Austin Birch is shaping the way events look, feel, and sound like through music with Argus Entertainment. His mission is to provide DJing and concerts to create an experience through music, and he is growing the company at the University of Utah as an inaugural member of the Lassonde Founders program at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and entrepreneurship major at the David Eccles School of Business.
“The Lassonde Founders program creates an environment that is perfectly conducive to changing the world. You never know who you’re going to meet,” Birch said, discussing access to the network of entrepreneurs in the program. Birch said the Founders program will continue to help him take Argus Entertainment to the next level.
He discovered his passion for music growing up as a classically trained musician. He then explored genres from rock to metal to rap and eventually found his niche in electronic music. “The logical transition was to move through different genres until I found something that suited me,” he said.
After DJing local events throughout high school, Birch founded Argus Entertainment in 2017.
Birch is one of 31 students admitted into the first group of Lassonde Founders for the 2020-21 academic year. In this program, Founders receive a scholarship to live, work, and study together to launch their ideas and grow their skills as an entrepreneur at a top 10 nationally ranked program.
Argus Entertainment’s mission is to provide DJing and concerts to create an experience through music. Pictured is founder Austin Birch.
He is also participating in other programs at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, including Hours with Experts, which allows students to sign up for free one-on-one meetings with professionals. “Having time to sit down and talk to experts has been extremely beneficial,” he said.
The entertainment industry has been shaken amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Birch said the current main issue in the industry is asking, “How can we create an experience similar to a concert or party without actually getting people together?” From virtual proms to live streaming weddings on YouTube, Argus Entertainment has found creative ways to adapt to new social gathering measures.
Although events are still happening virtually, Birch said, “There’s nothing like going to a concert and feeling the bass against your chest, screaming until you lose your voice.”
Birch plans to continue working and collaborating with other Founders to creatively solve problems through entrepreneurship in these times. “The connections that I’ve made are not only business contacts, but also friends I hope to have ten years down the road.”
Find Argus Entertainment on Instagram @austinargus.
