BOSTON—He has brought India’s top artists like A.R. Rahman and Shankar Mahadevan to Berklee college of Music. He is co-founder of Berklee India Exchange, which fosters collaboration between India and Berklee College, provides opportunities for Berklee musicians to create and perform original Indian music, and supports music education in India through access to Berklee resources, scholarships, and workshops. Clint Valladares is on to many more exciting things.

In an exclusive video interview with Dr. Manju Sheth on celebrity interview series Chai With Manju, Valladares talks about music, his own journey to Berklee, and five Ms: Music, Motivating Young People, Marketing, Money and Movement. To view the full interview, please click here.

Valladares, who grew up in Mumbai and received early education there, co-founded India Exchange at Berklee  with Annette Philip to create a platform to start a cultural conversation.

“We wanted to create access point for young people,” says Valladares, adding that Berklee provides a great opportunity where musicians can share music with students from over 40 countries.

In 2015, Berklee gave three scholarships, totaling $150,000 each to three Indian students in the name of A.R. Rahman.

“We are going to continue to give scholarships,” says Valladares, adding that goal of Berklee is to create leaders.

Dr. Manju Sheth with Clint Valladares

“We are not trying to create musicians. We are trying to create next generation of leaders,”  says Valladares, adding that Berklee students pursue careers in various areas, including technology and software. A bulk of Berklee students are hired by Apple, he said.

A native of Mumbai and a graduate of Berklee College of Music, Valladares serves as the managing director of the Berklee India Exchange. Since joining Berklee as a staff member in 2009, Valladares built capacity within the Berklee City Music Network®, a network of community organizations across the United States and Canada committed to delivering high-quality contemporary music instruction to youth from underserved communities, to create a richer consortium of like-minded organizations, according to his official bio.

He was instrumental in forming strategic partnerships with organizations and individuals dedicated to funding and sustaining music education programs. These partners include Billboard, Concord Music Group, Avid, the New York City Department of Education, and Quincy Jones, among many others.

In 2013, Valladares co-founded the Berklee India Exchange to establish a platform for cultural conversation through artist residencies and collaborations. He administers and manages artist relations and strategy, connecting the ongoing mission of the Berklee India Exchange with the progressive vision of Berklee’s leadership.

Prior to joining Berklee, Valladares was a key player in the launch of Music Talent of Boston, a booking agency for the American Federation of Musicians. As the organization’s director, he recruited domestic and international artists. He worked closely with the Boston Pops Orchestra and negotiated contracts for both artists and music producers. Both as an artist’s representative and a talented keyboardist, Valladares has performed, recorded, and worked in the Bollywood space with renowned musicians and producers for more than a decade.

Valladares holds bachelor’s degrees from St. Xavier’s College and Berklee, and an M.B.A. from Hult International Business School. He also attended Trinity College.