At the Intersection of Accounting and Music Production

Jonathan Mathai

Class of 2025

Image

Currently Studying: BBA/MBA in Public Accounting

In the fall of his freshman year, Jonathan was sitting in his dormitory floor’s lounge in Maria's Tower when he was approached by students Jacob Selman and Ethan McKellar with an invitation to join their startup: F14 Entertainment. Two semesters and a slew of content later, Jonathan has become a sophomore with an enviable resume who is taking on his career with dedication and perseverance.

Why did you choose Pace University and the Lubin School of Business?

When I initially started looking for colleges, I thought I'd like to go to an out-of-state school because I'm from Long Island, New York. But, after receiving a few letters from Pace and other universities in New York, the idea of staying in the state intrigued me. Specifically, Pace intrigued me because of the New York City campus. And once I took a virtual tour of the campus, I knew that Pace was the type of place where I would want to study and have my career take off. Now, as a sophomore, I'm so happy I decided to come to Pace, and it's one of the best feelings ever.

Tell us about F14 Entertainment. How did you get involved with this initiative?

F14 Entertainment is a company run by Pace students. We create Gen Z content for Gen Z. When we started, we didn't know each other. The connections began after I moved into Maria's Tower. One day, as we were sitting in our dorm's lounge, I got to meet Ethan and Jacob, two exceptional individuals, and we started thinking about starting a company that would allow us to create the content that we wanted to see. Ethan and Jacob asked me if I would be interested in handling the company's financials, and I said yes, not even knowing what I was getting into, but knowing I could figure it out. Now, I can confidently say that I made the right decision.

How are you using what you learn in your classes to inform your role within F14?

Academics are my priority, but I've found that handling F14's everyday business activities helps me with my schoolwork. I get to do all the budgeting and all financial work that we might need for F14’s projects, including purchasing items for the set of a short film, drafting agreements for signing new artists, or filing any financial paperwork. My classes have also really helped me understand what's going on in the business.

"We had to follow COVID-19 protocols, so even meeting with one another was a difficult thing to do. But we still had our determination, and we were able to connect with many incoming first-year students from different majors. I think that as I get to collaborate with others and work as hard as I can, I will be unstoppable."

You recently completed an internship at a recording studio; what was that experience like?

When I started looking for a summer internship, I knew that I wanted to hone my business skills and work in a field that I wouldn't get tired of. I started out looking for bookkeeping positions or anything accounting or finance-related. Since I'm also a music producer, I felt confident about approaching some recording studios and doing a couple of cold calls; that is how I landed an internship. My job was to handle anything financial, including cash and checks, help out with budgets, and create any Excel spreadsheets that the recording studio needed. I also got a chance to meet and hear stories from many great musicians, producers, and very passionate artists. And a lot of them, surprisingly, were business majors!

How did you manage to connect and collaborate with your peers in a remote learning environment?

That was a serious adjustment, balancing F14 and my freshman year at the Lubin School of Business was challenging; I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I took many tough classes, and in terms of F14, making connections became significantly more difficult. We had to follow COVID-19 protocols, so even meeting with one another was a difficult thing to do. But we still had our determination, and we were able to connect with many incoming first-year students from different majors. I think that as I get to collaborate with others and work as hard as I can, I will be unstoppable.

What is your advice for incoming students?

My advice for the incoming class would be to socialize. Because of the current circumstances, we might find it hard to talk to people and get immersed in a new community. I think it's all about reaching out. If you find a friend or someone who shares many interests with you, talk to them and make as many connections as you can. This will help you out.

What does #LubinLife mean to you?

Community. Lubin provides a lot for its students. The benefits range from educational support to just talking to professors about business or life in general. Community is important, and I think that many people coming into the Lubin School of Business will appreciate that and love the community.