The music changes every day for Shalya Forte and her team. Up in their sunny Midtown office, they look out over the Atlanta skyline from the 15th floor as they work — and part of that work is playing and discovering new artists daily. Today’s streaming music station is Tears for Fears. Using the company’s trademark technology — where an algorithm organizes 40 million-plus songs in the company’s music catalog according to more than 450 attributes — Pandora will play different tunes all day that sound similar to the British pop band.

As director of the Southeast U.S. for Pandora Radio, Forte has built the streaming music service’s footprint and revenue in the region during a period of dizzying change for the industry and the technologies that make it possible.

Forte’s professional relationship with Pandora began in 2009 as an independent consultant. At the time, she was working with a number of Internet startups, helping them establish a presence in the Southeast. When the opportunity to consult with Pandora arose, Forte saw its career-defining potential.