11 Questions with MS in Entrepreneurship Student Trey Jennings

We asked current Foster students to tell us why they chose Foster, what they like to do for fun, and to share advice with potential applicants. Meet Master of Science in Entrepreneurship student Trey.

1) Where are you from?

I was born in San Jose, California, but I was raised in Baltimore County, Maryland.

2) What did you do before entering this program?

I went to the Naval Academy for two years. I was in the Men’s Glee Club so I spent a lot of time around music still, which was great. Got to travel to San Francisco, Charlotte, Dallas, LA, just by being in the club so that was an honor. I had other issues and problems at/with the Academy in my own experience so I ended up leaving and going to Syracuse University. I got in with a Music History and Cultures major, but transferred into Newhouse after a semester into the Television, Radio, and Film major. Kept the Music History and Cultures minor though. Through Newhouse, I got to live and intern in LA, which was a dream come true. I did a lot of writing and started making my own music during this time. From there in my last semester the idea for COMP hit me and I decided to pursue that.

3) Did you have any entrepreneurship experience before entering this program?

The only experience I had was with trying to develop COMP. I was doing a lot of research during the pandemic and tried to figure out what it took to build what I envisioned. Over time, I started to figure it out and ended up learning a lot.

4) Tell us why you are excited to be a part of the fifth cohort for the MS ENTRE degree program?

I’m excited to meet and collaborate with like-minded creative people. I think their own experiences and insights would help me tremendously. Also, joining the UW family and meeting other musically devoted people was another huge point of excitement for me.

5) What advantages do you see to opening a business now?

I think that the gig economy is approaching faster than we all think. If anything, COVID sped up the world’s movement towards a technological workforce. All of us, if we don’t explicitly see a life in STEM, are going to have to be creative and build what we want for ourselves. I felt, in my case, that COMP once actualized could be that place for people interested in music as a pastime or a career.

6) What connections are you hoping to make while in the program?

I’m hoping to continue to build the COMP team, as well as find some other music industry professionals to collaborate with long term.

7) Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I see a COMP HQ in Los Angeles, hosting live events as a part of our S&R initiative, along with a robust team of passionate people from tech development to strategy scaling our Music Initiative.

8) What skills and/or knowledge are you looking to develop?

I’m looking to develop my technology skills and my managerial skills. I’m still figuring out my style and trying to get the best out of everyone, but I want to be well versed in technology as well as music since that is where I see our impact taking place.

9) What do you like to do for fun?

I like making music for fun! It’s a plus that I can make some money doing it. I also like watching/playing basketball, watching football, and playing video games!

10) What’s been your favorite part of the program so far?

Meeting all of the people in the cohort has been my favorite part so far! They’ve been a tremendous help!

11) What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about applying to the MS ENTRE degree program?

You don’t have to have it all figured out, but come in with an idea that keeps you up at night.