On Friday, September 23, Kevin Cooper (‘01) came to speak to the Newhouse community about post-grad life, starting a business, and navigating the wide world of sports.
A good portion of Cooper’s advice can be summed up with one simple phrase: “networking is one letter away from not-working.”
In fact, he gave students an assignment of sorts. Cooper challenged students to have an in-person conversation with at least 50 people working in the sports industry to ask for advice, learn about their field and forge a relationship. The conversation should be followed by a handwritten thank you note.
In addition to networking, Cooper emphasized the importance of a good workplace environment. During his time with the Houston Texans, there was a shift in the organization’s culture, a shift that was not for the better. So Cooper made a hard decision, and left the team.
Cooper’s path led him to forming Point One Group, a consulting firm that seeks to help clients understand their customers better. Cooper detailed one of the firm’s top projects, Fanease, a tool for content creators that directly connects viewers with products they are seeing on their screens.
He spoke highly of his time at Newhouse, encouraging students to take advantage of the opportunities that come with being a Newhouse student, citing his internship with the New York Giants and the respect Newhouse graduates garner while looking for jobs.
Sports Media Center Director, Professor Olivia Stomski, built upon this theme, adding that as time goes on and Newhouse grads work more jobs, the need to apply will eventually diminish; they’ll begin getting recommended for jobs. Due to the prestige of a Newhouse degree, many employers are inclined to hire Newhouse graduates based off of a recommendation.
Cooper is based in Houston, Texas and plans on continuing to grow Fanease and other projects through Point One Group.
