When Anant Vasudevan was a USC Iovine and Young Academy student in 2020 and COVID suddenly hit, the world shifted and so did his existential perspective. Surrounding oneself with a supportive network of people wasn’t just an advantage, it became a necessity. Even though he wasn’t technically in-person among his collegiate peers, his cohort stuck together as a unit and helped each other out through thick and thin. The IYA experience acted as a collaborative family for Vasudevan, reinforcing what’s special and important about life – community.
It’s no surprise that Vasudevan has been active in capturing the magic of communal partnership ever since. That’s why he and cofounder Ami Yoshimura recently formed the members-only creative social club, Verci – an NYC-based “campus” offering a curated creative space for people on unconventional paths. Inspired by his synergistic days at IYA and a subsequent six month stint at an off-the-grid farm in Northern California, Verci is a place to create, co-produce, make friends, and above all else, be yourself.
“When you’re on your own, learning starts to plateau, that inspiration starts to plateau, and you start to realize what you took for granted at a place like IYA. I definitely realized what I was missing,” Vasudevan shares.