Center for the Creator Economy Ramps Up With New Space, Initiatives and Tour

Thomas O’Brien (far left), CCE project coordinator, moderates a panel discussion with (from left) Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie, Carly Shapiro and Roger Moore during an event at the University’s Lubin House on Jan. 22.

The groundbreaking University initiative unveils plans for a fall 2026 academic minor, student-produced content series and more.

The University’s Center for the Creator Economy (CCE) is ramping up this spring with new content creation initiatives, the introduction of a new academic minor and outreach events across the country, including a vibrant gathering in New York City that featured influential alumni in this dynamic space.


More than 80 people stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the Lubin House in New York as University leaders and students connected with alumni to preview what’s ahead for the center, which launched in the fall. Syracuse is the first university in the country to build a center dedicated to the growing creator economy.


Featured guests at the Jan. 22 event included Carly Shapiro ’18 (NEW), co-founder of the media brand SisterSnacking and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and Roger Moore ’24 (VPA), a director, visual effects artist and video editor with more than 1.2 million followers on TikTok.


They took part in a panel discussion that touched on topics like how they’ve navigated their careers as creators and entrepreneurs and how the CCE addresses prospective students’ evolving career interests. They are two of dozens of recent Syracuse graduates and current students already active in the creator economy space.


“There’s so many people—and I wish I started [creating] earlier, because you don’t realize how much of a community there is in Syracuse, how many other creators that are there that want to create,” said Moore, who goes by “Metronade” on social media. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in cinematography and film/video production from the College of Visual and Performing Arts.


Alumnus Roger Moore (right), a director, visual effects artist and video editor, greets attendees at the Center for the Creator Economy event in New York City. Moore was one of the featured speakers on a panel discussion.

Building a Hub for Creator-Driven Careers

Powered by podcasters, streamers, influencers and other creatives, the creator economy is reshaping how ideas, products and services are marketed and monetized. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Substack have emerged as engines of commerce and platforms for communication.


The Center for the Creator Economy is co-led by the Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Whitman School of Management. The initiative positions the University at the forefront of research, education and thought leadership within the rapidly expanding creator-driven economic landscape.

Alex McKelvie, interim dean of the Whitman School, alumni panelists Carly Shapiro and Roger Moore, and Mark Lodato, dean of the Newhouse School, pose during the Center for the Creator Economy event in New York City.

In January, a physical space opened for the center that serves as a dynamic hub for collaboration, learning and community. When complete, the space will feature flexible resources, including professional lighting and camera equipment, dedicated pods for audio recording and adaptable workspaces.


“If we can bring the excellence that exists in the business school, around entrepreneurship and business development, together with the expertise that resides in Newhouse on the creative side, on the production side, we could do something very, very special,” said Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation and executive dean of the Whitman School, during the panel discussion.


“That really is the differentiating aspect of what it is we’re trying to do here,” Haynie said.

3 New Initiatives; Trustee Support

During the Jan. 22 event, Haynie announced three upcoming initiatives:

• An academic minor on the creator economy, open to students from any school or college, anticipated to debut in fall 2026.
• An “Inside the Creator Economy” video series documenting students’ “micro-internships” and networking experiences with alumni.
• The “Creator Crew,” funded by Syracuse University life trustee Judith Greenberg Seinfeld ’56, H’25. The Creator Crew will produce content for students and by students that will tell the story of Syracuse University.

The center recently received support from University trustee Nomi Bergman ’24 MBA and her husband, Neal Bergman ’81, who both graduated from Whitman. She said they were inspired to support the center because of how the initiative recognizes how the world of work and influence is changing.


“Syracuse is leaning into a reality students are already living in, where the ability to create content, tell stories and engage communities is not a side skill but a core one,” says Nomi Bergman, president of the Advance/Newhouse Investment Partnership.


“By giving students the tools to build audiences, create meaningful content, and think entrepreneurially, the center is helping prepare them not just for their first jobs, but for careers that will evolve alongside technology, culture and society,” she says.


The center also hosted a Feb. 5 event in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the  University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship and Substack, with an event in Los Angeles planned for later this spring.


Shapiro, who majored in television, radio and film at Newhouse, applauded her alma mater for teaching students how to establish a career in the creator economy at the Jan. 22 event. Her advice for aspiring creators?


“It takes consistency,” she said. “Consistency in posting and finding a voice, but then it also takes finding a community online.”