Originally from San Bernardino, California, Lou Chen is a social entrepreneur with experience in arts education, community engagement, and higher education. The winner of the 2023 Tiger Entrepreneur Award, Lou has an extensive track record of working with local communities to launch arts outreach initiatives. As a sophomore at Princeton University, he started a youth orchestra composed of Trenton high school students and Princeton student volunteers. After graduation, he was hired by Princeton’s provost to grow the orchestra into a larger arts outreach initiative. Now known as Trenton Arts at Princeton (TAP), this initiative connects the Trenton and Princeton artistic communities through student leadership and volunteer opportunities, youth programming, community performances, and more. In 2023, Lou was featured in Princeton’s “Making Audacious Bets” advancement campaign alongside Nobel Prize winner David MacMillan and artist/researcher Mimi Onuoha. Additionally, he has been an invited speaker and panelist alongside thought leaders such as conductor Gustavo Dudamel and Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp. Lou serves on the Princeton University Concerts Committee and the Board of Trustees for Young Audiences NJ & Eastern PA. He received his bachelor’s degree in music from Princeton (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), where he was the recipient of the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts and the A. James Fisher, Jr. Memorial Award, among other distinctions.
Lou Chen
Position
Program Manager
Role
Director, Trenton Youth Orchestra
Office Phone
Email
Office
Woolworth 202
Bio/Description