HOW IT STARTED In 2023, entrepreneurs James Nicol and Ryan Holmes contacted OSU-Cascades business instructor Todd Laurence with a proposal to donate their Bend-based snowboard company, SnoPlanks. The idea was to give students a hands-on opportunity to run an outdoor products company, from product design and supply chain management to financial analysis and market execution. “They wanted to create the ultimate experiential learning opportunity,” Laurence recalled. A team from OSU-Cascades and the College of Business designed SnoPlanks Academy and launched it spring term 2024. There was no blueprint to follow. Other colleges organize internships or jobs in industry where experiential learning is heavily curated by adults and is virtually risk-free. Through SnoPlanks Academy, OSU-Cascades students are advancing their career skills by engaging in the operation, sustainability and growth of the company. The company’s success depends largely on them. “This extraordinary gift is transforming how OSUCascades students and faculty approach learning and teaching,” said Sherm Bloomer, chancellor and dean of OSU-Cascades. Tim Carroll, dean of the College of Business, agrees. “I’m excited that our college is part of this new platform for business and learning,” Carroll said. “The students have done incredible work so far. The academy reflects the dynamism of the Bend business community and OSUCascades. It’s an entrepreneurial, clever, crossdisciplinary venture.” - Sherm Bloomer, Chancellor and Dean OSU-Cascades “This extraordinary gift is transforming how OSU-Cascades students and faculty approach learning and teaching” Business Matters | 7
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