About Us
Built by business owners. For the next generation.
We're not academics. We're not theorists. We're business owners who've built, bought, sold, and managed real companies. We've won awards, closed deals, hired hundreds of people — and we keep seeing the same gap. The Learning Laboratory is how we close it.
We're not a classroom. We're a laboratory.
We hypothesize, we test, we review, and we revise. Every micro-business is an experiment. Every customer interaction is data. And every failure is a lesson that sticks because it was real.
Decades
of combined business experience on our board
Multiple
businesses started, bought, sold, and operated
Hundreds
of people hired across our careers
Leadership
Board of Directors
Business owners and operators who teach from experience, not textbooks.
Corban Enns
President / Chair
Founded Surety Solutions and Agency Multiplied, growing them into a nationally-licensed operation before selling both to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Fortune 500) in 2019. Now runs Comhar Insurance Services and Evergreen Business Advisors. Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA).
Chris Corrado
Secretary & Treasurer
Co-founded Rigado (IoT edge computing), grew it to $8M+ in revenue, and facilitated its acquisition by u-blox. Also founded Lumenplay (sold to Apple Stores, Best Buy, Brookstone in year one), grew global distribution at u-blox from 0.5% to 13% of revenue, and now co-leads Evergreen Business Advisors and NerdNode.
Dave Pluister
Director
Owner of Transfer NW, founder of Causewagon (charitable apparel that's donated thousands to local nonprofits), and creator of NuvoGlas (upcycled glass drinkware). Also teaches graphic design at South Salem High School — proving you can build businesses and shape the next generation at the same time.
Rich Clausen
Director
Owner at Thomas Kay Flooring & Interiors, a Salem institution since 1962 with roots back to the 1889 Thomas Kay Woolen Mill. Previously ran Rich Clausen Construction. Has grown Thomas Kay to serve 5,000+ churches nationally across 7 western states.
Evann Walters
Director
Founded Fresh n' Local Foods in 2007 from a 1,460 sq ft kitchen, growing it into a multi-million dollar operation serving schools and youth organizations across Oregon and Washington. Currently Chair-Elect of Food Northwest's Board of Directors. Licensed pilot.
Brian Kaufman
Director
Serial entrepreneur behind Tipping Media (digital marketing, est. 2007), co-founder of Bo & Vine Burger Bar (3 locations across Oregon), founder of Basil & Board, and partner at Turner Pizza & Taphouse. Now expanding into real estate development. Brings 25+ years of brand building and business scaling.