Students sat down with Eliot Gattegno, NYU Shanghai’s Associate Professor of Practice of Business and Arts, during his entrepreneurship talk on Thursday, Oct. 20. Through the co-hosted Gallatin Business Club (GBC) and Undergraduate Business Association (UBA) session, Gattegno shared what he learned along his professional journey in classical music, education and the world of innovation.At a very young age, Gattegno kicked off his classical training when he enrolled into Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan to study instrumental music full-time. After he graduated from Interlochen, Gattegno continued his academic career in music and business at New England Conservatory, UCSD, Harvard and Stanford. “Even though he started out with his passion for music, he continued to explore different fields of study,” Michael Dinku, Computer Science sophomore, said. “I think it’s that kind of flexibility that really shaped the type of successful person he is today.”Gattegno found that within his academic career, the approach that Interlochen had towards education was unparalleled. He felt moved to implement Interlochen’s sense of community, creative lens and unique artistic perspective for other students on the planet. Hence, Gattegno founded the Center for Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in Shenzhen. Not only that, but he is currently also a professor at the CUHK Business School, founding partner at Genesis Ventures and a startup advisor globally. “My goal is to live up to John Maeda’s words, ‘Amidst all the attention given to the sciences as to how they can lead to the cure of all diseases and daily problems of mankind, I believe that the biggest breakthrough will be the realization that the arts, which are considered useless will be recognized as the whole reason why we ever try to live longer or live more prosperously. The arts are the science of enjoying life,’” Gattegno said. In order to be radical and disruptive entrepreneurs, Gattegno shone light on the importance of consistently viewing abilities in diverse ways. He notes that within academia, we must not forget that the creative and the practical are closely linked. For instance, he explained that the liberal arts have been historically regarded as the all-inclusive knowledge needed to be a benevolent societal citizen.“I appreciate the emphasis he put on the arts, especially with regards to the push for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) as opposed to just STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math),” Data Science junior Fareed Massoud said. Attendees enjoyed Gattegno’s talking points on finding the right team, amplifying ridiculousness in entrepreneurial ventures and turning abstract thoughts into concrete beauty. Economics Sophomore Bradford Sunderland from UBA noted that Gattegno not only acknowledged that business students are often fascinated by a variety of other disciplines, but also encouraged them to capitalize on the techniques they have honed. “At UBA and GBC, we exist to foster an appreciation for business for students in all disciplines,” Sunderland said. “Going forward, together we are excited to continue fostering more connections by making use of the diverse and varied skillset of the wider NYU global network.”This article was written by Momachi Pabrai. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYU Shanghai