Equal parts athlete and artist, Nivash Jayaram ’25 has a love for the stage and the stadium. He grew up playing jazz guitar and singing in choir, while also running track and playing soccer and lacrosse. They may be two different worlds, but he embraces them both.
When it came to making a living, he chose the music path as his foundation, studying audio engineering and music business at Columbia College. In his free time, he played quadball: a full-contact, gender-inclusive sport inspired by Harry Potter’s quidditch. While competing as a Chicago Prowl athlete, he also documented his experiences as a Major League Quadball vlogger.
His 12-episode series, called Cuts by Nivs, documented the team’s practices and games from preseason to the championships, including when Jayaram scored the game-winning goal to make it to the finals, breaking a six-year dry spell for the Chicago Prowl.
As he vlogged and edited, he realized he was doing the kind of work he would love to do every day: digital design and creation.
After a few long conversations with his uncle, who works at a creative arts college in Singapore, Jayaram decided to pursue a graduate program to cultivate his design ideas, explore new career possibilities, and expand his creative network.
“I was looking for structure and a new path forward, and the MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises (MSLCE) program could give me that,” he explains.
He was introduced to new ideas from the very first quarter, when he took Managing AI in Creative Industries, led by Professors Leslie Dechurch, Ignacio Fernandez, and Duri Long. At first, Jayaram says he thought about dropping the course. He didn’t know much about the technology and never thought he’d use it, until Long shared a quote from a Harvard Business Review article that resonated: AI won’t replace humans, but humans with AI will replace humans without AI.
“I started thinking about that in my own work,” he explains. “As I design for amateur sports teams, work with creative assets, and create merchandising, I started using AI to manage my workflow and generate ideas—and it’s all because of this class I almost didn’t take. The program is helping me push my boundaries.”
He also appreciated the opportunity to take Digital Media in Sports, led by Faculty Director Christopher Russo out of the School of Professional Studies.
The course’s final project required Jayaram to develop a comprehensive business plan for a venture he planned to launch in the future. As a result, he created a strategy for a start-up studio dedicated to art-based jersey design. “The NBA already has City Edition jerseys that pay homage to the unique culture, history, and identity of each team’s city,” he says. “As the future becomes more visually integrated, there will be more opportunities like this in advertising, merchandising, and marketing.”
Jayaram’s proposal focused on designing jerseys that honor past traditions while embracing a modern approach to sports merchandising—pushing boundaries while staying true to the cultural heritage that defines each team and its fanbase.
He’s bringing these new insights back to his role as creative director for Major League Quadball, where he works with commissioners to bring the sport to new levels. Right now, he’s leading the content and design direction for the league’s 10-year anniversary, overseeing concept development, strategy, and coordination with filmmakers, editors, and voiceover talent.
“MSLCE is giving me the framework to navigate how to work in teams, manage projects, and contribute as part of a bigger brand. Everything I’m learning applies to my everyday work,” Jayaram says.
These skills will serve him well as he pursues a career in sports marketing, with the goal of using his master’s degree and experiences in niche sports to reach wider audiences by impacting change in established sports like basketball, soccer, and lacrosse.
“People don’t often realize all the creative work that goes into sports,” he points out. “From ads and commercials to stadium visuals, there’s so much work to be done behind the scenes. I want to make sure the jerseys an athlete wears, whether it’s in quadball or at the World Cup, are high-quality and eye-catching so everyone knows what team they represent and they leave a lasting impression on fans.”
Nivash Jayaram ’25 says one of the most valuable lessons he’s learned through his MSLCE experience is to step out of his bubble. Here, he shares three ways he does this.
- Be willing to talk to new people. “In a grad program, you’ll be learning with people of different backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities. It’s great opportunity to gain insights from them.”
- Be courageous enough to go to events alone. “Take the opportunity to introduce yourself and find out what others are all about. Everyone is here to build their careers and grow themselves as professionals. Make connections on a real level.”
- Keep the future in mind. “You never know who you may be talking to. At the end of the day, some of the people you meet could be your coworkers or peers.”
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