November 2017 to PresentAssociate Professor of Practice, Design Strategy
January 2023 to Present
My teaching focuses on social impact, storytelling, and design-driven innovation in both client-facing and entrepreneurial contexts. I work with students to guide them through the process of launching a business, introduce them to design strategy methodologies, and expose them to real-world client engagements.
Director of Challenge-Based Learning
January 2022 to Present
As Director of Challenge-Based Learning at the USC Iovine and Young Academy, I lead a robust portfolio of industry-facing initiatives that challenge students to develop projects in response to complex problems faced by individuals, communities, organizations, and society at-large.
Industry partners have included adidas, the American Heart Association, Apple, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, Dell, EY, Fisher-Price, Google, Hot Wheels, XQ Super Schools, and ZipRecruiter.
Founding Curriculum Designer & Advisor, Iovine and Young Center
November 2017 to Present
The Iovine and Young Center, part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is a public school that integrates design, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Leading up to the school’s launch in Fall 2022, I led an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty in order to develop a four-year curriculum, along with a detailed vision for the 9th and 10th grade student experience. This effort is part of the Iovine and Young Academy’s vision to translate our unique Learning Framework to impact different settings. In addition, I facilitated teacher training workshops, and the design of an interdisciplinary summer program for LAUSD students. Post-launch, I continue to advise the school on curriculum design, student experience, and teacher training.
Assistant Professor of Practice, Design Strategy
November 2017 to December 2022
Associate Director of Special Projects
July 2021 to December 2021
As the Associate Director for Special Projects at the USC Iovine and Young Academy, I led a number of special projects pertaining to industry partnerships, cross-campus collaboration, and K-12 initiatives.
Assistant Dean for Academic Strategy
January 2019 to June 2021
As the Assistant Dean for Academic Strategy at the USC Iovine and Young Academy, I served as an executive strategist and curriculum designer across all of the Academy’s programs during a time of critical growth.
In close collaboration with the executive team and faculty, my work included the launch of a new minor in News and Information Innovation with the Annenberg School of Journalism; co-leading online course-conversion during the COVID-19 lockdown; launching the school’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Maker-in-Residence programs; design and oversight for the MS in Product Innovation degree’s core business and human-centered design curriculum; redesigning the Junior Year curriculum to allow for a study abroad option; leading curriculum design for the school’s anticipated expansion into high school; creation of a policy that asks faculty to report contributions to DEI in the classroom as part of their annual merit review.
Quotes from past graduate and undergraduate students at USC:
“Matthew Manos is absolutely my favorite professor at USC. His unique teaching methods are geared towards helping you get your ideas on paper and refining them, but in a way that is fun, fluid, satisfying, and effective. He is incredibly invested in the success of his students, very responsive, and will always give meaningful and productive feedback.”
“Professor Manos was one of the best professors to take online. Zoom was exhausting but he seemed conscious of that by keeping class efficient, switching things up (discussions, lectures, guest speakers, etc), and being caring and accessible outside of class. He’s also the fastest grader I’ve ever met.”
“Matthew is a super great person and a fantastic professor. He really understands the nature, culture, and purpose behind the creative consulting industry. He’s driven by impact and all of his lectures prioritize creativity, mission, and the impact of the work you do. He gives great feedback, but really makes you bust your butt over projects. Fun.”
“Matthew is one of my favorite & most helpful professors at USC. He really cares about the growth & development of his students. Matthew guided us to be creative, and re-imagine storytelling. He let us be ourselves in class. 10/10 educator!”
Past Appointments
November 2014 to December 2017Adjunct Professor
While at CCA, I developed curriculum for the first course dedicated to the practice of Social Entrepreneurship in the Design Strategy MBA program. The course focused on business model design and also provided students with a historical overview of the field. Next, with Jake Dunagan, I co-taught an MBA course on Strategic Foresight. The course focused on scenario planning using various futures methodologies including the 3 Horizons framework, Alternative Futures, Causal Layered Analysis, and more. A breakdown of my various positions and experiences at the school are as follows:
Adjunct Professor, Strategic Foresight (2017)
Adjunct Professor, Social Enterprise (2014-2016)
Guest Lecturer, Strategic Foresight Studio (2014-2016)
Mentor/Student Advisor, IMPACT Social Entrepreneurship Award (2016)
November 2014 to December 2017Adjunct Faculty Member
Over the course of my career at ArtCenter, I had the privilege of working with hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students across 10 departments as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (2010-2012), Guest Lecturer (2012-2014), and Adjunct Faculty Member (2014-2017). My courses and lectures focused on topics including the business of design, design research, graphic design, social media, entrepreneurship, and career development.
December 2015 to December 2017Curator & Teacher
With Strelka, I developed an online course that aimed to grow the social enterprise movement in Russia. In February of 2016, I traveled to Moscow to film the course, give a public lecture and workshop, and advise students on their graduate projects. After the initial trip, I continued to work with the team at Vector to advise them on topics related to the course curriculum as well as new tools and resources for social entrepreneurs in Moscow. In April of 2017, thanks to Strelka, I returned to Moscow to deliver a speech on Social Enterprise and Impact-Driven Branding for the American Embassy, and to lead an additional workshop at Strelka. In addition, I traveled to the City of Saratov to give a lecture in a former soviet propaganda theatre on socially responsible business for community members, and students from Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Russia.
October 2016 to June 2017Visting Lecturer
As a Visiting Lecturer at Cal Arts, my focus was on the development of entrepreneurial content and programming for the Graphic Design department, and its alumni. Over the course of the 2016-2017 academic year, I lead a series of business-design workshops centered around a wide range of interests and topics that include Social Impact, Emerging Technologies, and Life on Mars. Each workshop introduced students to a series of tools leveraged for business ideation, modeling, and planning.
May 2012 to June 2014Lecturer
While at UCLA, I designed & lead an undergraduate elective course in the School of Arts & Architecture titled "Designing Entrepreneurship". Having launched my own company within the campus of UCLA, my goal was to teach the class I wish I could have taken. The course provided students with a set of hands-on, radical approaches to innovation, entrepreneurship, and the design of business. We explored historical, contemporary, and emerging perspectives on the field of entrepreneurship, in order to provide a basis for students to invent their own methodologies. Students engaged with a series of experimental models for generating innovative business that gave them practical skills to become successful self-starters upon graduation. The class culminated in a final project in which each student wrote a business plan and developed a prototype. Guest reviewers/critics included GOOD Magazine, Keep A Breast, HerbaLife, Philosophie Inc., No Right Brain Left Behind, and Impact HUB LA.