Syracuse University Names Ryan Schram Inaugural Executive Director oftheCenter for the Creator Economy
Ryan Schram, a veteran industry leader and strategic advisor at the intersection of content, commerce and creativity, has been named the inaugural executive director of Syracuse University’s Center for the Creator Economy.
A first-of-its-kind academic center on a U.S. college campus, the aligns strengths at Syracuse University in entrepreneurship, media, communications, athletics and digital infrastructure, charting how higher education can prepare students for the 21st-century economy. Launched last fall, the center is led jointly by theand the—two of the top schools in their respective fields.
Schram, who will start Aug. 3, will guide the center’s growth as it expands its academic programs, research and industry partnerships. His appointment brings a practitioner’s perspective to the University’s trailblazing initiative.
ٳfor his vision that created the center.
“Syracuse has done what no other university has: build the first academic center for the creator economy with the ambition of becoming the global authority on curriculum, research and rankings in this space,” Schram says. “As someone who has spent the last decade and a half building businesses in this industry, I see real value in leading it from a practitioner’s vantage point. I am excited for what we will build together in the years to come.”
Schram’s 25-plus year career includes extensive experience across public and private companies. He was recognized as a Top 10 Global Chief Operating Officer at the 2023 OnCon Icon Awards and as a Top 101 COO by Boardroom Media in 2022.
Most recently, Schram worked at Particle Wave, where he was managing partner for the boutique advisory firm that counsels leading companies on navigating the rapidly evolving creator economy. He also spent 13 years, including 12 as president and COO, at IZEA, a global leader in professional services, technology and talent representation.
Before IZEA, he wasgroupvicepresident at Merkle (formerly HelloWorld/ePrize) and held roles of increasing responsibility at Westwood One and iHeartMedia.
“Ryan brings the vision, industry experience and entrepreneurial mindset needed to lead the Center for the Creator Economy at this pivotal moment,” says , dean of the Newhouse School. “He understands how storytelling, audience development, technology and business come together in today’s media landscape. We are looking forward to working with Ryan to build a vibrant hub at the University that leads across the evolving creative economy.”
“The creator economy represents one of the fastest-evolving sectors of the global economy, and Ryan has spent his career helping organizations navigate that change,” says , interim dean of the Whitman School of Management. “His practitioner perspective, combined with his commitment to innovation and collaboration, will help ensure the Center for the Creator Economy continues to shape how we prepare future business and creative leaders.”
Poised to Flourish
The Center for the Creator Economy enters its second year with expanding programming and positive momentum. The University is launching a creator economy minor this fall, providing a new pathfor students to build careers in content creation, digital entrepreneurship and thepractitionerecosystem reshaping how ideas, audiences and businesses arebuiltonline.
Besides courses from Whitman and Newhouse, the minor includes electives offered by other schools and colleges, including a Name, Image and Likeness class offered from the , and Music Industry Marketing and Media from the .
Programs and academic offerings from the center are available to students from all schools and colleges at the University, and the minor’s interdisciplinary design reflects the scope of the creator economy itself. According to Goldman Sachs Research, nearly 50 million people globally work as full- or part-time creators, and the sector could be worth $480 billion by 2027.
The center’s physical home at the Newhouse School, which opened this past spring, features areas for collaboration and programming, and new podcast production booths are slated to open in the fall.
