In the tenth grade, Zachary Glatt ’29 launched a podcast network called Z.D.G. Entertainment. By the time he graduates from Syracuse University, Glatt will be an expert—by social media standards.
“Z.D.G. creates and shares video interviews and digital content,” says the journalism major. “One of them is called The Business Leaders of America, where I interview innovative entrepreneurs. I want to inspire the next generation of CEOs.”
The new Center for the Creator Economy (CCE) benefits students of all majors with events like ‘CUSE Creator Con.
Glatt has already sat down with leaders of major brands like Burger King U.S. and Canada, Dodge, JetBlue and the Verizon Consumer Group.
His latest subject is Ryan Schram, the inaugural executive director of the University’s Center for the Creator Economy (CCE). The opportunity to work with Schram and CCE inspired Glatt to transfer to Syracuse.
“Ryan has taught me a lot,” says Glatt, who’s currently developing a table hockey documentary and a show about student finance.
Located in Newhouse 3, CCE is joint venture between the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Martin J. Whitman School of Management. It’s also the first academic center of its kind in the United States.
Students of all majors have access to CCE thought leadership, state-of-the-art gear and spaces for podcast production.
“Zach exemplifies the kinds of insightful conversations and powerful storytelling that our students are known for,” Schram says. “We’re giving him the tools to navigate the demands of an exciting, unpredictable future.”
A Real-Time Response
A media executive-turned-creator marketing savant, Schram is an authority on commerce, content and creativity. He previously spent 13 years as president and COO of IZEA, an industry pioneer credited with helping form the so-called modern influencer marketing category.
“Almost anybody with an internet connection can build an audience,” says Schram, whose idols include Jim Henson, the visionary behind the Muppets. “Platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Spotify provide instant global distribution, while tools like Patreon and Ko-fi enable creators to monetize small, dedicated audiences.”
For this reason, CCE attracts aspiring creators and marketers of all stripes, including those studying the arts and humanities, STEM, law and social sciences. “The center is an institutional priority, and everybody is welcome,” Schram adds.
Pillars of Excellence
“CCE is an institutional priority, and everybody is welcome,” says Executive Director Ryan Schram, noting the popularity of the creator economy minor.
Schram considers CCE a response to what Chancellor J. Michael Haynie calls the “Age of Acceleration,” where the pace of global change outstrips society’s ability to adapt.
Therefore, the success of CCE rests on four pillars: interdisciplinary academics, independent industry research, policy engagement and support for creator-based ventures.
For example:
- The new creator economy minor integrates courses from the Newhouse and Whitman schools, along with electives like Name, Image and Likeness (SPM 330) and Music Industry Marketing and Media (MUI 305).
- Master’s and doctoral students contribute to white papers and research articles. “Much of this scholarship is at the nexus of business, technology, sociology and psychology,” Schram observes.
- CCE seeks to federally recognize the creator economy industry, valued at $480 billion. Thus, undergraduates engage with important lawmakers as well as experts like Ted Murphy, the father of modern influencer marketing, and The Washington Post’s Dylan Wells.
- Groups like CCE’s Creator Crew give students hands-on experience in social media marketing, while events like ‘CUSE Creator Con and Creator Economy Demo Day (co-sponsored by a Bay Area venture capital firm) enable them to engage with industry professionals and investors.
“The center is an integral part of the University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Schram says. “We help students leverage funds and build relationships for success.”
New Avenues of Thought
The first academic center of its kind in the United States, CCE is a joint venture between the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
Schram insists there’s more to the industry than content creators and social influencers.
“We’re training students to become the next generation of operators, talent managers and agents, and financial and infrastructure visionaries,” he says. “They’re behind-the-scenes people who don’t always post on social media but represent high-value career paths.”
Life Trustee Judith Greenberg Seinfeld ’56, H’25 considers Schram and his charges “extraordinary.”
“The center is at the leading edge of a new chapter in higher education,” says Seinfeld, who generously supports the Creator Crew. “I’m excited to help students move forward with their ideas and transpose their careers into new avenues of thought.”
Adds Schram: “We’re not just building audiences; we’re also building communities.”
