OBU Alumnus Bryan Wilks to Deliver Minter Lecture
October 14, 2024
Bryan Wilks, a 1999 OBU graduate and CEO and founder of Freeform, will serve as the Minter Lecturer at 10 a.m. on Oct.18 on the OBU campus in the Tulsa Royalties Auditorium of the Bailey Business Center. The lecture, held during The Weekend at OBU, is open to the public.
As the co-founder of Freeform, an AI marketing technology company, Wilks has enjoyed how much OBU prepared him as a young entrepreneur. The company, founded in 2013, has experienced tremendous growth.
In 2016, Inc. Magazine ranked Freeform among the 500 fastest-growing companies in America and second in Oklahoma.
“Apple didn’t invent the computer, but the company developed its own version that made the device simple and approachable for everyone,” Wilks said. “Following this idea, we saw an opportunity to make growth simple for everyone. As a result, in 2019, Freeform launched a product with the goal of replacing cumbersome and ineffective marketing technology with pure and simple growth. We call it ProfitHack.”
Wilks and his team created this product with their customers in mind. ProfitHack has allowed users like Duck Dynasty, OSU athletics, KKR (the largest Private equity company in the US), and Garth Brooks to launch impressive AI-driven digital campaigns and has even been nicknamed the QuickBooks of marketing by its users.
Before Freeform, Wilks graduated from the Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C. He then earned a Master of Business Administration from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Silicon Valley inspired him to focus on furthering his technology education. Finally, Wilks earned his master’s degree in information technology with honors from Harvard University.
Wilks began his professional career in politics managing a high-profile congressional campaign in Texas. He assisted U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey during Contract With America and served as the executive director of the Conservative Leadership Political Action Committee in Washington, D.C.
In the past decade, his experience spanned from manufacturing, entertainment, technology and advanced consumer marketing. Wilks served as the vice president of business development and director of marketing for two of the largest privately held companies in North America. Under his leadership, his teams implemented significant growth strategies through new market penetration, mergers and acquisitions, and industry roll-ups.
“We are honored to have Bryan Wilks as our guest speaker for the Minter Lecture,” said Dr. David Houghton, chair of the School of Business. “His impressive career and dedication to both faith and community service align perfectly with our university's values. We believe his insights will inspire our students to excel in their careers while living out their Christian faith.”