California State University, Northridge alumnus Doug Emhoff is famous for being a supportive spouse, but before he stepped into the spotlight as America’s first Second Gentleman, he made a career as a successful entertainment attorney. 

Emhoff ’87 (Communication Studies), husband to former Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris, returned this year to Los Angeles and an entertainment industry reeling from the pandemic, labor disputes, wildfires and the sense that artificial intelligence is about to change everything. So, on July 1, when a crowd of CSUN entertainment alumni, students and university supporters gathered on a breezy L.A. rooftop to hear Emhoff in conversation with CSUN President Erika D. Beck, they were eager to receive Emhoff’s encouragement. 

“You gotta take chances. You gotta bet on yourself,” Emhoff said. “You can’t be afraid to fail, because there’s so much pressure out there right now. … So, take those chances. You belong. No imposter syndrome. Show what you have, and don’t be afraid.”

The summer event at the Penske Media Corporation Los Angeles headquarters atop the LUMEN West L.A. building, near Sawtelle, was designed to strengthen CSUN’s entertainment alumni network chapter. Emhoff has long been a supporter of CSUN, including making frequent philanthropic gifts. As he looks to leverage his profile to give back, he’s aiming to bolster the Matador alumni family. 

Emhoff spoke candidly of the value of a CSUN education, the ways alumni can stay relevant in a changing tech landscape and how Angelenos can shape the future they want to see.

“We absolutely see [in Doug Emhoff] an authentic, real human committed to this community, committed to this university,” Beck said near the end of the night. “It is such a joy, and he has been so gracious in helping to amplify CSUN’s impact, and we’re so grateful for that.”

CSUN’s Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication boasts nationally recognized film, animation and music industry programs, noted master of ceremonies and college dean Dan Hosken. Its career-launching work dates back decades, and Emhoff is a shining example. 

Emhoff served as a global ambassador for the Biden-Harris administration, speaking and appearing at events around the world, including the 2024 Paris Olympics. On a personal level, he supported Harris through numerous political campaigns, including her historic bid for president in 2024. 

Prior to his service as second gentleman, Emhoff was a partner in global law firm DLA Piper, with clients across the fields of entertainment, media, sports, technology and business. Now back in L.A., he is a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and plans to teach an entertainment law class at USC. 

“I would not be here, literally, if it was not for CSUN,” Emhoff said. He noted that when he was growing up in the San Fernando Valley, “we had financial troubles, and I worked full time — I parked cars, I waited tables, I moved furniture. So, it was five-plus years of working around the clock, grabbing classes whenever I could.”

CSUN taught him grit and to reach for his dreams, he said. It exposed him to a diversity of ideas and people that prepared him for work around the world. 

“I think they called [CSUN] the ‘people’s film school,’ but it really is a place that you can come in and get an elite education,” he said. “And coming out of CSUN, I went to USC law school, and I was a high achiever there, because I was a high achiever here — and that’s why I got to where I [am].”

Beck noted that when she first talked to Emhoff in early 2021, she was surprised that her teenage nieces already followed him on social media. She asked them what about him had resonated with people their age. 

“They said, ‘He’s an inspiration for us as young women who aspire to be leaders, that we can have a partner like this, too. We can have a partner who champions female leadership, who celebrates the talents that we bring to the table,’” Beck said.

Emhoff said his public enthusiasm and support for Harris is authentic, and he is surprised that he built such a following by simply being himself. Those aspiring to careers in entertainment could take a lesson from the way people connected to that authenticity, he said. 

“You’re telling stories, and they are authentic stories,” he said. “Even though this whole business has changed … what’s the constant? The storytelling. The content. It’s making sure that you’re telling those true, authentic stories.”

In 2021, Emhoff began teaching entertainment law at Georgetown University. That curriculum is already outdated by industry changes, he said, and he recognizes how swiftly the curriculum needs to change as the industry rapidly evolves. 

“As professionals, you have to navigate this new reality,” he said. “How are you going to produce something, and where is it going to be distributed? And is it a 30-second little clip? Is it going to be all AI? You’re all going to have to figure that out, but it’s still got to be good content. It’s still got to be a good story.”

Emhoff also spoke about the qualities that make a good leader. 

“The best leaders listen more than they talk,” he said. “The best ones, the ones who really transcend, are the ones who see — Kamala’s superpower is she can see people. She has super empathy. … All she thinks about is what more she can do for us. And that, to me, is true leadership.”

He struck an optimistic tone after a tumultuous few months that included the January L.A. wildfires and federal immigration raids in Southern California communities. He was encouraged, he said, to see growing political engagement that spans demographics. 

“We are not without power,” he said. “And it’s not just the young people that need to get engaged, it’s all of us.”

CSUN is planning more entertainment alumni events and opportunities to connect in the coming months.

On this night, Emhoff’s message about the entertainment industry resonated with alumni and students in attendance.

“It was really fun and inspiring just to get out and network and meet everybody, and hear about not being afraid to fail,” said Kaelin McDonald ’20, who works as an archival producer for a production company. “It was really important in our lives right now to hear that.”

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