Recap: An Evening with Real Industry 2018

November 8th, 2018 | An Evening with Real Industry | Great American Music Hall | San Francisco, CA

On Thursday, November 8th, Real Industry hosted An Evening With Real Industry. This special fundraising event took place at San Francisco’s legendary Great American Music Hall. The event included invited executives, leaders, and special guests from the music, entertainment, and consumer electronics industry.

Through design challenge workshops taking place at universities across the U.S., as well as through an entrepreneurship program for university-based startups, Real Industry aims to provide students with the opportunities and resources that traditional classroom education systems lack.

By taking advantage of these programs, students are exposed to new career paths in industry, develop new skills, and rapidly expand their professional networks. As a non-profit, Real Industry would not be able to provide these programs and resources to over 1,000 university students a year without the support and generosity of donors.

The perennial venue of the Great American Music Hall provided the perfect complimentary background for a night dedicated to investing in future leaders, a pursuit always important, yet often understated. Guests attending An Evening with Real Industry heard from representatives of all the varied champion groups Real Industry holds in its network, including Real Industry founder and Executive Director Jay LeBoeuf, Real Industry board members Richard Kulavik and Marlene Scherer Stern, former Real Industry student Giordano Jacuzzi, and our partner UC Berkeley’s Julie McShane.

The refreshments and professional networking accompanying this event were added benefits to what was a night to remember in support of university students. Though An Evening With Real Industry is over, it’s always a good time to support the next generation of industry leaders.

To join the Real Industry community and aid in our mission to educate, inspire, and empower university students to thrive in the arts and technology industry, visit our donation page at donate.realindustry.org.

Thank you to our corporate sponsors for supporting 2018’s An Evening with Real Industry!!

University Startups Head to Silicon Valley for Real Startup 2018 Entrepreneurship Program

Real Startup, Real Industry’s two-week entrepreneurship program for university-based startup ventures focusing on media, entertainment, music, and technology, kicks off on June 18th in San Francisco. Teams experience a jam-packed schedule of mentorship and education from professionals at Dolby, Google, Pandora, Eventbrite, and many more. By leveraging Real Industry’s rich network of professionals in this niche sector of innovation, Real Startup accelerates the careers of young entrepreneurs.

Our 2018 Cohort includes five teams hailing from New York University, University of Southern California, Tufts University, Purdue University, McGill University, Malmö University, and the University of Iceland. These startups were selected from a pool of over 100 applications from across the globe. This cohort consists of teams working on ventures in various areas of media and technology, including innovations in live ticketing, AR/VR for concerts, wearables for creative expression and performance, mobile music creation apps, and media distribution platforms for cultural institutions.

Throughout the two week program, teams receive direct access to Real Industry’s network of corporate partners and over 300 expert mentors. Our 2018 schedule includes sessions with companies leading the way in industry-altering developments. We appreciate the support from all of our amazing hosts. With exposure to these organizations, plus the connections made with our fantastic community of mentors, teams complete the program with unparalleled professional networks. 

Check out what two of our mentors from Pandora and Pyramind had to say:

““Mentorship is an incredible way for students hoping to enter the industry to start building their network. My own mentors have been immensely helpful in shaping my career so far, and their support and guidance continue to help me become a better professional and person. A great entrepreneurial spirit has always been alive at Pandora, and we’re proud to support the brilliant young minds that Real Startup is introducing to the world of music tech.””

— Heather Ellis, Artist Marketing Manager at Pandora

““Pyramind is excited to host Real Industry’s Real Startup 2018 Cohort as part of their two week accelerator program...At the core of Pyramind’s music production training ethos is the connection between real-world experience and the value that mentorship provides in bridging the gap between education in the classroom and the professional workplace. Pyramind’s over fifteen-year history in music education and production was built on this dynamic equation and we value greatly our partnership with Real Industries and what we believe is the future of education and entrepreneurship.””

— Gregory J. Gordon, CEO and Founder at Pyramind

As we gear up for a phenomenal experience, we want to express our gratitude to our major corporate sponsors: LANDR, Reverb, Stashimi, iZotope, Pro Sound Effects, New York University Steinhardt, Jaunt, and Polsinelli. Real Startup is additionally funded through a philanthropic grant from Olivann. Without the generous contributions of these organizations, we would not be able to reach the level of impact we strive for through the Real Startup program.

“Stashimi was a founding sponsor of Real Startup back in 2017, and we’re happy to continue supporting the student accelerator program for the second year in a row, as we believe experiential education and mentorship is invaluable in the music and tech industries.””

— Kosta Elchev, Chief Marketing Officer at Stashimi

Not in the San Francisco Bay Area? You don’t need to miss out on all the fun! We will be posting regularly to the Real Startup 2018 Facebook Group throughout the program. We invite you to join the conversation, see updates from the teams, and share your own thoughts on the interesting crossroad of media technology and entrepreneurship. The Livestream link to the final presentations from each of the 5 teams, taking place on June 29th, will be available within this group and on Real Industry’s Facebook page by June 22nd.

Real Industry aims to bridge the worlds of industry and academia. Our community is always growing, and we’d love for you to be a part of it. Join us today.