I'm not going to front. I'm a skeptic. In high school, anytime a classmate stated that their future aspirations were to become an entrepreneur, I'd snobbishly furrow my brow and translate those intentions to "he'll get a job…someday." I had the same reaction whenever some rap stan replied with some line about pursuing their music. Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine have a different idea about the worth of high school entrepreneurs.
The two music moguls don't love college as much as Asher Roth, but according to the New York Times, they have donated $70 million to the University of Southern California to birth a four-year program for high school students. The NFLPA doesn't allow agents without college degrees to represent its players, however, USC, an elite institute of higher learning, has no qualms with accepting endowments from musicians with no college pedigrees. Their names will probably be featured prominently in the brochure. However, don't get it twisted, their money is not going to the school of music or film.
Via New York Times:
The music moguls, who founded the wildly popular Beats headphone business, are giving $70 million to the University of Southern California to create a degree that blends business, marketing, product development, design and liberal arts. Gi
The details of the four-year program, officially the U.S.C. Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation, are still being completed. The first class of 25 students will enter in fall 2014, selected for their academic achievement, the university said, as well as their ability for “original thought.”
At the core of the curriculum is something called “the Garage,” which will require seniors to essentially set up a business prototype. It appears to be inspired by technology incubators like Y-Combinator and universities like Stanford that encourage students to develop and pitch start-up ideas as class assignments.
“I feel like this is the biggest, most exciting and probably the most important thing that I’ve done in my career,” Dr. Dre said.
Part of the endowment includes several full scholarships, he said, to help a financially disadvantaged students to “go on to do something that could potentially change the world.”
