Please welcome Gregg Latterman as the new Executive Director of ZLI! Gregg is a well-established figure in the world of entrepreneurship and the music industry. He brings a wealth of experience, along with a passion for nurturing the next generation of innovative leaders.
Q: How does your background in entrepreneurship and music influence your outlook?
A: For more than 20 years, I have been involved in the discovery, development, production, and marketing of a variety of products in the consumer space. Much of my entrepreneurial activity has involved discovering and building artists’ careers from the earliest stages, helping them become some of the most prominent names in the business today (including John Mayer, Brandi Carlile, Train, etc).
My career began at the intersection of arts and entrepreneurship, where success ultimately comes down to a combination of passion, talent, a strong work ethic, and hustle. These same elements are also crucial to traditional entrepreneurship, where vision and passion are just as important to the developer of a next-generation app or medical device, or a pioneer in generative AI or a cutting-edge lifestyle brand.
Whether helping establish the careers of Train, John Mayer, The Fray, and Brandi Carlile or mentoring and advising entrepreneurs building companies, I have always been obsessed with helping others find meaning and genuine passion in their work.
Q: What is “Positive Entrepreneurship” and how will it shape your work here?
A: I coined the term “positive entrepreneurship” while I was getting my Master’s at UPenn in Positive Psychology, looking for a way to merge my entrepreneurial life with my newfound desire to help others pursue a sense of fulfillment over everything else as I saw a world of young people striving towards more meaning from their work.
My definition of a “positive entrepreneur” is one that combines the research of positive psychology (the science of happiness) with the real-world actions of actively challenging oneself to find what you are truly meant to do in order to live to your full potential. My goal is to help our students find professional and personal success in life. I believe this aligns incredibly well with The Ross School of Business’s Mission of “building a better world through business.”
Q: What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
A: I am very excited to share my knowledge and expertise in entrepreneurship and Innovation with our students and our team at the Zell Lurie Institute. It gives me great satisfaction to coach, mentor, and advise students as they discover, develop, and launch their next great ideas and invest in great start-ups. I can’t wait to get started to help further elevate the success and the impact we can have on our students through the incredible work we do at ZLI.