Syracuse taps Ryan Schram to lead creator economy center

Syracuse University named Ryan Schram the inaugural executive director of its Center for the Creator Economy, which launched last fall and is expanding into a second year. The move adds a veteran operator as the university rolls out a new creator economy minor and deepens research, academic programs and industry ties.

Why it matters: - Syracuse University is trying to position itself as a national leader in creator economy education and research. - The center’s expansion adds a new academic path for students interested in content creation, digital entrepreneurship and related media businesses. - The appointment brings an experienced industry operator into a first-of-its-kind university center.

What happened: - Syracuse University named Ryan Schram the inaugural executive director of its Center for the Creator Economy. - Schram will start Aug. 3. - The center launched last fall and is led jointly by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. - Schram will oversee the center’s growth as it expands academic programs, research and industry partnerships.

The details: - Syracuse describes the center as a first-of-its-kind academic center on a U.S. college campus. - The center brings together entrepreneurship, media, communications, athletics and digital infrastructure. - The university is launching a creator economy minor this fall. - The minor will include courses from Whitman and Newhouse. - Electives will also come from other schools and colleges, including a Name, Image and Likeness class from the David B. Falk College of Sport and Music Industry Marketing and Media from the College of Visual and Performing Arts. - Programs from the center are open to students from all schools and colleges at Syracuse. - The center’s physical space at Newhouse opened this spring. - The space includes areas for collaboration and programming. - New podcast production booths are slated to open in the fall. - Syracuse cited Goldman Sachs Research saying nearly 50 million people globally work as full- or part-time creators. - Goldman Sachs Research estimates the sector could reach $480 billion by 2027.

Between the lines: - The hire signals Syracuse wants a practitioner-led approach, not just an academic one. - Schram’s background in operations, advising and creator economy businesses fits a center built around industry relevance. - The university is also betting that the creator economy will keep growing fast enough to justify dedicated curriculum and cross-school programming. - Schram thanked Chancellor J. Michael Haynie for creating the center and said Syracuse aims to become a global authority on curriculum, research and rankings in the space.

What's next: - Schram’s first job will be to help scale the center’s programs and partnerships. - The creator economy minor begins this fall. - The Newhouse facility will add podcast production booths in the fall. - Syracuse will likely use the center’s second year to build more visibility around its academic model and industry connections.

The bottom line: - Syracuse is turning its creator economy center from a launch-year experiment into a more formal academic platform, and it is putting a seasoned operator in charge to do it.