
Where Beavers Gather
By Kip Carlson
By Keeler Frangooles and Haley Nelson (Photographers)
At the foot of the Cascade mountains, a 20-minute drive from Mt. Bachelor, 27 engineering, outdoor products, and art, media and technology students are managing a snowboard company. The students are stoked, but this is more than fun and games. SnoPlanks, based at Oregon State University – Cascades, is a real-world company gifted to the campus in 2023 by founders Ryan Holmes and James Nicol. The two had been popular guest lecturers in instructor Todd Laurence’s entrepreneurship classes. When they decided to move on to new ventures, they remembered the students’ excitement, and the path for the company became clear. It’s now embedded in academic curriculum, in a program called SnoPlanks Academy. Students tackle tasks — like contract negotiations and customer relations — that most people don’t encounter until later in a career. They’ve also done their fair share of high-fiving — and nail-biting, too — especially in the run-up to the first student-led product line launch this October. “This is not simulated, experiential learning,” said Laurence, now executive director of SnoPlanks. “Students are making decisions and managing business functions just like they will in their careers.” Learn more about SnoPlanks Academy.
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