Master of Science in Leadership for Creative Enterprises at Northwestern Year in Review 2019

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN LEADERSHIP FOR CREATIVE ENTERPRISES

CONTENTS

1

MSLCE by the Numbers

2

Speaker Events

4

Chicago Site Visits

6

Featured Courses

8

Industry Immersion Trip

12

Summer Internship Features

14

Collaboration Feature

15

Alumni Updates

16

Alumni Features

18 Convocation 20

New Student Spotlight

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR As we kick off a new year and a new decade, MSLCE is excited to share with you our reflections and accomplishments over 2019. This past year, we have supported and applauded the accomplishments of MSLCE’s professional students, alumni, faculty, and network of MSLCE-engaged industry professionals.

MSLCE marked a significant milestone in 2019—in August, MSLCE celebrated the convocation of its fifth graduating class.

In just five years, the MSLCE alumni community has grown to 164 graduates who are working in the creative industries across the U.S. and around the world. The past year was especially jubilant as we had opportunities to visit with MSLCE alumni based in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai, China and Sydney, Australia and hear about the exciting work they are leading and catalyzing.

We hope that you will enjoy this look back at MSLCE’s endeavors in developing and supporting its professional community of adaptable, entrepreneurial, impactful leaders for the creative industries throughout 2019.

Sincerely, Jennifer Novak-Leonard, Ph.D. Faculty Director, MSLCE

MSLCE’S FIRST 5 YEARS

230+

MSLCE Alumni

Creative industry professionals engaged

316,605+

2.4

Average years of professional experience upon entering MSLCE

WHERE STUDENTS CAME FROM:

41% Chicago Region

28% Across the U.S.

31% Outside the U.S.

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Alumni are working in creative industries across the U.S. and around the world

miles traveled for industry immersion in NYC, LA, SF and within Chicago

MSLCE BY THE NUMBERS

164

SPEAKER EVENTS 2

GIGI PRITZKER + GREGG LATTERMAN

MSLCE Speaker Events bring top creative sector professionals from across the world to campus throughout the year to share their insights and advice.

As graduate students, we are constantly seeking advice on how to advance our careers. But when that advice comes from an Emmy-winning film producer and CEO/ Founder of her own media company, it carries a special weight. Pritzker’s company, MWM (Madison Wells Media) is a comprehensive, multi-channel media and content company, with offices in Chicago and Los Angeles.

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Through her company, and its subsidiaries, Pritzker undertakes a number of highprofile media projects, including feature films, television, live events, and augmented and virtual reality projects.

Pritzker and MWM boast Academy Award nominations, Emmy wins, and numerous other national accolades – so, suffice it to say that she’s had an extremely successful career.

Students and attendees all left the event entertained by Pritzker’s tales from the industry, informed by her keen insights, and inspired by her life’s story – not all career paths look the same, but she showed us all that with the right mix of determination, tenacity, and work ethic, achieving excellence in the entertainment industry is within all of our reach.

JANUARY 17, 2019

GIGI PRITZKER Founder/CEO of MWM (Madison Wells Media) Moderated by: Gregg Latterman, MSLCE Faculty a nd Founder of Aware Records and Positive Pretzels

FEBRUARY 21, 2019

BRIAN + JAN HIEGGELKE Founders of Newcity and the Chicago Film Project Moderated by: AJ Christian, MSLCE Faculty and Founder, OT V | Open Television

APRIL 18, 2019

CHARLES ADLER Co-Founder of Kickstarter Moderated by: Jennifer Kim-Matsuzawa, MSLCE Faculty and President/Artistic Director of The People’s Music School

– Thomas Wall ‘19

CHARLES ADLER + JENNIFER KIM-MATSUZAWA

MAY 9, 2019

XIAOMING ZHANG International Art Market Expert and F ounder of W. Ming International Ltd. Moderated by: Larissa Buchholz, MSLCE Faculty

OCTOBER 11, 2019

LOUIS BLACK Co-Founder of SXSW Moderated by: Kyle Henry, RTVF Faculty

OCTOBER 18, 2019

with

LAUREN MOFFAT SVP of Drama Development at Sony Pictures Television

A ARON K APLAN Owner/Manager of Kaplan Perrone Entertainment Moderated by: Laverne McKinnon, MSLCE Faculty and Co-Owner/Producer of K&L Productions

More articles on our speaker series are available at

creative.northwestern.edu/blog

Take a moment to picture someone you consider to be a leader. What is it about them that makes them stand out? Is it her perseverance and how she focuses on the group’s vision? Perhaps it’s his ability to keep his team aligned and accountable. Or maybe it’s their imagination and intuition when solving difficult problems.

As students in the MSLCE program, we’re learning about our own personal styles of leadership and how to most effectively tap into them. Both Moffat and Kaplan started their careers as assistants at agencies, which they strongly recommended to our cohort members interested in film and TV, since it helps build relationships. They echoed the importance in finding mentors to help with growth.

Having a strong mentorship can take you far, which Kaplan stressed. “One of the things that’s really great about Hollywood are the people who have been there for a while and are really supportive of the people coming up.” He encouraged students to not be afraid to ask for help and look for support and mentors early on in their careers.

– Samantha Sartori, Candidate ‘20

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LEADERSHIP ST YLES I N THE MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES

LAUREN MOFFAT + AARON KAPLAN

Throughout the year, MSLCE students visit leading creative companies and organizations in the Chicago area to get an inside perspective on how creative works get made in this dynamic creative capital.

CHICAGO SITE VISITS 4

The MSLCE cohort was warmly greeted by a six-member team at the Chicago Humanities Festival offices. 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!

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Beginning their 30th anniversary year with the theme, “Year of Power”, the CHF team shared with us equal parts history and a view towards the future. Boasting worldrenowned speakers like Margaret Atwood, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Toni Morrison, Barack Obama, Elie Wiesel, Trevor Noah, and Marie Kondo, CHF aims to be a leader in public humanities, bringing together people for their seasonal festivals of speaking engagements, intellectual conversations, presentations, and community building.

With over 3800 speakers and artists offering over 2800 unique events in their history, CHF has brought MacArthur Fellows, Nobel Laureates, and Pulitzer Prize-winning individuals together for the public good. This is deeply ingrained in their mission “to promote public appreciation, understanding, and support of the humanities through festivals and educational programs.”

Tiff Beatty, Associate Director of Programming, shared CHF’s approach to programming. “Part of our uniqueness is a rigorous intellectual approach to a single theme.” The team echoed this idea of intellection being a pillar of the arts organization. Starting your morning at the festival listening to a poet, having engaging lunch discussions, and then listening to a policy maker in the afternoon creates a well-rounded experience and informs how you’ll experience each event through the lens of the theme.

– Brenna C. Cronin ‘19

CHICAGO FILMMAKERS Winter Quarter 2019 Host: Brenda Webb, Executive Director

CHICAGO HUMANITIES FESTIVAL Winter Quarter 2019 Host: Eddie Medrano, Production Manager

WRITERS THEATRE

LINKS HALL Spring Quarter 2019 Host: Felicia Holman, Director, Linkage Partnerships

NAV Y PIER Spring Quarter 2019 Host: Michelle Boone, Chief Program and Civic Engagement Officer

ALEX PISSIOS WITH STUDENTS AT CINESPACE

CINESPACE CHICAGO FILM STUDIOS Fall Quarter 2019 Host: Alex Pissios, President Host: Executive Director, Stage 18 Host: Sheila Brown, Executive Director, CineCares

WRITERS THEATRE Hosts: Jon Faris, Managing Director, Carly Magill, Director of Institutional Advancement, Claire Conard (MSLCE ’17), Manager of Major Gifts, Phillip Leung (MSLCE ’18), Advancement Coordinator

WRITERS THEATRE

During our site visit, we had the chance to meet with three Northwestern alumni who are currently dedicating their professional careers to the mission of Writers Theatre.

Two of them, Claire Conard, manager of major gifts, and Phillip Leung, advancement coordinator, graduated from the MSLCE program. We got to hear first-hand how their coursework has translated into their professional careers.

After giving us a brief history of Writers Theatre, managing director Jon Faris shared a little bit about the architecture of the new space, which opened in 2016. Faris explained how the main stage, the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, was designed to allow each show’s creative team the opportunity to fit the space to the show.

Theatre is truly a collaborative experience, which was present in both the design of the new Writers Theatre space, as well as in their day-to-day operations. A large part of leadership is about working within teams toward a common goal, and the focus Writers Theatre places on this is a reminder for all of us as we develop our own set of leadership skills in the MSLCE program.

– Samantha Sartori, Candidate ‘20

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Fall Quarter 2019

Writers Theatre was founded in 1992 with the core foundation that all productions would honor the written word and nurture artists. Over the last 27 years, it has become a vital member of the Chicago theatre community and regarded as one of the top half-dozen regional theatres in the country by The Wall Street Journal.

BUSINESS MODELS IN CREATIVE ENTERPRISES Winter Quarter 2019 FACULTY: JENNIFER KIM-MATSUZAWA, PRESIDENT + ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, THE PEOPLE’S MUSIC SCHOOL ALLISON HENRY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE PEOPLE’S MUSIC SCHOOL

FEATURED COURSES 6

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 KimMatsuzawa’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.

Throughout the quarter, thoughtful case studies helped broaden our understanding, and were selected to align with our creative interests. Each case offered a look at challenges facing various enterprises, including Lady Gaga, Netflix, Bollywood, and Chicago artist Theaster Gates. Class lectures challenged us to think critically about each situation and how to analyze through lenses of the value chain. In addition, we kept a weekly journal to jot down our thoughts about the case studies and help reinforce the concepts discussed in class.

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As an extra-special treat, Jennifer and Allison arranged for our final project to involve the Chicago-based and Grammy Award-winning musical group Third Coast Percussion. We were fortunate enough to have all four group members join our last class meeting for a panel discussion that covered their work and organizational structure.

JENNIFER KIM-MATSUZAWA

ALLISON HENRY

Even though I was already looking forward to this class, I must say that it exceeded all of my expectations.

Jennifer and Allison are a fantastic team and made a sincere connection with each student through their interactive teaching style. Thanks to the thoroughness of their approach, I feel a new-found confidence in my ability to analyze business structures and I’m looking forward to applying what we learned to future professional endeavors.

– Joshua Baggett ‘19

BUSINESS MODELS CLASS + THIRD COAST PERCUSSION

UNDERSTANDING THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES CLASS

UNDERSTANDING THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIESS Fall Quarter 2019 FACULTY: JACOB SMITH, PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION 7

Each week, we would take a look at a different business concept—such as censorship, copyright, or globalization—learn about its history and background in the creative world, and how it is relevant to hot topics today. At the start of each class, students discuss the current happenings in an industry of their choice as it related to the topic of the lecture. The industry updates helped us familiarize ourselves with top industry sources.

Reading, speaking to the class, and writing about what’s happening in the industry came into play at the end of the quarter when it was time to write our final papers and present the transmedia franchise group project.

Think Harry Potter, The Avengers or The Lord of the Rings. A successful transmedia franchise is one that is spread across as many different media platforms as possible, reaching both mass markets and niche audiences. This was the culmination of all of our

JACOB SMITH

knowledge from the semester and why it was so crucial to understand the history of the creative industries; to learn how creative franchises have become successful in the past, and what hasn’t resonated with audiences.

All of the transmedia franchises developed in our cohort were unique — some were inspired to further build the worlds created by famous directors, like Hayao Miyazaki or Wes Anderson, others used the popularity of successful TV shows, like American Horror Story and Avatar: The Last Airbender to see these stories in new ways. Whether inspired by a famous music album, like Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours or a popular young adult series, like Children of Blood and Bone, our cohort got to really get creative.

– Sam Sartori, Candidate ‘20

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When signing up for a master’s program focused on business knowledge for the creative world, the last thing I thought I would be taking was a history course.

However, after our first lecture, I knew Professor Smith’s Understanding the Creative Industries would be integral to knowing how the arts, media and entertainment worlds operate.

IMMERSION TRIP 8

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!

Each year during spring break, MSLCE students have the opportunity to travel to a media capital and immerse themselves in the creative industry of that city. These week-long visits to industry-leading companies provide students with a unique behind-the-scenes experience.

LOS ANGELES

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The immersion trip to Los Angeles was a jam-packed work week filled with site visits, industry speaker sessions, and individual professional development meetings. What elevated the trip was the camaraderie between our cohort, spurred by our shared desire to absorb as much as we could in the five-day span.

One session that particularly inspired me was with our last industry guest, David Levine, former Co-Head of Drama at HBO and newly minted Head of Television at Anonymous Content. I had briefly met David at a larger television panel on campus last fall, but it was in this session that his expertise truly permeated the room. I was also one of two ambassadors for David’s visit, meaning I was in charge of researching his industry history, professional background and coming up with insightful questions to lead our discussion. David was very giving with his time during his hour-long session, especially considering he had started his new position with Anonymous Content just two weeks prior. He doled out career advice by applying examples from his own career, encouraging us to “find what you love” by assuring us that in this industry, “you can’t separate who you are from what you do.” During the discussion, we also covered the difference between “art” and “content” and how “not separating the artist from the art” was key to his success as both a development executive and now a producer.

The site visit that impacted me the most was our visit to ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!. It was there that I discovered

COMPANIES VISITED Amblin Partners MACRO HBO Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The Black List WME Anonymous Content

it was possible to forge a road between the two paths I am considering pursuing – there was a way to combine television producing/development with live entertainment production. After we were escorted to the VIP green room, we met with Executive Producer and Northwestern alumna Jill Leiderman, who is, in a word, extraordinary. What particularly struck me about Jill was her openness to hearing what we as students had to say. Despite the short amount of time until she had to be in the control room, she made a point of going around the room and asking each one of us to share our career goals.

Our five-day trip to Los Angeles was a fast-paced blur of a journey, but I left the West Coast inspired and returned to Chicagoland motivated to make my last moments as a Northwestern student memorable ones.

– Alyssa Holcomb ‘19

SAN FRANCISCO The MSLCE Immersion Trip brought us together in San Francisco to enjoy five days of corporate visits, an alumni reception, and open networking. We met and networked with industry leaders and gained newfound experiences and knowledge across the creative industries.

I chose to travel on the San Francisco trip because the Bay Area is at the forefront of the digital transformation. As an advertiser who is passionate about experiential marketing, I am eager to learn how the use of technology allows for the integration of art and media in designing digital campaigns. We had an incredible opportunity to visit the offices of Kanopy, Pinterest, Burning Man, SF Arts Commissions, Pandora, and Music@Menlo. The biggest inspiration for me was how enthusiastic everyone was about data analytics, no matter their position. This trip demonstrated that being knowledgeable in data analytics is an important qualification for everyone who wants to work in the creative industries. This experience strengthened my dedication to developing my skills and making myself an even stronger candidate.

COMPANIES VISITED Kanopy Pandora Pinterest San Francisco Arts Commission Music@Menlo Burning Man 9 Our visit with Unique DaCosta (MSLCE ‘18), Creative Operations Assistant at Pandora, was one of the highlights of our trip. We had the wonderful opportunity to hear about her time as an MSLCE student and her transition from student to professional. This was an open and sincere conversation in which she talked about the pitching skills and ComScore analytics experience that she gained from the MSLCE courses and later applied in practice. Her passion and her personality were truly inspirational. In addition, I also admired how Pandora’s creative department combines music, data, and advertising in the ad tech space consistently and professionally. Their presentation and thought-provoking messages emotionally touched and motivated me to work hard as a professional and leader.

Participating in this immersion trip furthered my understanding of the type of skills professionals should possess and of the challenges faced by the creative industry’s top leaders. We were fortunate to speak with employees who worked for the high-profile companies in the Bay Area and I was particularly inspired by meeting with Northwestern alumni and seeing their passion in pursuing their goals in this fast-paced environment.

– Yayun Wang ‘19

MUSIC@MENLO

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The CEO of Kanopy, Olivia Humphrey, impressed me with her authentic and engaging stories of entrepreneurship. Kanopy’s marketing department illustrated their competitive advantage by providing documentaries and various media content to colleges and educational programs. I learned a lot about the on-demanding streaming video platform and what goes into running such a company. Their presentation inspired me to become a more active user of the platform. That’s the power of pitching!

BURNING MAN

NEW YORK

IMMERSION TRIP 10

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.

The adventure kicked off with an MSLCE alumni mixer the night we arrived. We gathered at a Midtown restaurant where we mixed and mingled with former students working in a variety of creative fields across the city. Over the course of the two-hour event, business cards were exchanged, email addresses were swapped, and we quickly learned that Northwestern’s famous “Purple Mafia” is a friendly and incredibly supportive community.

COMPANIES VISITED Brooklyn Academy of Music Alchemation New Inc Museum of Modern Art Pomegranate Arts Fractured Atlas Local Projects

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Something of an unexpected surprise on the trip was our visit to the organizations Fractured Atlas and New Inc. Though each organization operates on different spectrums, the mission of both organizations focuses on empowering individual creators by providing the resources and support they need to thrive. Nicola Carpenter (Associate Director, People Operations) and Pallavi Sharma (Chief Program Officer) gave us a detailed presentation on the work of Fractured Atlas and how they help their members navigate the financial and administrative requirements of their artistic endeavors. By offering help with fundraising, marketing, real estate, and licensing, artists are able to take control of their careers from all angles.

NEW INC

FRACTURED ATLAS

BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC

My most anticipated stop on the trip was our visit to Alchemation, the office of theatre producer Kevin McCullum. With a portfolio that includes Rent, In the Heights, Something Rotten!, and Title of Show, he is considered one of the most innovative producers of the day. We had a detailed discussion on producing commercial theatre in New York, and what methods Mr. McCullum uses to determine which shows to produce.

From acquiring the rights to intellectual property to handling subsidiary rights over long periods of time, it was refreshing to hear him speak about the business side of “the business” in such a candid and straight forward way.

Our other stops included meetings at the Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Pomegranate Arts, and the exhibition design firm Local Projects.

Thinking back on the experiences we had and the connections we made, I can’t help but feel beyond fortunate to have had this unique opportunity.

– Joshua Baggett ‘19

LOCAL PROJECTS

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New Inc. operates a slightly different model by serving as an incubator for people working at the intersection of art, design, and technology. Their members have access to equipment, space, and materials to help them get their idea going or take it to the next level.

Executive Director Stephanie Pereira explained the organization’s connection to the New Museum and how the group also works with local universities by providing services for design programs.

Each summer, many MSLCE students travel around the world to complete the internships they secured with creative companies and organizations, gaining valuable hands-on experience.

INTERNSHIP FEATURES 12

SELECT INTERNSHIP SITES FROM SUMMER 2019 Arts and Business Council of Chicago Atlantic Theatre Company, New York City Carol Fox and Associates, Chicago China Shanghai International Arts Festival, Shanghai Edelman, Beijing Fort Knox Studios, Chicago Fosun Foundation, Shanghai Full Spectrum Features, Chicago Heifitz International Music Institute, Staunton, VA

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K&L Productions, Los Angeles Lucky Plush, Chicago Madison Square Garden Company, New York City Madison Wells Media, Los Angeles Theatre Communication Group, New York City

MADISON WELLS MEDIA Los Angeles, CA During the winter 2019 quarter, Emmy-winning film producer and CEO/Founder of MWM (Madison Wells Media), Gigi Pritzker, visited Northwestern’s campus and left a big impression on many students over the course of her visit. In January, she shared stories from her life and her career with MSLCE students at a Speaker Series event, and followed that session up with a more intimate Fireside Chat in early February.

The candid advice, colorful stories, and behind-thescenes tidbits from the life of a Hollywood producer and self-made entrepreneur captivated all in attendance.

For MSLCE students Alex Brown and Emily Marzonie, however, the value of both the speaker series and fireside chat didn’t end with the conclusion of Pritzker’s two events on campus. Both Brown and Marzonie interned this past summer for MWM’s Universe Division, working with transmedia producers and storytellers as they help to bring various pieces of intellectual property (IP) to life in a number of different ways, across multiple platforms.

“Hearing Gigi Pritzker speak at MSLCE’s speaker event was so inspiring that I looked up internships the second I got home,” Marzonie said. “It was encouraging to see a woman leader getting so excited and passionate about her company’s work. It reminded me of the energy I feel towards my own projects and fandom activation content.”

For Brown, the early returns seemed very positive as her first few days on the job at MWM seem to have lived up to her lofty expectations: “Everyone at MWM has been so welcoming and amazing. It truly is a collaborative environment where interns are encouraged to speak up and share ideas,” she said. “There’s so much room to innovate, as we’re working on things that push against the status quo. My opinions are truly valued here, and that’s one of the things I love about MWM!” – Thomas Wall ‘19

GIGI PRITZKER OF MWM WITH STUDENTS

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN New York, NY As the poet Lin-Manuel Miranda once wrote, “There’s nothing like summer in the city…”

The day after spring quarter finals, I packed up and moved out of my apartment. The next day, I was on a one-way trip to New York City to be a Student Associate in the Marketing Productions department for Madison Square Garden (MSG), which is responsible for all of MSG’s owned properties. This includes the Radio City Rockettes and a new venture, Sphere, that is in the works for several major global hubs. I had the opportunity to work with both of these properties, particularly with Sphere.

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Sphere was constantly evolving in the short time I was there. It was been both challenging and invigorating to catch up to speed with the team as new facts and figures came in ready for further strategizing.

I also had the opportunity to work with the Rockettes team as they prepared for their new season. I wrote copy for the Rockettes website and worked with the Digital Team on a special Drag Brunch performance with The Trevor Project during World Pride Week.

I’m very fortunate to be working with this organization this summer. I credit Northwestern and MSLCE for helping me open the door to that relationship, and the hard work I’ve put in over the past year has truly helped me learn how to balance priorities and tasks better.

– Alyssa Holcomb ‘19

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

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I participated in a Consumer Journey half-day workshop where I brainstormed ideas alongside executive leaders for end-to-end consumer experiences – meaning from the moment they hear about Sphere to the minute they leave post-show. That experience was particularly interesting to me, as I could tap into both my businessminded and consumer-focused brains simultaneously to problem-solve in real time.

COLL ABORATION FEATURE 14

COLLIN RITTER ‘19 + ÁGNES HORVÁT

DATA DETECTIVES ON AN EASTER EGG HUNT MSLCE Student and Professor Collaborate Outside the Classroom

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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 in 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.

Collin Ritter, MSLCE Class of 2019, worked with MSLCE faculty member Ágnes Horvát during his spring quarter on a research project with a specific aim: to find all of the connections that exist between movies such as these, and to catalogue that data in a searchable and digestible form.

“We have a lot of data collected from the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), and a hidden corner on that site called ‘connections.’ This is a crowd-sourced collection where people reference connections between movies,” explained Horvát. “There are all these connections between movies that people have identified, and for 50,000 of those movies we have data about their connections – like how the Aston Martin from 2012’s James Bond film Skyfall references 1962’s Dr. No… things like that.”

Ritter and Horvát want to take these connections between movies and organize and interpret the data – something that’s never been done before. For Ritter, it will be no small task.

“I developed a love of data science and analytics as an undergraduate,” said Ritter. “So, taking this course as one of my first for MSLCE was just a natural fit – and I’m so glad I did and that I was able to make this connection.”

“The opportunity to have someone who’s interested in these cultural topics as a research assistant really appealed to me,” Horvát said. “We are pioneering a format of independent research which the [MSLCE] program has really been encouraging. This is a unique opportunity, through the program, for Collin to be able to get some research experience.”

– Thomas Wall ‘19

MSLCE graduates are working across the world and creative industries. Highlighted below are some recent career updates from our alumni!

Haley Baker ’18 • Media Relations Coordinator, FX Networks, Los Angeles, CA

Alyssa Holcomb ’19 • Foundation Coordinator,

Shelley Bishop ’16 • Studio Manager,

Kristen Holt ’18 • Scripted TV Assistant, William Morris Endeavor, Los Angeles, CA Paige Lester ’17 • Coordinator, Creative Leadership Initiatives, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. Phillip Leung ’18 • Advancement Coordinator, Writers Theatre, Chicago, IL

Yu Li ’17 • Project Supervisor, Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co., Ltd., Beijing, China SHELLEY BISHOP

Alex Brown ’19 •

Showrunner’s Assistant, Supernatural, Los Angeles, CA

Minda Cerva ’18 • Payroll and Financial Associate, Signature Theatre Company, New York, NY

Alex Brown ’19 •

Showrunner’s Assistant, Supernatural, Los Angeles, CA

Nicholas Roman ’18 • Board of Directors and Women’s Board Coordinator, Lyric Opera, Chicago, IL

Energy BBDO, Chicago, IL

Yuki Solomon ’19 • Special Events Coordinator, Cinema/Chicago, Chicago, IL

CLAIRE CONARD + PHILLIP LEUNG

Claire Conard ’17 • Manager of Major Gifts, Writers Theatre, Chicago, IL WILL WERMERSKIRCHEN + PAIGE LESTER

Daniel Dvorkin ’16 • Content, Office of the President, Disney+, Los Angeles, CA

Claudia Encinas ’19 • Large Ensemble Manager, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA

James Harvey ’19 • Copywriter, Bader Rutter, Milwaukee, WI

William Wermerskirchen ’18 • Production Manager, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. Ruida Zhu ’17 • Stage and Rental Coordinator, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Shanghai, China

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Lauren Schatzel ’18 • Production Coordinator,

ALUMNI UPDATES

Studios 301, Sydney, Australia

Van Wezel Foundation, Sarasota, FL

QIUMENG FU ‘15 Owner and Director, Fu Qiumeng Fine Art, New York, NY

ALUMNI FEATURES 16

I am the owner and director of Fu Qiumeng Fine Art in Upper East Side Manhattan. I specialize in fine art, which is a very traditional and niche market. However, I do believe this industry needs a transition: it’s an era of big data and digital media. We should blend in ideas from other parts of the creative industry and do more art crossovers. For example, when I started my gallery, I integrated some entertainment industry business ideas into the art world. My business also helps brands to design art crossover campaigns and integrates fine art ideas into mass products to improve brands’ identity and perception. In this way, I was able to help Xiaomi Cellphone open their American market by designing an art and fashion marketing campaign for the 2018 New York Fashion Week. It was a social media campaign (#powerbymi), and gained a lot of attention in both the US and China. This is a case of a technology company integrating fashion and art.

ALEKSA NARBUTAITIS ‘16

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Creative Director, SimplyBe. Agency, Chicago, IL 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.

My favorite projects of the program were conceptualizing and building a business plan in Cory Sandrock’s Economics of Creative Enterprises course, as well as defining my own vision of leadership in Gail Berger’s Leading Creative Teams course. Both of these projects challenged me creatively, but through two very different ways of critical thinking. What I loved most about the MSLCE program was the amount of brainpower that we were constantly challenged to use—the courses were equal parts creative and analytical, and really set us up for success in the creative business landscape.

UNIQUE DACOSTA ‘18

Creative Operations Assistant, Pandora, San Francisco, CA 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’s headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area as the creative operations assistant.

Pandora is unique in that it has an internal creative agency that works with various music, automotive, retail and consumer goods companies on projects ranging from graphic design to voiceovers for audio commercial spots.

DaCosta’s primary responsibilities are budget tracking, coordinating and executing team meetings and offsite events, and assisting with onboarding new hires.

DaCosta also serves as executive assistant to the company’s Vice President and Executive Creative Director Lauren Nagel. She provides administrative support to Nagel and works closely with the company’s project managers, producers, designers, copywriters and videographers. DaCosta is grateful for the networking opportunities that MSLCE provided as they put her in contact with many industry professionals.

“As an executive assistant to a senior leadership member now, I definitely am glad that I was able to experience face time with people of that stature because it really provided me with the confidence to work closely with those individuals now.”

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Director, Producer and Owner, The Alea Company New York, NY I recently formed my own LLC (The Alea Company) which focuses on creative direction and production for theater, live events, and music videos in both commercial and non-profit industries. I concentrate on developing, directing, and producing content and stories that elevate the social consciousness of humanity and analyze the human spirit.

My favorite experience was building relationships with my cohort in the MSLCE program. What I absolutely love about MSLCE is the diversity in industries represented through the students. I would have never learned more about opera, fashion, music or advertisement if I had pursued a master’s degree specializing in only one industry. I’ve met such incredible artists, thinkers, and recent alumni from MSLCE that I have the pleasure of calling my collaborators today.

YEAR IN REVIEW • 2019

ADRIAN ALEA ‘18

CONVOCATION 18

AUGUST 24, 2019 Keynote Speaker: Jeremy McCarter, Founder and Executive Producer, Make-Believe Association MSLCE Graduate Student Speaker: James Harvey

YEAR IN REVIEW • 2019

The MSLCE program is a fast-paced one-year program, which makes our annual convocation a welcome moment for reflection and celebration at the end of the twelve month’s work. In August 2019, MSLCE celebrated its fifth graduation and two special guests helped us reflect on the past year.

For a second year, MSLCE students selected a speaker from their class and this year’s nominee was James Harvey, who joked that although there are as many ways to explain what the MSLCE program is, “what makes MSLCE special is the people and experience we share together”.

The program was also honored to welcome Jeremy McCarter, Founder and Executive Producer of the Make-Believe Association, as the Class of 2019 Keynote Speaker. McCarter’s career has led him on a journey through multiple parts of the creative industries. From

JEREMY MCCARTER

“It’s actually a kind of privilege to care about the work that you do, and it’s easy to lose sight of that when the care feels like doubt and anxiety….that to feel like you really want to invest your heart and soul in something is a gift.”

– Jeremy McCarter, Keynote Speaker

the Public Theater in New York where he created and ran the Public Forum series, to co-writing the behindthe-scenes book Hamilton: The Revolution with LinManuel Miranda, to his most recent endeavor with Make-Believe Foundation, a nonprofit entity bringing artists and audiences together to tell stories and have conversations, During his talk,McCarter reflected on his path and his current leadership role, particularly focusing on the social impact that creative enterprises can have. “That world of dreaming and stories and making things where there weren’t things before, of trying to imagine a world that’s not the world we have now, there’s a deep and genuine social value in that, and I fall back on that a lot when times are hard, and as the person who is running the operation, times are often hard...“I’ve come to believe that world building is more important outside the story than inside the story.

When you are part of a creative enterprise that is doing something productive in the world, you are moving people, you are affecting them, you are changing the spiritual weather of the world we inhabit,” McCarter said. He challenged students to think about ways in which a creative enterprise can embody social values, something he has been endeavoring to accomplish with Make-Believe Association.

“What makes MSLCE special is the people and experience we share together”

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– James Harvey ‘19, Graduate Student Speaker YEAR IN REVIEW • 2019

McCarter closed his talk with encouraging words for the new graduates, for those moments when doubt inevitably hits, “It’s actually a kind of priviledge to care about the work that you do, and it’s easy to lose sight of that when the care feels like doubt and anxiety...that to feel like you really want to invest your heart and soul in something is a gift.”

JAMES HARVEY

Meet some of the new faces that are a part of the class of 2020 below!

NEW STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

JINA BALLENGER BA in Television Writing, Columbia College Chicago “The MSLCE program will be a great asset to further my career goals in media and entertainment. I’ve learned that talent can get you in a room, but I want to learn how to manage the room.”

MAURA FORD BA in English Literature, Trinity College, Dublin

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YEAR IN REVIEW • 2019

“I’m looking to be an expert in Brand Development for smaller creative endeavors that really resonate with me – music, the arts, nonprofits. I want to be able to lean on my writing/content creation background to help innovative ideas and people get their message across clearly and with impact.”

SAM SARTORI BA in Journalism, Loyola University Chicago “The MSLCE program struck me as one of a kind. The program combines my interests in the creative field and media industries with my desire to continue to grow and become a strong leader. These industries are constantly changing and I want to be at the forefront. I want to take the creative companies of today and lead them to become the successful companies of tomorrow.”

MARK SIMEON BS in Business Administration, Fordham University “I’d love to be a content producer for an online publication such as First We Feast, Hypebeast or Complex; to be able to create meaningful pieces of work and connect others with cultural phenomenon and trends around the world. Whether it be about the culture and meaningfulness of food and what it does for communities, or how fashion can be created and sourced mindfully, I want to tell stories that inform and inspire.”

ALEC WILSON BS in Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University “I work with a news startup called Quibbl, where I am helping build the company and team. Several factors, including the focused coursework, experienced professors, and the opportunity to interact with others interested in creative business led me to MSLCE as a place to advance my career.”

BA in Advertising, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign “I love the people of the program, that every one comes from a different background. I can learn from not only the faculty of the program, but also my classmates.”

Visit creative.northwestern.edu/people/student-profiles to learn more about current MSLCE professionals.

YEAR IN REVIEW • 2019

YIHAN WU

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COMMUNICATION Master of Science in Leadership for Creative Enterprises

creative@northwestern.edu 847.467.7117 creative.northwestern.edu

@msleadershipcreative @msleadership @nuleadecreative