Hip-hop goes beyond music. It’s a culture that can be used as an educational tool. This is the why publisher and executive Tayyib Smith co-founded the Institute of Hip-Hop Entrepreneurship.

The nine-month program helps aspiring entrepreneurs gain the knowledge and capital to start their own companies. It targets members of under-served communities, specifically young people looking for better opportunities.

The curriculum is filled with principles taken from hip-hop moguls like Shawn “Jay Z” Carter, Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

But studying hip-hop royalty is only part of the program.

“We’ll also focus intensely on building a business, from business proposals and marketing plans, to staffing and finding funding,” Smith told CNN Money. The best thing about the Institute of Hip Hop Entrepreneurship is that it’s absolutely free! In fact, it akes place on weekends, making it easier for those with day jobs.

This practical approach is confounded by the teaching style.

Instead of focusing on lectures and tests, students will interact with real entrepreneurs in the field. By the time the program ends, each person will be prepared to pitch to an investor.

The first class begins this fall with an estimated enrollment of 36 students. Thanks to a grant from the Knight Foundation, Smith has an additional $308,640 to take the hip-hop institute to the next level.

Now that’s something to celebrate!

Find out more on the Institute of Hip-Hop Entrepreneurship’s website.

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Tayyib Smith

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