.

Long-term, we see this as the operating system for touring.

HL: Given the shifts in the music industry, where do you see the future of live touring headed, and how does Ternwheel fit into that evolution?

Ashanti Abdullah: Touring is no longer just promotion, it is the business model for many artists. With streaming paying fractions of a cent, your live show is your product, your merch booth is your storefront.

But without real tools, it’s too easy to burn out or break even. Ternwheel is stepping in to change that—giving artists control, clarity, and confidence to tour smarter and sustain longer careers. We’re not just building tech, we’re helping build wealth in the culture.

HL: Besides subscribing to Ternwheel, what’s one bit of advice you would give to a young artist, manager or record exec?

Ashanti Abdullah: Own your data. Own your numbers. Don’t leave the business side to someone else, not anymore.

It’s tempting to just focus on the art, but the people who last are the ones who learn both. Platforms like Ternwheel exist to make that easier. But the mindset, that’s up to you.

HL: How do you like being an entrepreneur? Have you seen a lifestyle change since shifting to this side?

Ashanti Abdullah: It’s humbling and powerful. I went from backstage to building the stage. There’s freedom in it, but also weight. You’re not just solving problems for artists, you’re carrying the responsibility to deliver. My day-to-day is way less glamorous now, but it’s more impactful.

And I’ll be real, this isn’t a solo journey. My wife, My kids, my family, and my team, they’re all part of it.

And what keeps me going is knowing we’re building something that can uplift a whole community of creatives.

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