Entrepreneurship

Parsons Entrepreneurial Lab (ELab) is a design-led research lab dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship. Founded in 2014, ELab is housed in the School of Design Strategies and caters to The New School’s students and recent alumni from all graduate programs, providing entrepreneurial education, events, research, and support mechanisms.

ELab has grown into the hub of a distributed network of entrepreneurship nested in its academic and entrepreneurial community. We offer a variety of events, such as workshops, panel discussions, fireside chats, design challenges, incubators, and accelerators, with our external partners and mentors with the aim of engaging and empowering the New School community and providing access to education and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. In support of these goals, we also conduct research to gain a better understanding of the needs of young entrepreneurs.

The Impact Entrepreneurship Initiative (IEI) is a university-wide initiative at The New School focused on social innovation, inclusive entrepreneurship, and community-centered design. IEI offers graduate students opportunities to engage with ecosystem partners, develop powerful and effective ventures, and apply for the IEI Fellowship, which supports students committed to equitable and community-informed entrepreneurial work.

The Innovation Center at The New School brings together the AI, XR, and Quantum Labs to collaborate with faculty, students, and external partners on the design, prototyping, and application of emerging technologies in creative practice, education, and applied research. Operating at the intersection of technology, art, design, social research, and the performing arts, the center translates ideas into real-world outcomes.

The center functions as a platform for co-creation and applied experimentation. Through industry and cultural partnerships, academic programs, design jams, hackathons, public events, and publications, we develop immersive projects, research-informed initiatives, exhibitions, performances, and digital activations. Our work emphasizes user-centered design, ethical engagement, and social impact advancing future-facing narratives and building meaningful experiences, prototypes, and ventures that extend into the world.

NYC Media Lab connects technologists in digital media and technology companies with New York City's universities in order to drive innovation and talent development. A public–private partnership launched by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Columbia University, and New York University, the lab hosts events and seeds projects to foster collaboration across a range of disciplines central to the future of media.

The New York Small Business Development Center (NYSBDC) provides small business owners and entrepreneurs in New York with high-quality confidential business counseling, training, and business research at no cost.

We work with real people and real businesses. Our assistance helps people like you achieve real success, as it has for more than 30 years.

SCORE is a nonprofit resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration offering free mentoring, workshops, templates, and practical guidance for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small business owners exploring or launching new ventures.

Unshackled is a revolutionary angel fund founded by entrepreneurs and backed by more than 80 top investors, designed for all teams, including those with members on work visas.

Entrepreneur the Arts allows you to explore articles, tools, and guidance designed for artists, designers, performers, and other creatives interested in building sustainable careers and entrepreneurial projects. Available resources cover topics such as creative business development, branding, networking, funding, professional practice, and strategies for turning creative ideas into viable opportunities while maintaining a strong artistic or social mission.

Succeeding as a professional musician—whether through augmenting income, standing out in a competitive field, adding variety to activities, or establishing an empire—requires much more than talent and luck. David Cutler explores mindset, career, projects, marketing, money, and more in this music entrepreneurship blog.

The Enterprising Musician’s Guide to Performer Contracts provides detailed, plain-language explanations of clauses commonly found in legal agreements such as engagement (gig) contracts, artist-management contracts, and producer agreements. Musicians of all genres will be able to decipher contracts offered to them and improve terms to their benefit. Clearly and in detail, David Williams dissects the most common clauses in performer contracts, explaining how to avoid pitfalls and properly amend content to address individual needs. 

Seasoned performers, emerging artists, and music students at all levels will find this handy volume an invaluable compendium of guidance as they navigate their careers in the music industry.

Gerald Klickstein explores music practice and performance, creativity, collaboration, entrepreneurship, career development, technology, wellness, and myriad aspects of living a musician's life.

SEA is a program geared to helping emerging visual, performing, literary, and media artists acquire the resources and connections they need to be successful self-employed artists.

FWD.us supports comprehensive immigration reform, advocates for improving the quality of American education, and promotes investment in scientific innovation. With teams located across the country, FWD.us brings together a diverse group of organizers, entrepreneurs, and innovators who develop and deploy online and offline direct advocacy tools at the district, state, and national levels.

The Invisible Dreamers is a Tumblr blog showcasing stories of immigrants to the United States and highlighting challenges they have faced, whether they are actors, such as Andy Garcia; directors, such as Oscar winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu; or students pursuing their dreams.