Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications is launching a collaborative workspace that will house digital media startups.
The space, named the Newhouse Startup Garage, represents a partnership between the university and media startups that will provide internships, job and research opportunities for students, all within the Newhouse School.
Newhouse Dean Mark Lodato said the “garage” will initially have six to 10 small but established companies and potentially could accommodate more in the future.
“We’ll be looking for companies with a growth mentality, working at the intersection of technology and communications,” he said.
The program will be run under the auspices of the school’s Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship and its director, Sean Branagan.
The “garage” will provide startups with on-campus office space, collaborative opportunities with Newhouse faculty and access to the school’s facilities, including Dick Clark Studios, the Alan Gerry Center for Media Innovation and the W2O Emerging Insights Lab. Participating companies will provide internships or job opportunities for students from Newhouse and across the campus.
Rookie Road, a digital media technology company founded in 2014 by SU graduate Mike Gursha and his brother Doug, will be the first business in the program. The company operates a website that features tutorials on the basics of baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, soccer and other sports.
Rookie Road has operations in Portland, Oregon, and New York City. Mike Gursha said the office in the Newhouse Startup Garage will be a satellite office employing two full-time employees. He said he expects the office to serve as a pipeline for interns and for part-time and full-time talent than can help the company grow.
“We’ve had a lot of success already hiring Syracuse students, both as interns, part-time and ultimately translating into full-time roles,” he said. “So we want to kind of double down on that and go deeper.”
Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148