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CORVALLIS, Ore. - James Curleigh, president and chief executive officer of KEEN Inc., will discuss how to succeed in business for the 21st century in a free public lecture at Oregon State University on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

The event is sponsored by OSU's College of Business as part of the Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series. It will be held in the Austin Auditorium inside the LaSells Stewart Center, 26th Street and Western Boulevard in Corvallis, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The title of Curleigh's speech will be "Born this Century."

"We are very fortunate to have Mr. Curleigh return to the OSU campus and share insights about the shoe and apparel industry," said College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge. "As a young company, KEEN is sure to inspire entrepreneurs, students, and anyone who is interested in joining or starting a new venture." 

KEEN Inc. is an outdoor brand that delivers innovative hybrid products for outdoor enthusiasts in a model the company has labeled as "HybridLife."

Founded in 2003, KEEN was first recognized for its Newport sandal, which featured patented toe protection technology. The brand offers a wide variety of footwear, socks and bags. Based in Portland, KEEN has been recognized as an emerging global player in hybrid product innovation, community engagement, and progressive business leadership.

Recently, KEEN was named one of Outside magazine's "Best places to work."

Curleigh will discuss his personal journey-to-date by sharing lessons learned along the way and will focus on the key success factors of KEEN, including a model of corporate social responsibility.

Prior to his position at KEEN, Curleigh was president and chief executive officer of Salomon North America where he led a team focused on branding and product innovation.