Alumna a welcome addition to the Newhouse LA faculty

It is always an honor to have professionals as accomplished as Alisann Blood ’02 join our Newhouse LA faculty, but when it’s a Newhouse alumna, it is truly special.

Blood, along with co-head Toni Wallace, leads global music brand partnerships for United Talent Agency’s world-renowned music roster, working with artists like Bad Bunny and Bebe Rexha. Her accomplishments make her the perfect choice to teach the Music, Technology and Emerging Opportunities course to students studying in our Bandier program.

“In a nutshell, we work with our music clients to build a roadmap in the brand space based around the artists’ passions, affinities and big ideas and then work hand-in-hand to partner with brands across all different categories to bring those ideas to life,” Blood said. “We are a team of all female agents, which wasn’t by design, but it brings me so much joy to show up every day to get to work with amazing women on projects we’re passionate about day in and day out.”

I talked with Blood to learn more about her work and passion for teaching.

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What is your management style?

I love managing teams. People are at the heart of a team and an organization’s culture. It’s always been important for me to lead by example and with thoughtfulness, empathy and kindness.

Why did you want to teach at Newhouse?

I feel really strongly that I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I had without the connections I made at Newhouse (and have fostered throughout my career), and I loved the idea of being able to open that up to a new generation of students. This opportunity has been fantastically fulfilling in that respect. 

If a student leaves your class retaining only one thing, what do you want that to be?

Don’t be afraid to network up, down and across your peer set. My current assistant, who is also a Newhouse graduate, was in the training program in the mailroom when I started. She always said hello and came in to talk to me about her passion for the brand space. When my desk opened 18 months later, she was the first person I thought of for the role. Don’t be afraid to spend time and ask questions of anyone…. 99% of the time, people will make time to forge connections. 

What inspires you the most in young professionals?

Their passion and ideas. Good ideas don’t come from years of experience, but they usually do come from being passionate, having your finger on the pulse and the ability to be creative. The younger professionals on my team and the students I teach are so dialed into culture. It is awesome to hear about the things that excite them.

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Thank you to Alisann for being such a valued member of our Newhouse LA team.