First of all, a big congratulations to Innovation Nation and the first-year entrepreneurs. Their Spring Company Show last week was such a success. What a great Friday that was, with the Marketplace packed with almost 70 business teams displaying their product lines, and hundreds of guests including some of our most distinguished alumni.
Don’t miss this week’s Dean’s Executive Series, which brings Oregon State alumnus Tim Leatherman (pictured) into Austin Hall. Tim is the chairman and co-founder of Leatherman Tool Group, and he will tell his story, “How a Boy Scout Knife with Pliers Transformed an Industry.” Tim combined his entrepreneurial spirit with engineering knowledge to become a major global multi-function tool manufacturer. (Who needs a Swiss army when we have Beaver ingenuity?)
Tim is the keynote speaker for the OSU Invitational Shark Tank Competition, hosted each year by the OSU Entrepreneurship Club. So, following the discussion, support our students competing against teams from the University of Oregon in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition.
The “sharks” are investors and entrepreneurs from across Oregon: Ben Rivera, president and CEO of Leatherman Tool Group; Celeste Edman, CEO of Lunar Logic; and Jon Maroney, partner of the Oregon Angel Fund. RSVP.
Shark Tank is just part of the lineup on Friday, May 5 — when Fridays in Austin features Design. Alumni and industry partners from companies including Nike, Columbia, Ziba, SmithCFI, Henderer Design and others. There are three discussion panels as well as professional development workshops, networking, and corporate tabling in the Marketplace.
As well, don’t miss the Design Showcase, which will feature the senior design capstone projects on the first floor of Austin HAll. This is your chance to see the beautiful work of our interior design, apparel design and merchandising students on display, talk to the artists (11 am -12 pm), and learn more about the design programs here at Oregon State.
The Works newsletter this week is filled with important updates from our Advising office (some important academic changes outlined here in a blog post) and all the important deadlines for spring and summer, and other events, too. Check your inbox, or look online.
Certainly, this week’s “don’t miss” event is the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture with alumnus Trey Winthrop, the chief financial officer from Bob’s Red Mill. The Milwaukie, Oregon company is an employee-owned operation that places high value on people and relationships. Winthrop will discuss how the company balances growth, strategy and processes in such an environment. 
In conjunction with the Austin Family Business Program, Fridays in Austin events will center on the workings of successful family businesses. You can hear from Travis Boersma, president & co-founder of Dutch Bros. Coffee (and runner-up for “don’t miss” event of the week!), who started the company with his brother. RSVP for his talk