Bjorn LapakkoMinnesota native Bjorn Lapakko landed in the Oregon State MBA program looking for the kinds of personal and professional growth opportunities that would prepare him to take on challenges and solve problems of the global variety.

A decade later, he’s doing just that, part of a thriving startup scene in the Baltic nation of Estonia.

“There’s a quote by a German writer that sums up my decision to enroll in OSU’s MBA program: ‘Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting.’ Before I packed my truck and drove the 1,760 miles from Minneapolis to Corvallis, I had never been to the Pacific Northwest, but I figured there are mountains, there’s an ocean, it will never be minus-20 during winter, and they love orange. It’s got to be perfect there.”

Lapakko is the “growth hacker” for a company called Funderbeam, which bills itself as “The World’s Startup Marketplace” and bears the motto, “Investing, trading and liquidity for all.” Funderbeam provides data for discovering, tracking and researching startups for investment, prospecting or industry analysis; soon it also plans to be an exchange through which investors can make and trade syndicated startup investments with bitcoins using blockchain technology, a secure, digital ledger of transactions.

Lapakko, who has a marketing background and earned his MBA in 2009, works to attract new Funderbeam users cost effectively through technological integration.

“Blog posts, website, events, emails, social, and even including my personal social space,” he said. “Currently, I’m working on designing our April 21 Marketplace product launch party, which is huge because we’ll be officially announcing our first available syndicates on our blockchain-based investing and trading platform. I’m a conduit for helping people achieve what they seek from an ROI or funding perspective. Funderbeam is a great tool for investors and entrepreneurs alike, so I do what it takes to connect those parties in a positive, engaging, and information-filled way.”

Lapakko moved to Estonia this past winter after learning about Funderbeam on a website, Jobbatical.com, that specializes in relocating professionals to jobs all over the globe.

“OSU’s MBA program developed me in the ways you’d expect -- deeper knowledge and expertise in how to run a successful business,” Lapakko said. “And it also prepared me for hurdles I’d encounter later in life which weren’t so obvious back in 2009. For example, working in global markets with an international team.”

Mitzi Montoya, Sara Hart Kimball Dean of the College of Business, notes that getting students ready to work hard to solve problems on a global scale as well as local and regional ones is a core value of the college.

“Bjorn demonstrates what we like to see in all our graduates,” she said. “He’s creative and adventurous and willing to use his skills and education to drive change in the startup investment industry, adding value to innovators, capitalists and other investors, all across the board.”