A business student reflects on a recent site visit, panel discussion, and networking event at Nike headquarters.
On November 20, I had the opportunity to join a group of Lundquist College of Business students on a site visit to the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. On this site visit, we got a taste of everything Nike has to offer, including a walking tour of the campus and its unique design, attended a panel discussion with senior analysts, developers, and strategists, and at the end, we joined UO Alumni who currently work at Nike for a networking event.
As a career peer advisor at Mohr Career Services at the Lundquist College of Business, I usually help host these events, so I had a unique perspective when approaching this visit from the student side. It was exciting to see firsthand how Nike leverages innovation, creativity, and strategy to build one of the most influential brands in the world.
The Nike campus was different than any workplace I’ve seen. From its athlete-inspired buildings to its rich natural landscape, everything is intentionally designed to spark creativity. On my tour with Tommy Meier, a Nike planning specialist, we got insider information about each landmark, such as the Sebastian Coe Building, which was designed to look like a runner crossing the finish line. We also experienced “The King’s Secret Collection,” which showcased some of LeBron James’ unreleased sneaker prototypes, and an outdoor wall we passed had the names of athletes like Colin Kaepernick and Megan Rapinoe, who have made cultural impacts beyond their individual sports.
The whole campus is filled with details that reinforce Nike’s values of empowerment, innovation, and athleticism. Something that really stuck with me was the phrase “anybody with a body is an athlete,” which I heard multiple employees say throughout the visit. For a brand that works with so many professional athletes, it was impactful to hear their equal-value approach to their customers. Overall, I was blown away by the campus and its workspaces, and I am eager for the next opportunity to see it all again.
After our tour, we sat down for a panel led by one of my coworkers at Mohr Career Services, Kai Werner, who introduced Evan Horne, senior principal for inventory deployment and business integration; Allison Popovec, senior sports analytics for basketball; Elliott Kennedy, senior manager for global marketing and marketplace CODE for Nike, Jordan and Converse; and Alan Koelling, principal for strategy deployment and engagement.
I initially thought the panel would be a discussion about job descriptions and opportunities, but I was happily surprised by a different theme. Each of the panelists told stories of their career journeys: their uncertainties, failures, successes, and everything in between. We got invaluable advice on navigating the workforce post-college, and reassurance that it's okay not to know what we want to do yet and that it's okay to explore different jobs and opportunities to figure that out.
We ended the visit with a networking event with 40 Nike employees, all of whom were Duck alumni. This networking event matched the rest of the visit in exceeding my expectations. Instead of repeating formal pitches and rehearsed conversations, the atmosphere encouraged my peers and my pure curiosity, fostering genuine connection. I talked to people from every corner of Nike, learning about design, marketing, operations, and production. Everyone was eager to share their experiences, telling stories and even collaborating with other employees to give advice.
Outside of talking about Nike, many people I talked with were also Ducks! I loved this extra layer of connection, and it made all the difference in my conversations. One second, the conversation was about professional development, and the next, we debated which dining hall was the best (the universal winner was Unthank). I got recommendations on both my future career decisions and which Los Angeles Ducks Football watch-parties are best—all in 10 minutes. The experience made me so proud to be a Duck, and I left with renewed excitement to continue my career journey after meeting so many people who are enthusiastic about helping students find new opportunities and pursue their goals.
—Olivia Healy ’28, Business Administration Major, Global Studies Minor