Inspiring the Next Generation of Business Leaders
Kate O'Neill
Founder and CEO of KO Insights and internationally recognized "Tech Humanist."
October 23, 2026
Event details will be announced soon. Please check back for information about the lecture, time, location, registration and additional event activities.
Kate O’Neill is a digital innovator, chief executive, business writer, and globally recognized speaker widely known as the “Tech Humanist.” She is the founder and CEO of KO Insights, a strategic advisory firm that enhances human experiences at scale through data-driven and AI-led interactions. Kate has worked with prestigious clients like Google, IBM, Microsoft, and the United Nations, and she was one of the first 100 employees at Netflix.
Her groundbreaking insights have been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and WIRED, and she has shared her expertise on NPR and the BBC.
Kate has been honored with numerous awards, including “Technology Entrepreneur of the Year” and a spot on Thinkers50’s list of the World’s Management Thinkers to Watch. With six influential books under her belt, including Tech Humanist and A Future So Bright, as well as her latest, What Matters Next (which was recently named to the Thinkers50 Best New Management Booklist), she enlightens business leaders around the world about how to solve human problems at scale.
Previous Wickson-Nickless Lectureship Series Speakers
Dr. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
Data scientist, New York Times bestselling author and keynote speaker
October 14, 2025
Topic: Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us
Hajj Flemings
Founder, REBRANDRX/Rebrand Cities
October 15, 2024
Topic: The AI Revolution: Re-architecting the World
Eric Weiner
Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and speaker
October 24, 2023
Topic: Innovation: The What, Where, and When
William Stavropoulos
Chairman, The Dow Chemical Company
October 30, 2001
Topic: Dow Chemical's Corporate Global Strategy
David A. Weinberg
Former President and Past Co-Chairman, FEL-PRO Inc.
October 26, 1999
Topic: The FEL-PRO Story: A Study in Positive Culture
David A. Ricks
Distinguished Professor of International Business, Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management
March 30, 1999
Topic: Avoiding Blunders in International Business
Robert E. Quinn
Margaret Elliot Tracy Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, University of Michigan
October 13, 1998
Topic: Building a Great Organization: Confronting the Dilemma Nobody Wants to Discuss
John Brandt
Editor-in-Chief, IndustryWeek
April 8, 1998
Topic: Best Practices: Achieving World Class Status in Manufacturing
Dr. Tatiana Krylova
American Accounting Association Distinguished International Visiting Lecturer in Accounting
November 4, 1997
Topic: Financial Reporting in the Emerging Capital Markets in Russia
Andrei Kozyrev
Former Foreign Minister of Russia (1990–1996)
April 3, 1997
Topic: The Changing Face of Russia
Karen Ritchie
Executive Vice President and Managing Director, General Motors Mediaworks
March 27, 1996
Topic: Marketing to Generation X
Jeffrey A. Clevenger
President and Chief Executive Officer, Saginaw Machine Systems Inc.
November 29, 1995
Topic: Global Competition: Finding Niche Markets in the International Arena
Stephen Bosworth
President, United States/Japan Foundation
March 29, 1995
Topic: No title available
Former U.S. Senator William E. Brock
November 11, 1993
Topic: NAFTA: Three Nations in the Balance
Stuart A. Varney
Host of CNN's Business Morning and Business Day
March 29, 1993
Topic: Clintonomics: The First Glimpse
About the Wickson-Nickless Distinguished Lectureship
The Wickson-Nickless Distinguished Lectureship in Business was established at Saginaw Valley State University in 1992 through a $100,000 endowment provided by the Wickson-Link Memorial Foundation and the Allen E. and Marie A. Nickless Memorial Foundation.
The lectureship honors the legacy of James E. Wickson and Allen E. Nickless, two distinguished business leaders whose careers and community service helped shape the Frankenmuth and Great Lakes Bay Region. Joining Universal Engineering Company in 1928, Wickson and Nickless rose to become the company's president and vice president, respectively, leading the organization for more than four decades. Under their leadership, Universal Engineering grew to employ approximately 650 people while earning a reputation for strong leadership and business excellence.
Beyond their professional accomplishments, both men were dedicated civic leaders. James E. Wickson served as Frankenmuth's first mayor, while Allen E. Nickless served for 20 years on the Frankenmuth City Council. Together, they also served as directors of Frankenmuth State Bank and played active roles in numerous community initiatives and charitable organizations.
Created to honor their vision and values, the Wickson-Nickless Distinguished Lectureship brings nationally recognized business leaders, innovators, and experts to SVSU to explore contemporary issues affecting business, leadership, and society. The lectureship provides students, faculty, business professionals, and community members with opportunities to engage in meaningful discussions about emerging trends, ethical leadership, and the evolving business landscape.
For more than three decades, the Wickson-Nickless Distinguished Lectureship has reflected SVSU's commitment to academic excellence, community engagement, and preparing future business leaders through access to thought-provoking ideas and distinguished speakers.