Co-Founder of the USC Iovine and Young Academy

Philanthropist and entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine is the co-founder of the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation at the University of Southern California (USC). Born in Brooklyn, New York, he is a former music executive and producer and co-founder of the Iovine and Young Center (IYC), Interscope Records and Beats Electronics. 

In 2013, visionary and businessman Iovine delivered the commencement address to the graduating class of USC after receiving an honorary doctor of music degree. Following the address, Iovine and Andre “Dr. Dre” Young donated $70 million to establish the Academy, which opened its doors to its first freshmen class in the fall of 2014. 

Iovine and Young believe that the future workforce should consist of collaborative and empathetic professionals who have a background in technology – infused with business innovation, design, and culture. The pair had a vision to create university-level, multidisciplinary degree programs that would change the way students learn and engage with one another. With that, the Academy was born.

“What we’ve created here is a place that they understand the why,” Iovine said at the USC Iovine and Young Academy’s Iovine and Young Hall Opening Ceremony in 2019. “If you are a person that leans to design or a person that leans to computer science, you will understand the why of the other person. And that should never leave you.” 

Laying the Foundation for a New Type of Education

Iovine’s and Young’s hope is to compel the next generation of innovators, changemakers, and entrepreneurs who graduate from the Academy to lead forthcoming tech and creative spaces. 

Because of the success of the Academy, the innovative pair decided to scale down the Academy’s forward-thinking curriculum to the high school level. Their goal remains to create graduates who are effective communicators, problem-solvers, and team members. In 2022, the groundbreaking learning model was launched at the IYC Integrated Design, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (IDTE) Magnet in Los Angeles. The following year, Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta announced a partnership with the hands-on learning design of the IYC. IYC in Atlanta is set to open in fall 2024.

Prior to Iovine’s efforts at the USC Iovine and Young Academy, he worked in the music industry. Starting out as a recording engineer in his late teens at Record Plant in New York City, he went on to produce music industry giants during his decades-long career, including John Lennon, Patti Smith, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Nicks. 

In 1990, he co-founded Interscope Records, where he met hip-hop mastermind and future business and philanthropic partner, Young. At Interscope Records, Iovine worked with No Doubt, Gwen Stefani, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac. 

In 2006, Iovine and Young launched the headphone company Beats Electronics (Beats by Dre) and Beats Music to music enthusiasts across the globe – forever altering and impacting music technology. Beats was sold to Apple in 2014. 

In 2022, Iovine was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his unparalleled career in the music industry. He also serves on the Board of Directors for XQ Institute, Live Nation Entertainment, and other institutions. He has participated in several speaking engagements, including recording podcast episodes for “Masters of Scale.” 

Stay up to date on the latest from Jimmy on the Academy and other ventures by following him on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram and subscribing to his YouTube channel. 

Entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine is the co-founder of the USC Iovine and Young Academy. Learn more.

Jimmy Iovine

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