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Alex Brown is Transitioning Industries and Expanding Perspectives

By Miya Williams Fayne

Alex Brown likes to challenge people’s beliefs and encourage them to question their viewpoints. While she began doing this as a higher education administrator, she now wants to implement this philosophy on a broader scale by applying it to the entertainment industry. (more…)

A “Year Of Power”: MSLCE Visits Chicago Humanities Festival


By Brenna C. Cronin

The MSLCE cohort was warmly greeted by a six-member team at the Chicago Humanities Festival offices last week. With the sound of hammering and drilling in the air, the Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF) is the definition of a vibrant and expanding arts nonprofit, full of impact and growth—literally! (more…)

Clear Mission and Purpose: A Visit with Orbert Davis


By Brenna C. Cronin

From his school band program where he met the trumpet, to prestigious jazz degrees at Depaul University and Northwestern University, there is no question of the power of music over Orbert Davis’ life. He built his career path from a studio musician in the “jobbing” economy, to four successful business ventures, including Discover Music: Discover Life, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, Chicago Immigrant Stories, and Chicago Jazz Academy. Mr. Davis visited the Revenue Strategies class, led by Professor Karen Gahl-Mills, to discuss the power of combining revenue strategies to create a successful business. (more…)

Unique DaCosta is Combining Work and Play


By Miya Williams Fayne

Unique DaCosta is interacting with music on a multitude of levels. She has a background in singing and is currently participating in the business side of the industry with like-minded people at Pandora. “The culture at Pandora is pretty awesome because everybody loves music and it’s a given,” she said. “It is such an integral part of what we do and how we operate here.” (more…)

Data Detectives on an Easter Egg Hunt: MSLCE Student and Professor Collaborate Outside the Classroom


by Thomas Wall

Have you ever been watching one of your favorite movies and noticed a kind of hidden message? Something subtle, and requiring knowledge of another film to understand? Perhaps something left just for you or like-minded fans? It can be a simple as an image of R2D2 showing up in Raiders of the Lost Ark or as subtle as the carpet from Toy Story having the same pattern as that from The Shining. These connections between two separate films are called “Easter eggs,” and one MSLCE student is working with one of their former professors to help track them all down. (more…)

“It’s All About The Why”: Personal Brand Session Covers LinkedIn Tips + More

By ALYSSA HOLCOMB

‘Tis the season to be applying… As the current MSLCE cohort inches closer and closer to summer internship season, the EPICS team has been hosting a series of events geared towards preparing students for interviews and beyond. A recent session, led by Associate Director of EPICS Jonah Zeiger, covered personal branding. More specifically, it covered branding on the LinkedIn platform and how to maximize its potential and utilize it for both professional and personal growth.
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Leaders Rising, Dispatches from the SphinxConnect Conference


By Claudia Encinas

As MSLCE students, we often have the opportunity to dive deeply into the inner workings of many different arts organizations. We look at them through various lenses and strive to understand how and why they achieve success (or don’t). (more…)

Sharing Theatre On and Off Stage


By Miya Williams Fayne

Elizabeth Carner fell in love with theatre when she was eight years old. She attended a performance of Peter Pan and was inspired to work in theatre one day. She recalled, “Peter Pan was the start of realizing that I wanted to inspire an audience, as a way to give back to the community. (more…)

A Lesson in Entrepreneurship with David Schonthal


By Joshua Baggett

Despite it being an especially cold day in Evanston (the wind chill was a biting -7 below), several members of the current MSLCE cohort recently had the opportunity to broaden our entrepreneurial knowledge at Entrepreneurship 101. The MSLCE exclusive workshop was led by David Schonthal, who is a professor of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Kellogg School of Management as well as Senior Portfolio Director at the consultancy firm IDEO. Schonthal shared his wisdom on topics including business model generation, customer acquisition, and how to approach problems that arise when businesses are in the start-up phase. Special focus was given to creating and adapting the Osterwalder Business Model Canvas, which is a common strategy used across lines of business. (more…)

Non-Profit Arts Engagement’s Collaborative Role in Influencing Cultural Change


By Aimee Ortega

Theater number three in the historic Harper Theater, located off of Harper Avenue in Hyde Park, was filled to capacity a few weeks ago as an audience of community members, students, scholars, artists came together to see a free screening of the Emmy nominated documentary and Sundance Film Festival winner, American Promise. (more…)