The Dillard College of Business hosts guest speaking events throughout the year to further contribute to the diversification of knowledge and experience for our students, university, and community.
Please visit the Event Calendar for a list of current events and speakers. Over the years, we've had a number of guests speak in our series, which you can see below.
- MSU Distinguished Speaker
- Dillard Energy Center
- Executive-in-Residence Speaker
2024
- October 2024, Stephen Slaughter, CEO of La Pulga Spirits
2023
- October 2023, Pedro Lerma, CEO of Lerma Advertising
2016
- November 2016, Robert Kaplan, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
2024
- November 2024, Daniel Wesson, COO of Diamondback Energy
2023
- November 2023, Mike Hoke, Director of Public Engagement at Public Utility Commission of Texas
2019
- November 2019, Jason Churchill, PetroLegacy CEO
2018
- November 2018, Rhett Bennett, Founder and CEO of Black Mountain
2017
- November 2017, Cody Campbell, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, Double Eagle Energy III, LLC
2016
- November 2016, Bill Magness, ERCOT CEO
2016
- September 2016, Dave Munson, CEO of Saddleback Leather Co.
2015
- September 2015, Christian T. van Dijk, Integra Mortgage Solutions
2014
- September 2014, Brigadier General Scott Kindsvater, Commander of the 82nd Training Wing, Sheppard AFB
- IdeaWF
- Building the Job I Love
- Streich Family Lecture
2024
- October 2024, Stephen Slaughter, CEO of La Pulga Spirits
2023
- October 2023, Pedro Lerma, CEO of Lerma Advertising
2019
- October 2019, Michael Browning, CEO, Urban Air Adventure Parks
2018
- October 2018, Tommy Van Wolfe, Vice President of Company Restaurants, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
2017
- October 2017, Dr. Dwain Cox, Senior Director of Innovation and Design, Chick-fil-A
2016
- April 2016, Steve Green, President of Hobby Lobby
2015
- April 2015, Chuck Lyles, CEO of GuideIT
2014
- April 2014, Clifford Hudson, CEO of Sonic Corp.
Check out the IdeaWF website for more information!
2025
- April 2025, Anndrea Harris, Owner of Whoann Creative Studio
- April 2025, Luke Smollen, MSU Alumni
- February 2025, Deborah Cornelius, Author
2024
- October 2024, Valandra Jno Marie, Owner of Billionaire Cuisine
- September 2024, Tim Sorge, VP of Sorge Contracting Inc.
- April 2024, Calvin Stewart, Owner of Alpha Omega Equity Partners
- March 2024, Shehan Karunaratne, Owner of Eskay Marketing
- February 2024, Martin Bohn, Owner of Cobra Kai Flight Academy
2023
- October 2023, Jessica Childers, Owner of Agape & Associates Realty
- September 2023, Will Kelty
2020
- February 2020, Merrill Cain, Owner, m. lynne designs
2019
- November 2019, Drew Hill, Owner, Endunamoo Strength & Conditioning
- October 2019, Dane Rodriguez, Owner, NUYU Teeth Whitening & Stone Oven Pizza
- September 2019, Jackie Hoegger, Owner, Hoegger Communications
- April 2019, Curtis Knobloch, CEO, Telispire
- March 2019, Jon Reese, Co-Owner, Hook and Ladder Coffees and Wine Co.
- March 2019, Jenny Lee Hines, Owner, Jameson's Flowers
2018
- November 2018, Leland Wetzel, Founder and Owner, Xylo Bats
- October 2018, Keith & Ivonne Wineinger, Owners, The Burn Shop
- September 2018, Michael Olaya, Co-founder and CEO, Dexter
- April 2018, Matt LeVasseur, Founder & CEO of Midwest Dental Equipment & Supply and Managing member of Acadia Oil, LLC
- March 2018, Will Kelty, Founder & CEO of iRent
- February 2018, Ann Arnold-Ogden, Ann Arnold Media Management
2017
- November 2017, Carol Murray & Jessica Edwards, Owners of Frank & Joes
- October 2017, Matt Bitsche, Co-Owner of Wichita Falls Brewing Company
- September 2017, Ashton Gustafson, Realtor/Partner, Bishop Realtor Group; speaker and writer
- April 2017, Mayor Stephen Santellana; COO of WS Construction, President ACC Assett Management, Inc., and President of Lone Star Highway Products, Inc.
- March 2017, Lance Lane, Partner/President Subway of Wichita Falls, Inc. and BraLan Properties, Inc.
- February 2017, Carl Watson, Big League Dirt Company and Proforma Marketing Solutions
2016
- November 2016, Shelly Mills, Higginbotham Insurance business associate
- October 2016, Merrill Sweatt, Owner of m. lynne designs
- September 2016, Nichole Kirk, Owner of Dear Heart Designs
- April 2016, Cliff Harris, Edward Jones Financial Advisor and Steve Morath, Edward Jones Financial Advisor
- March 2016, David Kelley, Owner of Sport Clips, Wichita Falls
- February 2016, Matt Kelly, President and CEO of Infinity Steel Services
2015
- November 2015, Hollis Sullivan, President of Veritas Energy, LLC
- October 2015, Chad Willis, President and CEO of Texas Energy Holdings
2024
- February 2024, Nirmala Devkota, “Financial Industries: Careers in Analytics”
2022
- February 2022, Dr. Andrew Holt, Assistant Professor of Economics, “How Exporting Took a Small-Town Business to New Heights”
2021
- February 2021, Mayor Stephen Santonella, “The Economic and Business Opportunities of Food Sustainability”
2020
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February 2020, Cleophus (Cleo) Franklin, Jr., Founder/President/CEO of Franklin Strategic Solutions
"Global Business and Agribusiness Trends"
2019
- February 2019, Gustavo Ferreira, Economist, Researcher and Speaker
“U.S. Agricultural Trade in the 21st Century: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities”
2018
- February 2018, Damian Fernandez-Lamela, Director of Global Analytics, Fossil Group
"The Human Side of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data"
2017
- February 2017, Pablo Garcia-Fuentes, Assistant Professor of Economics at Midwestern State University
Agim Kukeli, Assistant Professor of Economics and Director of the Bureau of Business and Government Research at Midwestern State University
"Experiences of Economic Transition from Socialism to Capitalism"
2016
- February 2016, Robert Bryce, Author, Journalist and Public Speaker
“More Energy, Please: How Increasing Energy Use Promotes a Richer, Freer World”
2015
- February 2015, John Marthinsen, Professor of Economics and International Business at Babson College.
“Offshoring: Is it an Economic Elixir or a Recipe for Disaster?”
2014
- Mexico in Dallas
“NAFTA after 20 years”