MSM Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

🎉 Announcing Our Finalists! 🎉

After much deliberation, The Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is proud to introduce the three outstanding finalists and their proposals for the Second Annual Innovation Competition:

Joshua E. Thomas (DMA in Vocal Performance)
The Rise for Freedom — A collaborative collegiate production of Adolphus Hailstork’s one-act opera, bringing together student singers to create meaningful performance opportunities and showcase academic partnership.

Jose Sanchez (BA in Music Performance)
Houston Mini Music Studios — A visionary plan to establish multipurpose music studios across the greater Houston area, designed for composing, recording, teaching, and rehearsing—all in one accessible space.

Rebeca Salazar (BA in Music Marketing)
Moores School of Music Open House — A dynamic, free, one-day community event inspired by the Houston Theater District Open House. Featuring performances, workshops, and interactive experiences, this initiative aims to inspire K–12 students and families while strengthening community ties and fostering a love for music.

Each finalist will receive a $500 prize and will present their proposals at the MSM Celebrates! event:
📅 Tuesday, April 28
⏰ 1:00 PM
📍 Moores Opera House

A panel of judges and the audience present will vote to select one winner to receive $2,000 to bring their innovative idea to life!
Thank you to all who applied and we hope you’ll join us next Tuesday to celebrate these incredible students and their inspiring ideas. 🌟

🚨 APRIL LINEUP JUST DROPPED 🚨

We’ve got SO many amazing things happening at CEI this month, culminating in our 2nd Annual Innovation Competition! Proposals are due a week from today - don’t miss your shot at three finalists prizes of $500 and a grand prize of $2,000! Here’s what you can look forward to in April:

📅 April 6
💡 Innovation Competition Preparation
with Joseph Ossei-Little, Assistant Director of CEI

📅 April 13
🎶 The Entrepreneurial Genius of Taylor Swift
with Kelly McCormick, Professor of Practice, C.T. Bauer College of Business

📅 April 20
🎼 The Art of the Church Gig
with Daryl Robinson, Associate Professor of Organ, Moores School of Music

📅 April 27
🏆 Preparing for the Final Round of the Second Annual Innovation Competition
with Dr. Brian Chin, Director, Moores School of Music

📅 April 28
🔥 Final Round: Second Annual Innovation Competition

Don’t miss out on these incredible opportunities!

Happy Friday!

You’ve probably seen the posters around the music building and/or the email from Dr. Chin regarding our upcoming financial literacy series “Sound Finances,” but we thought we’d provide you with a little more information on our illustrious guest speaker, Gaby Valdez.

Come join us on the next four Mondays (February 9, 16, 23 & March 2) at 1 PM in MSM Rm. 108 and learn how to develop smart financial habits!

Greetings, Coogs! 🐾

We hope you all had an excellent weekend. Today we kick off our Spring 2026 Speaker Sessions with the amazing AnDre’ Washington. Come join us in Rm. 108 at 1 PM for what promises to be a great, informative talk. A little bit about our first speaker of the semester:

AnDre’ Washington is an accomplished vocalist, producer, and educator with over two decades of experience in the music industry. He has served as a lecturer at the UCLA School of Music, Film, and Theater and is recognized for his work with a wide array of renowned artists, including Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Van Halen, Kanye West and the Sunday Service Collective, and Imagine Dragons. AnDre’ is also the author of the “Stage-Ready Confidence Blueprint,” a guide designed to help performers cultivate confidence and stage presence. He brings a wealth of industry insight and motivational strategies to his engagements with students and academic communities.

🚨 FREE PIZZA!!! 🚨

…now that we have your attention, we hope you’re having a great first week of the Spring 2026 semester, Coogs!

Provided we are not all snowed in, we hope you’ll join us for our first Speaker Session/Pizza Party of the semester this coming Monday (01/26) at 1 PM in MSM 108.

Our 2nd Annual Innovation Competition is fast approaching on April 28th and we invite you to come discuss your proposal ideas with our guest speakers, MSM Director Dr. Brian Chin and Professor Kelly McCormick from the Bauer College of Business. Regardless of what stage you find yourself in your project or even if you don’t have a concept yet, stop by, grab a slice, and let us help you develop your proposal! Reminder: three finalists prizes of $500 and a grand prize of $2,000 are up for grabs!

Have a safe weekend and remember the six Ps of cold weather: People, Pets, Plants, Pipes, and (on Monday, weather permitting) PIZZA PARTY!!! 🍕 🍕 🍕

Hello and Happy 2026!

We at CEI hope you are all having a great start to the year and we are SO excited for all the amazing things we have in store for you throughout the Spring 2026 semester.

Speaking of amazing things, we wanted to make you all aware of the following opportunity coming to Houston next month:

PSRGN Music Industry Immersion Seminar

Date: February 8
Time: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Studio X – Recording Studio, 1131 Witte Rd, Houston, TX
Capacity: Limited to 15 participants
Seminar Overview:
This exclusive music industry immersion seminar is led by Don Toliver’s official touring DJ, Doc McDaniels, and
Billboard & RIAA-certified producer SB. The seminar provides direct, unfiltered insight into how the modern music
industry operates at a professional level, bridging the gap between creative skill and sustainable career ex*****on.
Panel Speakers:
SB (Billboard & RIAA-Certified Producer) &
Doc McDaniels (Official DJ for Don Toliver)
Seminar Topics & Learning Outcomes
• Touring life and live performance operations
• Studio workflows and professional production standards
• Contracts, publishing, splits, advances, and royalties
• Music income across touring, production, songwriting, and branding
• Protecting creative work and avoiding common industry pitfalls
• Relationship-building and long-term career positioning
Experiential Components
• Live music creation in FL Studio with SB, including collaborative opportunities
• Live DJ set by Doc McDaniels with insight into touring performance standards
• Direct networking and relationship-building with both speakers
Who Should Attend
Artists, producers, DJs, managers, and music entrepreneurs serious about operating at a professional or
entrepreneurial level within the music industry.
Cost
$750 per participant.
Contact Info: Alec Renteria (Manager — SB)
619-883-4278 | [email protected]

🚨 NEW LINEUP JUST DROPPED 🚨

We have got some truly AMAZING guest speakers closing out our Fall 2025 Speaker Sessions and kicking things off today is the incomparable Kristina Sullivan! Some background on today’s speaker:

Kristina Sullivan is Founder and Director of the Tribble School for the Performing Arts at Queensbury Theatre where she works as administrator and instructor for students of all ages throughout the year.  A native to Houston, Kristina has worked for 20 years in the Houston arts community, including Music Box Young Artists - Founder & Director (2012-2015); Masquerade Theatre - Resident Company Member performing in over 50 musicals at the Hobby Center (2003-2012). She received her BA from the University of Houston, where she studied Vocal Performance (The Moore School of Music), and Psychology.

Closing out our October Speaker Session lineup this coming Monday (October 27th) is the one-and-only Joel Luks! Expect to learn all about using AI as a musician in a number of ways. 🤖

As you probably know already, this is becoming an increasingly valuable and necessary skill in this day and age and Mr. Luks is an absolute pro at it - you won’t want to miss this one! A little bit about our guest speaker:

Joel Luks is a communications specialist who has an impressive collection of bow ties. As a contributing editor CultureMap until 2015, Joel mused and amused about arts, entertainment, classical music and society while serving as a regular contributor on KHOU 11 News through a special partnership between CultureMap and the CBS affiliate. Joel is now a content strategist with the boutique marketing and public relations firm The CKP Group. Joel earned degrees from the University of Rochester and Rice University, where he excelled in classical music performance. Additional studies in arts management and psychology led to a post as education director of Young Audiences of Houston, a chapter of a national nonprofit that advocates for creative pursuits in schools. He then gained experience in sales as a home consultant for Newmark Homes, a Houston-based production builder. Joel is passionate about the importance of the arts in society, education and sustainability. As a volunteer, he has served on the boards of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Urban Harvest and Fresh Arts, having also been the chair of the Impulse Artist Series board. He’s also a frequent speaker on topics of media relations, marketing practices and art trends.

🚨IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT TIME🚨

We at CEI are THRILLED to officially announce the Second Annual Innovation Competition!

Please join us for a very special Speaker Session with none other than our very own MSM Director Dr. Brian Chin this coming Monday (October 20th) at 1 PM in Room 108 to discuss “The Project-Based Career” and more details about our Innovation Competition!

FREE PIZZA WILL BE SERVED! 🍕

🚨 MARK YOUR CALENDARS! 🚨
Lots of amazing guests coming up in October - we hope you’ll join us! 🎃