The iSchool’s 2021 convocation speaker will be Kenny Rosenblatt ’96, the president and co-founder of interactive media developer Arkadium.
Rosenblatt is a two-time winner of the Stevie Award for Executive of the Year and a semifinalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He hosted the iSchool’s EntreTech NYC program– an immersion tour where students visit the city to explore the latest tech startups–for eight years, and Arkadium still takes visits from SU classes today.
“I’m really looking forward to interacting with students. They always inspire me and help open my mind to infinite possibilities for the future,” said Rosenblatt. “It’s also been a really negative year for everyone and I want to be a bolt of positive energy for students. I hope to give them a different perspective that helps accelerate their careers.”
The iSchool’s convocation speaker is chosen by the school’s Senior Squad–a group of graduating undergraduates who take feedback from across the iSchool community. The Senior Squad unanimously pitched Rosenblatt as a speaker. The community was impressed with his speaking ability and his background as a transfer into the iSchool.
“Kenny has such an amazing and inspiring personal story to tell, I know the students will really appreciate the opportunity to hear him speak,” said Adrienne Graves, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement. “He is such an energizing force of optimism, and we are so grateful that when Kenny reflects on his professional accomplishments, he is always sharing the role his iSchool education played in his success.”
Another draw for bringing Rosenblatt for convocation was that the community wanted alumni who fully represented the iSchool. He has often spoken about his appreciation for the school in helping his education and early career.
“Information technology is the hottest job sector right now and the education that students are getting at the iSchool puts them ahead of 99% of the world in terms of being able to make a difference in their careers,” he said.
You can find more information about Commencement 2021 on the Syracuse University Commencement website.
