Students from across disciplines attend a Culture Media meetup and networking event to kickoff Syracuse University’s new Center for the Creator Economy, which drew more than 100 attendees to Whitman’s Flaum Grand Hall this October. The center is the first academic center dedicated to the creator economy.
The worlds of entrepreneurship and content creation are rapidly converging – and Syracuse University is ahead of the game. The Whitman School of Management, consistently ranked as a top undergraduate and graduate school in entrepreneurship, places a strong emphasis on empowering students to build, lead, and innovate. I personally believe that having a formal education in entrepreneurship is a pivotal way to become a changemaker in the professional world. When paired with Syracuse University’s brand–new Center for the Creator Economy, students will be incredibly prepared to thrive in a dynamic workforce.
Announced in October of 2025, though in development long before, the Office of Strategic Initiatives & Innovation at Syracuse University launched a partnership between the Whitman School and Newhouse School to build the nation’s first academic center dedicated to the creator economy. This initiative will feature a physical space for students to create content, work with brands, and learn from successful pioneers in the field. It will soon feature coursework, real brand partnerships, and experiential learning opportunities.
Post author William Lewandowski, an Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises major at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, addresses students during the Culture Media meetup celebrating the launch of the Center for the Creator Economy.
It’s a pivotal time to be a student at Syracuse University, and in my eyes, this initiative has the potential to be one of the most innovative and worthwhile initiatives in higher education.
DISCOVERING A NEW PASSION
If someone had told me when I first arrived on the SU campus that I would be leading a kickoff event for a new university strategic initiative in content creation, I would not have believed them. I entered Syracuse as a Finance major, set on pursuing investment banking or private equity. In high school, I interned with Blue Star Innovation Partners, a Dallas-based Growth Equity firm, and assumed I was locked in for a more traditional finance path. But after immersing myself in SU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, I began to understand that my path was not going to be defined by titles; It was going to be defined by impact.
In the last two years, I have interned for a content-marketing startup (NoDestination), a venture capital firm (5Point Venture Partners), a life-sciences consulting firm (Triangle Insights Group), and have pursued two entrepreneurial ventures (WM Media & Clique Sports).
To me, that is the essence of entrepreneurship. Trying new things, finding your passions, discovering strengths and weaknesses, learning through failure, and driving real impact. And I have watched countless peers inside Whitman experience the same kinds of growth. Those experiences ultimately led me to the Center for the Creator Economy.
THREE WEEKS TO KICKOFF
In early October 2025, two setbacks hit at once: a final round rejection from a top company, and growing challenges within my startup, Clique Sports. I needed something meaningful where I could channel my energy and keep momentum in my work.
I talked with my mentor and former boss, Sam Holland, an SU alum and the COO of Culture Media, a full-scale content media company. The company was on the “Culture College Tour” featuring a lineup of top-tier content creators. After a conversation with Sam, we knew that Syracuse needed to be a key stop, especially with the launch of the Center for the Creator Economy.
With the support of Whitman faculty, I teamed up with Thomas O’Brien, the Center’s Program Manager, to organize this event in just three weeks. On October 30, 2025, in Whitman’s Flaum Grand Hall, we brought it to life: two panel discussions, one with Culture Media creators, one with their executive team, and a networking session to follow.
After weeks of tabling, content promotion, and outreach, over 100 students and faculty members from across campus attended.
Culture Media creators and executives speak with Syracuse University students during a meetup and networking event to kickoff the new Center for the Creator Economy on in October.
MARKET VALIDATION
The networking session was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as a student. Watching students from across disciplines connect with each other and the panelists was the exact impact I was hoping for. Dozens of students approached Thomas and I after the event, showing interest in being involved in the Center for the Creator Economy. Many students took to LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok to post about the event and organically promote the CCE.
In Whitman, a topic we constantly discuss is market analysis and validation. With that event, I observed that SU made the right strategic call launching this initiative. The amount of cross-campus visibility, engagement, and interest this event generated was greater than any other university-led event I have seen outside of athletics and concerts.
CREATING, EXPERIMENTING & DEFINING ONE’S OWN PATH
I wanted to share this story because it captures what a great business education should be. Whitman and Syracuse University have provided me with an experience defined by action, not just by coursework. Students should have the opportunity to follow their passions, take risks, collaborate, and learn from both success and failure.
That is exactly what the Center for the Creator Economy will inspire. It will foster students stepping outside their comfort zones, creating and experimenting with new things, and defining their own paths. That is what I think higher education should look like, and SU has it right.
Go Orange!
Author William Lewandowski is an Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises major at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management (Class of 2027) with early experience in private equity, consulting, and startup operations. He has interned with Blue Star Innovation Partners and Triangle Insights Group, mentored fellow students interested in entrepreneurship and investing, and is actively involved in Syracuse University’s Center for the Creator Economy. He plans to return to Blue Star Innovation Partners this summer in a strategy-focused role.
About the Martin J. Whitman School of Management: The Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University inspires students for a world of accelerating change. Offering B.S., MBA, M.S., and Ph.D. programs, all accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Whitman School’s faculty includes internationally known scholars and researchers, as well as successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Whitman continues to be ranked among the nation’s top business schools by U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. To learn more about the Whitman School of Management, visit Whitman.syracuse.edu.
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