During the 2012 International Association of Venue Managers Performing Arts Managers Conference in New York City, Mount Allen introduced the concept of non-higher-education performing arts venue participation in research and education networks. Since that introduction, he has worked to integrate advanced networking technology into the arts industry, highlighting the use of apps such as JackTrip and EduMEET, in Networked Music Performance involving world-renown jazz artists: Where latency truly matters. 

Presently Mount is the Director of Network Engagement for the San Francisco Jazz Organization. He opened the SFJAZZ Center in 2013, which is now a first adopter of Research and Education Network technology in a non-academic arts environment. 

Prior to joining SFJAZZ, Mount was on the opening team of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, the world’s first venue specifically designed for jazz. Before this appointment, Mount was on the opening team for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, New Jersey, the nation’s sixth largest performing arts center at that time. 

In recognition of the value of higher education, between the openings of SFJAZZ and Jazz at Lincoln Center, Mount worked at Lehigh University as a Director Scheduling, where he pursued a Bachelor’s degree in organization management, and a Master’s degree in educational leadership. Since moving to the Bay Area, he achieved his doctorate from California State University- Fresno, with a research focus on the Democratization of the Research and Education Network in federal land grant institutions, including Historical Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. In further support of his research, he sits on the Executive Leadership Board of the Minority Serving – Cyberinfrastructure Consortium and heads the Technology Committee for the California Librarians Black Caucus. He also holds the professional designation of Certified Venue Executive (CVE).