Scooter Braun, founder and chairman of Ithaca Holdings, founder of SB Projects, and one of the major forces and innovators in the entertainment industry, met with Berklee Valencia students at a recent seminar hosted by the Master of Arts in Global Entertainment and Music Business program. At the event, Braun reflected on his career and highlighted the importance of building a strong team, the development of values, and personal growth as the keys to success.
An entrepreneur, philanthropist, studio head, record executive, and manager, Braun advised students to find what makes them happy, rather than try to figure out what others want, and to be confident and work hard. “I like people who burn the ships and say, ‘I’m going to figure this out,’” he said. “Start the self-work now, live in your triggers, don’t run away from your fears; run right away into them, underneath them, learn some very important truths. If you do that work now, I don’t think anything can stop you.”
During the interview, which was moderated by Emilien Moyon, program director for the Global Entertainment and Music Business program, Braun answered questions from students about a wide range of topics, including his vision on management and entrepreneurship, the role of technology in the industry, his work as manager and a philanthropist, and more.
When asked about his inspirations and how to succeed in the entertainment industry, Braun encouraged the students to stay curious and be creative. “Switch from doing things from a competitive place to a creative place. When you are competitive, you are fighting for something that can be taken away. There is no end for a creative mind; a great creative mind can be an amazing business mind,” he said.
Braun closed the session talking about the power of music to change the world. “I’m really hoping that your generation in music keeps us in a safe place. I hope music has an influence in the next generation of leaders so we get to a better place,” he said.
Every week, students in the Global Entertainment and Music Business program have the opportunity to meet top-level professionals in the industry. Other guest speakers have included Shawn Barron, vice president of A&R at Atlantic Records; Yvette Noel-Schure, founder of Schure Media Group and Beyoncé's publicist; Rob Dickins, former president and chairman of Warner Music UK; Alex Rivas, project manager and tour manager; and Scott Cohen, cofounder of the Orchard.
About Scooter Braun
Scooter Braun is one of the most sought-after executives in the music and entertainment industry. Braun leads Ithaca Holdings, a fully integrated holding company with interests across music, technology, film, television, brands, and culture, which invests in some of the largest management, media, and rights companies in the industry.
In 2007, Braun launched SB Projects, a diversified entertainment and media company housed by Ithaca Holdings with ventures at the intersection of music, film, television, technology, brands, culture, and social good. Today, Braun has a roster of top pop culture icons under his management, record label, and publishing companies that includes Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, J Balvin, Ashley Graham, and Karlie Kloss, to name a few.
