by Matt Meade
Spring sunlight shined as we walked through Midtown Manhattan to our first site visit at the offices of Kevin McCullum’s theatrical and media producing company. Alchemation is unique and fresh — just like Kevin’s approach to life and leadership. As an orphaned child from Hawaii who transitioned from actor to producer, Kevin stressed how his childhood shaped him and eventually guided his career. He expressed his philosophy: “Lives with passion. Dies with hope. Builds families against all odds.” He explained the power of stories in American history and the importance of personal connection in a world filled with distorted social media networks. He encouraged rising leaders like us to lean into our story because our philosophy makes us unique. Kevin’s inspiration served as a frame for the rest of my week as I couldn’t get his distinct energy out of my mind. (more…)
Blog
by Thomas Wall
Northwestern students learned how a pitch becomes a pilot from Ron Binkwoski, the VP of Post Production at TNT/tbs and Warner Media. In this workshop, Binkowski walked students through the often-nebulous development process, breaking it down for them in an easily digestible step-by-step manner. From script production to budget creation, students were given the unique opportunity to get an inside look at how some of their favorite shows make it from the creative mind’s eye onto the physical screen. (more…)
by Thomas Wall
I first heard about the Northwestern Externship Program (NEXT) through the MSLCE newsletter this past December and my interest was definitely piqued. The program, which gives students the chance to shadow alumni for a day in various industries and sectors throughout the country was worth a shot, I figured. So when I saw that an alum was working for the Chicago Cubs, I began working on my application within minutes. I was overjoyed when I found out a few weeks later that I’d be connected with Chris Simonson from the class of 2011. (more…)
What is your current role(s)/project(s)/business and what are your responsibilities?
I am the director of Fu Qiumeng Fine Art in Upper East Side Manhattan. My responsibilities include sourcing consignments for New York and Beijing exhibitions, completing donation and collection appraisals, developing collaborative business opportunities, designing interpretive and immersive thematic exhibitions, and planning and hosting events to promote the exhibitions. Additionally, I work on developing and maintaining client relationships, both in the US and in China. (more…)
By Miya Williams Fayne
Music has been omnipresent in Laura Rice’s life. Growing up she took piano and recorder lessons and performed with her church’s children’s choir. “I so appreciate great musicianship and music’s ability to transform space, soothe the soul, move the crowd and fight the power,” she shared. (more…)
By Joshua Baggett
After a busy winter quarter, the cohort went up, up, and away for our respective immersion trips to New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. All three destinations offered one-of-a-kind professional networking experiences with many of today’s top creative companies and organizations. As someone with a background in theatre and live production, I chose to attend the New York trip due to the city’s status as a global capital for arts, culture, and entertainment. From Broadway to the Bowery, our excursion was an eye-opening look into New York’s vast creative sector and offered a chance to build professional relationships across multiple industries. (more…)
What is your current role(s)/project(s) and what are your responsibilities?
I’m currently the Creative Director at the Chicago-based personal branding and creative services agency, SimplyBe. Agency. I was hire #1, and my CEO and I have built the company from two to eight full time staff over the past two years. My core responsibilities as Creative Director are to oversee all of our company’s as well as all of our clients’ visual brands, and to partner with our strategy team to lead our visual branding projects including full brand style guide and website creation. My job is essentially to make sure that our clients’ value props are always being communicated and supported by the visual components of their brands. (more…)
By Joshua Baggett
Harnessing creative energy into a thriving business requires an understanding of the underlying framework that supports and sustains various business ventures. During the Winter 2019 quarter, Jennifer Kim-Matsuzawa’s and Allison Henry’s “Business Models” class offered MSLCE students an in-depth overview of the key elements businesses need to meet growth, hit profitability targets, and bring an enterprise to scale. (more…)
By Miya Williams Fayne
Jay Yang plans to develop and distribute creative programming for the Korean audience. The Seoul, Korea native has worked in television for 14 years but after noticing changes in the media industry she decided to return to academia to learn more about audiences and new media. “I sensed cataclysmic transformation,” she said. “I want to be a media market leader.” (more…)
By Brenna C. Cronin
With an emphasis on strategic planning, understanding boards and governance, and the role of executive leadership in nonprofit organizations, Professor Larissa Buchholz led our cohort through an intensive nonprofit leadership training course this winter quarter. Deep dives into volunteer management, the role of social media, audience development, fundraising, and corporate partnerships, paired with dynamic case studies, rounded out our 10-week series. (more…)