On the evening of Thursday, February 20, the Tulane Entertainment Business Network and Tulane Career Services welcomed Matt Rowean, chief creative officer and founder of Matte Projects, a film production and creative agency in NYC, for an inspiring and eye-opening talk. Over the course of an hour, students weren’t just given a glimpse into a remarkable career — they were infused with unfiltered ambition and proof that chasing creative dreams is not only possible but necessary. By the end of the night, jaws had dropped, and aspirations had soared.
Rowean took the audience on a journey through the rise of Matte Projects since its inception in 2011. He didn’t just highlight the successes but also the turbulence of the creative industry and the need to forge unconventional paths, relatable to many in the crowd of creative-leaning and enterprising liberal arts students. Prior to his role at Matte Projects, Rowean was a painting and communications student at Syracuse University who then moved to New York City after college and pursued advertising. But fate — or perhaps creative chemistry — intervened when he crossed paths with fellow founders Brett Kincaid and Max Pollock. “We had a collective desire to put new creative products into the world,” Rowean reflected. And that’s exactly what they did.
From orchestrating motocross spectacles at Fenty runway shows to celebrating Donald Duck’s 90th birthday with Anderson .Paak, to launching global campaigns for PUMA, Matte Projects has never played by the rules. “Each of our clients sees us differently,” Rowean explained. “Some know us for throwing unforgettable events, others for producing films or putting on runway shows. We’re incredibly multifaceted, though that can be a challenge at times.”
For the ambitious students of the Tulane Entertainment Business Network (EBN) — those driven by passions for sports, film, music, and marketing — Matt’s story wasn’t just an industry insider’s perspective. It was a testament to the power of versatility and creative risk-taking. Ellie Frankel, a sophomore at Tulane and social director of EBN, shared, “I love how much he emphasized not limiting yourself — rather, recognizing your skills and interests and allowing them to work alongside one another… there’s no need to confine yourself to one niche.”
Our evening with Rowean was more than just a conversation; it was an invitation to dream fearlessly, create relentlessly, and embrace the beautiful chaos of the non-traditional path.