WASHINGTON – The Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music & Entertainment Business at the Howard University School of Business is excited to welcome Jasmine Young, MBA, as its director. The Blavatnik Center offers one-year fellowships to high-potential students and equips them with the knowledge and materials necessary for pursuing careers in the music and entertainment industry.

As a Howard alum who got her start in the music industry through an internship at Def Jam Records, Young is looking forward to helping bring new opportunities to the students at her Alma Mater.

“That coveted internship at Def Jam Records so many years ago truly set the path and the foundation for my career. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded. It also allowed me to provide opportunity for many creatives and executive leaders in our space,” Young said. “Our trailblazing program will prepare students for successful careers in the music and entertainment industry. The goal is to provide mentorship and training that will create the next generation of innovative entertainment executives.”

The Blavatnik Center was the brainchild of Julian Petty, J.D., who is also a Howard graduate and the head of business and legal affairs at Warner Music. The center was funded thanks to a $4.9 million gift from Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund (WMG/BFF SJF).

“I’m excited to see Jasmine take the center to the next level.  It is because of her – providing me an internship at Def Jam back in ’96 – that I am in the music business today.  I believe that her vast experience and commitment to giving back will help the center develop a robust pipeline of highly skilled Black music executives,” said Petty.

The center is one of the many outreach projects pursued by the WMG/BFF SJF, established in June 2020 as a response to then-recent killings of Black Americans that sparked protests for social justice. The fund invests in organizations around the world that build more equitable communities, using grants focused on education, criminal justice and the arts in order to effect such change. The center serves to prepare Howard’s diverse student body for management careers in the music business and provides space for curriculum development and certification programs.

The fellowship program provides fellows with coaching, specialized curriculum, mentorship and hands-on industry experience working with influential partner organizations. The center also provides engaging programming for all members of the Howard University and the broader community to participate in, including guest lectures, business case competitions and more.

“We are very excited to have Jasmine Young join us as director of our Center for Music & Entertainment Business. She brings a wealth of experience that will be very beneficial in preparing our students with the practical knowledge needed to be successful in the music industry. The center’s sponsorship and support from Warner Music Group and the Blavatnik Family Foundation continues to help us develop future business leaders. Jasmine will be an integral part of our mission in that regard,” said Anthony Wilbon, Ph.D., dean of Howard University School of Business.

Young brings almost 30 years of management, marketing and education experience to her new position. She was hired by Def Jam Records shortly after her graduation from Howard University in 1994. Her responsibilities included not only daily supervision of artists such as Jay-Z, DMX, Erick Sermon and Onyx, but the handling of the company’s joint venture projects such as Roc-a-Fella Records and Ruff Ryder Records. She rose to senior director of marketing and general manager of rapper DMX’s Bloodline Label.

After a successful tenure at Bloodline Records coordinating TV and film projects for DMX, Young decided on new endeavors, which have included VP of marketing/operations for the North Star Group (The Source Magazine) and marketing consultant for the Ascena Corporation. Young is a proud recipient of a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Howard University and an MBA from Felician University.  She was previously the administrative professor at Monroe College School of Business and Accounting and an adjunct professor in new media for Metropolitan College of New York. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.