YouTube superstar and College of Communication Arts and Sciences alumnus Tyler Oakley returned to MSU’s campus as part of the Innovate State Speaker Series. His talk, was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Pasant Theatre of MSU’s Wharton Center for Performing Arts, will come five days after his premiere on CBS’ “The Amazing Race.”
Named one of Time Magazine’s 30 Most Influential People on the Internet, among The Hollywood Reporter’s top 25 digital stars, and The Daily Dot’s Most Influential YouTuber of 2015, Oakley is an A-Lister in the digital age.
“We are proud to have welcomed Tyler Oakley back to campus to be part of the Innovate State Speaker Series,” said Paul Jaques, Director of Student and Community Engagement at Spartan Innovations. “His videos are engaging and fun, and he’s got a lot to share about YouTube superstar and College of Communication Arts and Sciences alumnus Tyler Oakley is returning to MSU’s campus as part of the Innovate State Speaker Series. His talk, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Pasant Theatre of MSU’s Wharton Center for Performing Arts, will come five days after his premiere on CBS’ “The Amazing Race."
Named one of Time Magazine’s 30 Most Influential People on the Internet, among The Hollywood Reporter’s top 25 digital stars, and The Daily Dot’s Most Influential YouTuber of 2015, Oakley is an A-Lister in the digital age.
YouTube Career Begins at MSU
Oakley began making videos his freshman year at MSU. Since then, he has posted hundreds to his YouTube Channel, which now has nearly 8 million subscribers. He also posts regularly to several social networking sites and has nearly 5 million followers on Twitter and 5.8 million on Instagram.
After graduating from MSU in 2011 with a B.A. in Communication, Oakley did social media for various companies, all the while continuing to post his own YouTube videos.
"I was growing on YouTube and saw it developing, and I saw other YouTubers going full time," he said. "I just remember hating my job at the time and thinking what if I just took a leap of faith and tried to make it happen. At the same time, I signed to a management company that was helping me...and everything fell into place at once."
Now one of the most influential LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) vloggers, Oakley has raised more than $1 million for The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that LGBTQ youth have a safe place to turn to in times of crisis.
Due to his social media success and prominence among social media platforms, Oakley met with President Barack Obama at the White House and did a video with First Lady Michelle Obama talking about education issues.
This past year, Oakley released his first book “Binge," a collection of humorous personal essays, and produced a behind-the-scenes documentary of a year in the life called “Snervous."
Television Appearances and Awards
Oakley and his best friend Korey Kuhl, also an MSU alumnus and social media influencer, host "Psychobabble," a weekly show that has gone to number one on the iTunes podcast chart. They won Best LGBTQ Podcast at the 2015 Podcast Awards.
The best friends teamed up to compete on season 28 of “The Amazing Race," which premiered Friday, Feb. 12, 2016.
Oakley isn’t new to nationally televised programs. He’s a regular guest host on the CBS’ daytime show, 'The Talk,' and has appeared on “Good Morning America," “Today," “The Ellen DeGeneres Show," “The Late Late Show with James Cordon," “Access Hollywood" and “The Insider." He’s also hosted CBS’ Grammy live stream, the YouTube Music Awards, Streamy Awards and MTV Fandom Awards.
Oakley has won numerous awards including two Teen Choice Awards, and at the 2014 Streamy Awards, he was named Entertainer of the Year and honored as Activist Icon of the Year.
MSU Talk
Oakley’s Innovate State Speaker Series appearance included a question-and-answer session with the audience.
The Innovate State Speaker Series connects forward-thinking speakers with students and professionals interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. Topics include startups, innovation, new business creation, leadership, customer acquisition, funding and other special topics. More information on the series can be found at the Innovate State Speaker Series website.