Maluma teaches second graders business in Celebrity Substitute
Maluma has taken on a new job: substitute teacher for second graders in Spanish Harlem.
The Colombian singer surprised pupils from PS 112 in East Harlem, New York City, for an episode of Celebrity Substitute, according to Billboard. The episode runs for nearly 20 minutes and is hosted by Julian Shapiro-Barnum.
The class is titled "Maluma Turns Elementary School Kids into Entrepreneurs" and premiered on Sept. 22, according to the show's YouTube listing. Celebrity Substitute is a two-time Webby Award-winning series in which a new guest takes over a classroom as a surprise teacher.
This time the lesson was business. Maluma taught the children the basics of starting and running a company, and he used the session to introduce them to his Latino culture.
He started with his own story. Maluma told the class he began making businesses when he was 15, 16 years old. His first venture was food. He cooked sandwiches with his mum at home and sold them at school to students who were not taking lunch.
He said he made them with love. He also said he really needed the money. It was a simple line. It landed.
Then it was the pupils' turn. Maluma helped the students create businesses from scratch for a friendly pitch competition. The ideas came from the children themselves, with Maluma acting as coach and cheerleader as they shaped names, products and short pitches.
Business is familiar ground for him. Beyond music, Maluma breeds horses and owns restaurants in Colombia. He spoke about that work in the classroom in plain terms the seven- and eight-year-olds could follow.
The appearance comes ahead of his next industry date. Maluma is confirmed for the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Week, taking place Oct. 19 to 22 at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach. There he will take part in the Sony Music Publishing Iconic Songwriter Q&A hosted by Billboard co-chief content officer Leila Cobo.
The show teased the episode on Instagram with clips of Maluma in the classroom. One reel told followers a new episode was out that night.
What makes this stand out is the scale. No stage. No crowd. Just a classroom, a whiteboard and a group of second graders learning how to sell an idea.
