Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit

On August 12th and 13th, Real Industry hosted 6 universities and colleges to kick-off Phase 1 of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Initiative. Our DEI Initiative is a 1-year long mentorship and experiential opportunities program with a focus to increase the number of women and underrepresented students entering the arts and technology industries. 

Phase 1 of our program, “Teach the Teachers,” allowed us to bring together the amazing professors and career services leaders at the schools we are working with. During the two days, we worked hands-on with the faculty to understand their students’ needs and co-create a unique mentoring program best for each campus. We brought in companies and industry mentors to help the faculty understand industry needs and trends. Faculty were able to gain clarity on preparing students for success in the workforce and industry members were able to better understand obstacles students face when entering industry. 

Additionally, Real Industry provided a strong set of tools and resources to help faculty implement our mentorship program on their campuses.   

We are excited to partner with a diverse group of universities and professors to expand our student reach across the country!

  • Cal State University, Monterey Bay: Lanier Sammons, Music & Performing Arts, Assistant professor

  • Loyola University New Orleans: Jeffrey Albert, School of Music Industry, Director

  • Spelman College: Robert Hamilton, Art & Visual Culture, Senior Lecturer and Iretta B.C. Kearse, Computer and Information Sciences, Senior Instructor

  • University of California, Riverside: Cristina Otegui, Career Center, Lead Career Counselor and Kristen Roberts, Career Center, Associate Director

  • University of Hartford: Gabe Herman, The Hartt School, Assistant Professor of Music Industry

  • Wayne State University: Jeremy Peters, Music, Lecturer in Music Business and Jeff Ponders, TechTown, Entrepreneur in Residence

In October, each campus will host a launch event to introduce students to a month long project they will work on with an industry mentor. Students will choose a project aligned with an area of industry they are interested in, such as, software engineering, marketing, design, music, business and more! 

A special thank you to all the faculty and staff at these universities and colleges helping us launch our DEI Initiative. With their help we can start equalizing access and experiences for all students!