Entrepreneur, Investor, ‘Shark Tank’ Panelist Kevin O’Leary Final Bucknell Forum Speaker
Entrepreneur, investor and renowned ABC Shark Tank panelist Kevin O'Leary is the fourth and final 2024-25 Bucknell Forum series speaker and will appear at the University on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, where he will discuss this year’s "World in Transition" theme. Presented in partnership with the Perricelli-Gegnas Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, his appearance is free and open to the public, although tickets are required (see details below).
O'Leary is one of four nationally renowned speakers participating in this year's Bucknell Forum — a speaker series that since 2007 has featured national leaders, scholars and commentators who have examined various issues from multidisciplinary and diverse viewpoints.
About O'Leary
O'Leary is the chairman of O'Shares Investments and Beanstox, an automated internet-based investment advisory service. He also holds investments in over 50 private venture companies across a wide range of sectors. He is a member of Boston's 120-year-old Hamilton Trust, the oldest investment club in the U.S.
He has been a contributor to CNBC, ABC News and Good Morning America and a venture capitalist. O'Leary is also an investor/host of ABC Television's five-time Emmy Award-winning venture capital reality programs Shark Tank and Beyond the Tank, produced by MGM/Sony/ABC.
O'Leary is author of three No. 1 New York Times best-selling books: Cold Hard Truth, Men, Women and Money, and Family Kids and Money.
After completing his MBA at the Ivey Business School of the University of Western Ontario in 1980, O'Leary worked briefly as an assistant product manager at Nabisco Brands. He left to pursue a career in television production and became a founding partner in Special Event Television, an independent production company that produced original sports programming.
In 1986, he co-founded SoftKey Software, the first software company to apply the principles of consumer goods marketing to the software industry. SoftKey grew quickly as the price of personal computers declined and millions of North American families began to buy software for family education and entertainment. After a series of acquisitions, SoftKey changed its name to The Learning Company in 1996. In May 1999, The Mattel Toy Company acquired The Learning Company for $4.2 billion.
In 2003, O'Leary became co-investor and a director in Storage Now, a leading developer of climate-controlled storage facilities. Through a series of development projects and acquisitions, Storage Now became an owner/operator of storage services with facilities located in 11 cities serving such companies as Merck and Pfizer when it was acquired by the In-Storage REIT in March 2007 for $110 million.
In July 2007, O'Leary became a founding Special Purpose Acquisition Company investor and director of Stream Global Services Inc., focused on the growing outsourcing business services market.
Event Information
All Bucknell Forum events are free and open to the public, although tickets are required. Current Bucknell students and employees may receive up to two free tickets at any campus box office location, or online, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. one day prior to the event. A valid Bucknell University ID is required to receive advance tickets. Use of multiple Bucknell IDs to pick up additional sets of tickets is prohibited.
Remaining tickets will be available for the general public at the Weis Center box office beginning at 6 p.m. on the day of the event. All individuals may receive up to two free tickets, depending on availability.
Questions regarding this event may be directed to the Division of Marketing & Communications at 570-577-3260 or theforum@bucknell.edu.
Remaining Bucknell Forum Speakers
In addition to O’Leary, all remaining speakers in this year's Bucknell Forum will appear at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts on these dates:
- Emmy Award-winning comedian, TV host and producer W. Kamau Bell on Tuesday, Oct. 22
- Pioneering actor and civil rights leader George Takei on Tuesday, Jan. 28
Latest Bucknell news
- Professor Greg O'Neill Studies Impact of Growing Space Launches on Air TrafficProfessor O'Neill published a study with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics on the complex tradeoffs between increasing rocket launches and commercial air traffic.
- Episode 85: Breaking down the FAFSA and CSS ProfileIn this episode, we'll break down financial aid forms, the differences between them and some tips for using the FAFSA and CSS to secure aid at the schools on your list.
- Michael Fountain '91_Humanities Center Endowment GiftLaurel and Michael Fountain '91 have ensured the humanities remain a focal point at Bucknell University through an endowment gift that bolsters the mission and future endeavors of the Bucknell Humanities Center.
- Bucknell Reimagines Dining to Enhance the Student ExperienceThrough Bucknell’s partnership with its new dining vendor, Chartwells Higher Education, the University is exploring the many roles that food can play — as both a tool to broaden culinary horizons and promote a sense of belonging — in sustaining not only individuals but whole communities.
- Minisode: Minimum Requirements for CollegeIn this College Admissions Insider podcast minisode, you'll learn what minimum requirements are, how they might differ between schools, and ways that you can ensure you're on the right preparation track for college.
- Jeesoo Park '07Jeesoo Park '07 discovered her passion for behind-the-camera journalism during an internship with NBC's Today show and has since become a senior producer at The New York Times, where she skillfully balances breaking news with cinematic storytelling.