Luke Wood ’91, P’25

At Wesleyan, Luke Wood channeled his innate creative and collaborative energy—laying the foundation for a decades-long career in music and business. A Wesleyan summer internship with Geffen Records grew into an early role as Director of Publicity, representing bands such as Nirvana and Sonic Youth. Later, as Chief Strategy Officer of Interscope Geffen and President of the imprint DGC Records, Luke, along with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, helped launch Beats by Dr. Dre (Beats), the premium headphones and speakers that would grow into a billion+ dollar global market. He joined Beats officially in 2011 and helped to build the brand, cultivate streaming services, and guide an acquisition by Apple in 2014. After serving as president of Beats Electronics until 2020, Luke is now CEO and founder of Violet St., working to help artists and creatives build independent brands. A lifelong guitarist, songwriter and producer himself, Luke serves on the board of Fender Musical Instruments alongside U2’s Bono and The Edge.

As an alum and parent of a recent Wes graduate, Luke believes the magic of Wesleyan lies in the love and authenticity baked into its DNA, which fosters vulnerability, generosity, and connection—giving students the bandwidth they need to explore their talents and passions. “Wesleyan encouraged me to find my own path, and helped me discover my creative self and the sense of purpose that has fueled my life and work. Wesleyan demands free-thinking and original, autonomous work, which fosters true creativity—giving students skills to use in unique ways and unusual settings.”

Seeing the reward of bringing passion and expansive thinking to his academic life gave Luke the tools he needed to do the same in his career. “After graduation, the bands I worked with on New York’s Lower East Side were at the cross section of contemporary music and art—the same dissonant, experimental space I had experienced at Wesleyan. Throughout my career, I have been able to work with people from deeply disparate experiences, backgrounds, and subcultures because I come from a school that respects exploration and diversity of opinion, while at the same time expecting students to be in community with one another. In that way Wesleyan prepares you for the best possible outcome in life—to go out into the world, figure out what you are passionate about, work on challenging problems, and give the best of yourself.”