BerkleeICE Launches Creative Entrepreneurship Summer Camp

Offered in partnership with IEG Global Corporation, the program’s inaugural class is composed of high school students from China and Taiwan and will explore an innovative approach to teaching entrepreneurship, using music as the underlying coaching language.

July 6, 2015

Berklee's Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship (BerkleeICE), founded to inspire, educate and launch the next generation of creative entrepreneurs, announces the kick-off to its international pre-collegiate summer camp. The program’s inaugural class, held July 5-12, is composed of high school students from China and Taiwan and explored an innovative approach to teaching entrepreneurship, using music as the underlying coaching language. This program is offered in partnership with IEG Global Corporation, a non-profit that strives to make a difference in the world through education by working with top universities to develop challenging programs for students.

During the course of this week-long camp, these international students gained a unique vantage point, looking at entrepreneurship and business education through a creative lens. The program, which is cross-cultural by design, aims to develop a student’s passion for creativity while also teaching them the process of creating new products, services and even businesses by advancing “disruptive” ideas, using music as the foundation. As the program continues to expand and evolve, BerkleeICE looks to bring students from all different parts of the world, including those in impoverished or conflict-ridden communities, to inspire and unleash creativity with the goal of fostering innovation.

“The belief that the creative process and the entrepreneurial journey share the same DNA is central to the BerkleeICE philosophy,” said Panos Panay, founding managing director of BerkleeICE. “Many of the prized skills of great musicians, such as effective listening, improvisation, collaboration, and experimentation, are the same required of successful entrepreneurs. Our summer program will take students through the process of thinking like an entrepreneur by using creativity as a catalyst for innovation and provide the tools they need to innovate in the future.”

The 2015 program, which kicked off with seven students from China and Taiwan, included daily hands-on activities; visits to Boston area innovation institutions and organizations; seminars with world-renowned music professionals; and coaching by entrepreneurs, innovators, and educators from technology, business, and art sectors. Guest lecturers included many members of Berklee’s faculty and chairs, including Prince Charles Alexander, Don Gorder, Bonnie Hayes, George Howard, and Rob Jaczko. Students also heard from several members of Boston’s academic and innovation community, including MIT’s Aithan Shapira, ClearVue partner’s Harry Hui, SoundHound’s Kyle Bylin, Revolution of Hope’s David France, Sound Leadership’s Johannes Flecker, and IDEO’s Michael Hendrix. Additionally, students hd the opportunity to visit and tour various local colleges, incubators and startups, as well as partake in quintessential cultural outings around Boston, including a Duck Tour, movie night at the Hatch Shell, and a Red Sox game.

Learn more about the Creative Entrepreneurship International High School Summer Camp.  View the Creative Entrepreneurship Summer Camp 2015 program and schedule.