The Newhouse School is offering a new entertainment business capstone for aspiring executives, partnering with global sport culture brand Reebok to enhance the course experience for seniors. The capstone is within the school’s new entertainment business track, which allows students to focus on a career in the executive ranks.
The capstone is designed for television, radio and film (TRF) students exploring careers as business executives in media, entertainment or the arts through a hands-on approach to learning. Under the supervision of assistant professor J. Christopher Hamilton, students source high-potential opportunities for brands and businesses that can be aligned with trending innovators or storytellers to create dynamic partnership opportunities. Hamilton redeveloped the capstone course after realizing the need for students to have more professional experiences before transitioning into entry-level business roles in the entertainment industry.
Students will focus on surfacing creative innovators or storytellers in various sectors of the entertainment business and identifying potential collaborations between those creative voices and global brands. “The use of emotional intelligence techniques, networking and cultivating a professional profile on LinkedIn all play a significant role in the successful completion of the course,” Hamilton says.
To augment the practical experiences offered in the classroom, the course will be taught in collaboration with Reebok. This is Reebok’s third course collaboration with Syracuse University, spearheaded by Jasmine Bellamy ‘92, Reebok’s vice president of merchandising/planning/allocation and head of culture.
“This partnership is the result of networking with Dr. Willie Reddic from SU’s Whitman School of Management at Coming Back Together in 2021,” Bellamy says. “Students have overwhelmingly described it as a highlight in their academic experience. I am thrilled to extend this unique opportunity for real-life business application to Newhouse students.”
Over the spring semester, Reebok executives will provide their professional insight and guidance on brand partnerships that students design for Reebok’s “Unleashed 2.0” campaign. Students will also participate in mock interview sessions with recruiters at Reebok, as well as compete for internships and full-time job opportunities available this coming summer.
The partnership with Reebok kicked off earlier this semester with an immersive day for students at Reebok’s headquarters in Boston, MA. During the field trip, the class met with Reebok’s CEO Todd Krinsky, along with department heads who oversee design for basketball, running, kids, family and other product lines. These deep-dive sessions at Reebok culminated in the class visiting Reebok’s in-house cross-training center and brand archive.
“The executive-styled capstone is designed to help graduating seniors look beyond the ‘artistic aspects’ of any particular creative work or career ambition and grasp the enterprising opportunities on the horizon. We appreciate Reebok’s support, specifically Jasmine Bellamy, Connor Altier, Kevin Burgo and Nicole Kelley, in helping us achieve that goal,” Hamilton says.
For more information, contact Hamilton at jhamil07@syr.edu.