Emily Neelon |
One of the biggest fears of a college student is life after graduation. Even with a well-deserved diploma in hand, the “real world” often seems like a dark abyss of job hunting, soul-searching and ramen-eating. Nevertheless, the three alumni who have just been announced as part of Portland Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40,” a list of 40 up-and-coming professionals in the Portland area under the age of 40, are a reminder that success is in reach.
Thomas Brenneke, founder and president of Network Redux, a webhosting company based out of Portland, credits his success to the two years he spent at UP. Although Brenneke never graduated or attained a degree, he believes his time at the University was critical in preparing him for the essentials of running a business.
“I got the best of the four years in the first two,” Brenneke said. “It prepared me for all the things I need to do in my business: interfacing with people and communicating with clients about our services. All of the courses, despite being entry-level, are very powerful in building a person of character and getting them ready for society.”
“He was a fine student,” said Fr. Art Wheeler, Brenneke’s American history professor during his time on The Bluff.
Brenneke first dipped his toes into the business world as an undergraduate student at UP. In pursuit of a business economics degree and a minor in computer science, he started up his first business, Network Eleven, a software programming company.
“It was a growing period of time in web hosting,” Brenneke said. “We grew to 1,000 clients in about two years. I left (UP) because business was going so well.”
When Brenneke and his business partner sold Network Eleven in 2004, Brenneke used the money from the sale to fund his current company, Network Redux, which provides web hosting for companies’ and nonprofits’ websites.
“Instead of a company buying a server, they would come to company like ours that already has the equipment,” Brenneke said.
A self-proclaimed introvert during his time at UP, Brenneke remembers waking up to his roommate playing music at 5:30 a.m. in their Shipstad Hall dorm room and failing out of his Business 101 course because of his lack of attendance.
But the most defining moment in Brenneke’s college career were the events of September 11, 2001.
“I walked into (the Pilot House) early in the morning and on the television I saw the planes crashing into the World Trade Center,” Brenneke said. “The entire school basically called classes off for the day, and it was interesting because the people that didn’t really talk to each other or know each other came together and were hugging and comforting each other. It was a really moving experience. It brought together the community even more.”
Despite all his success beyond The Bluff, Brenneke is humbled by his place in the “Forty Under 40” list.
“There were 370 people in the pool and somehow I got picked,” Brenneke said. “I found out on my birthday and it was a good surprise.”
A 1998 Graduate of UP, Dan Brown is a vice president of Portland-based Cascade Energy, a company helps industrial companies become energy efficient. While at UP, Brown was a dedicated student, studying to become a mechanical engineer.
“When you are an engineering student, there’s a lot of work to do,” Brown said. “Sometimes I would be kind of bummed sitting in my room (studying) and looking out the window watching people playing Frisbee, wishing I could be out there with them.”
Despite the rigor of his course load, Brown managed to get involved in other activities on campus including playing in a band, volunteering and gaining membership in various engineering societies. One of the highlights of his college career was his time spent abroad in Spain.
“It was a great international experience,” Brown said.
Looking back on his five years at UP, Brown appreciates the tight-knit community.
"I like the fact that I knew a lot of people, Brown said.
The size of UP’s classes also played a positive role in Brown’s learning experience.
“It was very helpful having small classes in the engineering school, having great access to the professors, and good friendships with other students,” Brown said. “I felt like I got a really good engineering education.”
After graduation, Brown began working at Cascade Energy. As one of the five partners of Cascade, Brown runs a software program involved in energy management. He is responsible for customer engagement – which entails finding customers and garnering interest in the company’s product – and leading software development.
Brown applied to work for Cascade in 1998 through the UP Career Services website. After receiving an offer, he went with his gut and chose to work at the small company over a larger architecture company. When Brown started his job, he was the company’s first full-time employee. Now with a place on the “Forty Under 40”, his advice to students is to take a chance.
“I think it’s important to take a leap (of faith) sometimes,” he said.
As the owner of Nossa Familia Coffee, 2001 graduate Augusto Carneiro wears many hats. He grew up in Brazil and hoped to play tennis at a university in the U.S. After writing to 120 schools about his aspirations, Carneiro ended up at UP when he was granted academic and tennis scholarships. He played for the men’s tennis team his first two years while working towards a degree in mechanical engineering, but became overwhelmed with the many responsibilities he held.
“I realized I didn’t have a life,” Carneiro said.
After leaving the team, he began volunteering, became a peer educator and was an RA for both Shipstad and Christie Halls.
“One time I confiscated beer from an underage student and I didn’t have the heart to throw it out,” Carneiro said. “One day it just disappeared. I’m glad it got used and wasn’t wasted.”
Following graduation, Carneiro worked for an engineering consulting company in both Portland and England. When he returned to the States in 2004, he had lost his love of engineering, and wanted to pursue a career in another field. After a trip to his family’s coffee farm in Brazil, Carneiro decided to begin his own coffee business with fellow UP graduate Jason Lesh, who remained his business partner until 2010.
“We started really slow,” said Carneiro. “We each put in $400 to start a bank account and had a pretty good growth curve the first four years”.
Since starting Nossa Familia Coffee, Carneiro has been successful in building a roaster and espresso bar, with a retail location in the Pearl District of Portland. He is responsible for setting the vision and strategy for the company, dealing with the company culture and sales.
“My role is to make friends,” he said.
Carneiro’s biggest goal within his business is to connect farmers to consumers. The bulk of the company’s coffee comes from Carneiro’s family’s farm. They’ve established accounts across the country, from “mom and pop coffee shops” to corporations.
“By growing and selling more coffee that we’re buying and selling (for a fair price), we are making (farmers’) lives better,” Carneiro said.
Looking back on his time at UP, Carneiro appreciates the opportunities he was given.
“College (was) a huge turning point in (my life)” Carneiro said. “You’re leaving home and are meeting new people. You have the opportunity to learn and to take on leadership roles. All of these things opened (my) mind.”
