The Distinguished Entrepreneur- in-Residence

Each year, the faculty in the Department of Entrepreneurship, in concert with the leadership of the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship, select an Entrepreneur in Residence to join the program.  This is a distinguished individual with a record of significant national or international accomplishment in the world of entrepreneurship.  The invited individual commits to visiting the Stillwater campus on five or six occasions during the academic year. She or he will generally visit for three to four days at a time. Their visits will include guest lecturing or appearances in classes, meeting with student business plan teams, coaching students involved in starting ventures, assisting on technology commercialization projects, helping with Riata Center outreach programs, meeting with faculty, working with the Entrepreneurship Club, and so forth.  The Entrepreneur-in-Residence will also hold regular office hours in the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship.

2009-2010 Distinguished Entrepreneur-in-Residence:  Pat Henriques

The Program in Entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University is pleased to announce that our inaugural Distinguished Entrepreneur-in-Residence is Patricia Henriques. Patricia is the founding Principal of The Henlee Group LLC, a Washington DC-based consulting firm assisting clients to develop sound business strategies around their unique value proposition, core competencies, competitive edge and economic business model.  She has particular expertise in advising start-ups and emerging enterprises in growth industries and has over 25 years of experience in strategic business planning, organizational growth and change management.  She has extensive experience in doing business with the Federal Government.

Prior to starting The Henlee Group, Henriques founded Management Alternatives Inc. in 1983.  She served as Chairman & CEO for twenty years, leading the firm’s growth from start-up to an industry-recognized, national leader in corporate relocation logistics planning and management, successfully positioning the company for sale in 2003.

At Management Alternatives, Henriques developed and implemented programs to manage risk and execute complex facilities relocations and organizational change with minimal disruption to client operations.  Representative client engagements include General Electric, Alcoa Corporate Center, Pittsburgh, PA, Gateway Corporate Headquarters, San Diego, CA, Gannett Company, Inc. and USA TODAY Corporate Headquarters, McLean, VA; Sprint World Headquarters Campus, Overland Park, KS., Pittsburgh International Airport, the Pentagon, National Cancer Institute, Georgetown University, Catholic University, The Brookings Institution , AARP, National Public Radio, and numerous Federal Agencies, including Departments of Education, Agriculture, Transportation, Defense and Health & Human Services.

Henriques has taught practical applications of entrepreneurship at the graduate level at the School of Management at Simmons College, Boston, Mass. and has lectured most recently on entrepreneurship and strategic business planning for growth enterprises at Syracuse University’s WISE Conference, Professional Business Women of California, Chatham University American Women’s Economic Development Corporation and The Women’s Business Center, Washington DC.

She has held management positions with the Bank of America in Brussels and London; Cunningham & Walsh advertising in New York; the Computer and Business Equipment Manufacturers Association, and the Washington law firm of Melrod, Redman & Gartlan.   A graduate of Connecticut College, Henriques holds a bachelors degree in French.      

She currently serves on the Board of Directors of City First Enterprises, the non-profit bank holding company for City First Bank of Washington DC, which it founded in 1998.  She also serves as the Co-Chair of the Women's Advisory Board of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital.  She has served on numerous other community and corporate boards over the past 30 years.