Business Matters

The First Negotiation 

Time was running short to secure a contract manufacturer to partner with the new student academy at OSU-Cascades. With deadlines for 2024-25 product lines looming, two companies had responded to the academy’s request for quotation. 

A negotiation was scripted and rehearsed. A finance executive was trained to deliver the pitch. 

The academy would be delighted to work with an interested domestic supplier of outdoor products. But that supplier also was entertaining a compelling bid from overseas. Help was needed to close the pricing gap.  

Then, the longest 30 seconds of uncomfortable silence was answered: A better price to deliver the product for launch. 

A C-suite of undergraduate academy students – mere months into their executive jobs – closed a six-figure order deal with their new supplier. Call it winning in negotiation. 

Welcome to SnoPlanks Academy. 

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 OSU- Cascades 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 OSU- Cascades. It’s an entrepreneurial, clever, cross- disciplinary venture.” 

Setting Students up with Rewarding Jobs 

Laurence, now executive director of SnoPlanks Academy, along with Jenn Hoffman, associate director of student experience and Geoff Raynak, academic director, established executive and contributor roles for 27 students. The positions were filled in April with the first cohort, and SnoPlanks Academy became the largest employer of students on the OSU-Cascades campus. 

The academy is structured so new officers come in each spring quarter when there’s overlap with the previous officers. New officers serve through fall and winter of the following year until the next cohort is chosen. 

Chief supply officer Jacob Smith is in his third year studying engineering science. Smith chose OSU- Cascades so he could snowboard while pursuing his degree. Smith now manages a team of four students, maintains supplier relations, oversees prototype operations and contributes to design decisions. 

“When I first took on this role, I didn’t know what it would entail,” Smith said. 

He quickly developed a clearer understanding and helped negotiate the first manufacturing contract. Smith also was part of the crew that got to test the first boards at Mount Hood in August. 

“It was incredibly rewarding to ride them,” Smith said. “We received a lot of compliments.” 

The Ultimate Learning Experience 

SnoPlanks president Caitlin Colgin is a senior studying outdoor products. She is responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly and upholding the company’s vision. 

Colgin leads weekly meetings with 30 people while navigating a male-dominated industry. 

“I continue to work hard to create a more inclusive environment for those who might not traditionally feel at home in snowboarding spaces,” Colgin said. “It’s rewarding to foster a culture within the company that values learning and growth, regardless of one’s experience level in snowboarding.” 

Marek Leavenworth is a senior studying arts, media and technology. As chief marketing officer, he’s immersed in experiential learning, from communicating with prospective manufacturers to writing proposals. 

“You have to learn quickly,” Leavenworth said. 

The marketing team generates content for social platforms, responds to inquiries, coordinates events with the sales team and promotes SnoPlanks, while Leavenworth builds management experience. 

“I’ve had to adapt teaching styles and learn more about delegation, ensuring that I also have time to carry out my duties as a student,” Leavenworth said. 

Like the other officers, he endorses the SnoPlanks Academy experience. “You’ll be surprised by how much your educational experience will be amplified,” Leavenworth said. 

Senior Ryan Henkle is head of finance and chief operating officer. It’s been rewarding to set up the company to comply with guidelines and regulations and drive the negotiation for the manufacturing contract. 

“When people hear what we are trying to accomplish, their faces light up with excitement,” Henkle said. 

A snowboarder since sixth grade and former high school competitor, Henkle is stoked to be riding one of the first student-produced boards. 

“SnoPlanks has been the best experience of my college career,” he said. 

It’s boosted his confidence and finds him pondering starting his own business after finishing his degree. 

“The knowledge I’ve gained is incredible,” he said. “There’s nothing like it.” 

–Story by Becky Barrett