Drake and Melanie Goolsby will deliver “Emerging Tech and the Risk/Reward Tradeoff” during the Inside the C-Suite lecture on Tuesday, April 25, at 4 p.m. in Davis Auditorium (COB 101). Hosted by Louisiana Tech University’s College of Business, this free lecture is open to the public.

Both two-time graduates of Louisiana Tech, Melanie serves as managing legal director of membership and risk at Peloton Interactive, Inc., while Drake is vice president of commercial strategy and business development for Battelle.

“I am thrilled to have Melanie and Drake share their experience and expertise with us,” said Dr. Chris Martin, dean of the College of Business. “All innovation, be it a new product, process, or strategic direction, changes the trade-offs between risk and reward. As future business leaders, our students must find the balance between the two. With Melanie providing a legal and corporate council perspective, juxtaposed with Drake’s focus on the commercialization of emerging technology, I know the discussion will be lively and invaluable to our understanding of how to successfully achieve this balance.”

Melanie is an accomplished business leader and litigator with a wealth of expertise in the legal and commercial realms. She received her undergraduate economics degrees in 2003 and MBA in 2004, both from Louisiana Tech. Melanie went on to earn her law degree from LSU in 2007. Through her role at Peloton, she provides legal and strategic counsel concerning the company’s insurance program and defending the company against member disputes and consumer litigation. Melanie is a native of Bastrop and a graduate of Ouachita Christian School.

Through his current role, Drake leads growth strategy to accelerate Battelle’s success in various emerging technology markets including healthcare, industrial, and agricultural. He joined Battelle in 2018 with more than 18 years of experience in various commercial industries including oil and gas, consumer product goods, and healthcare. Drake also currently serves as chair of the Board of Directors for 4 Corners, a non-profit providing medical care to the Cabecar people in remote southern mountains of Costa Rica. A native of Hampton, Arkansas, he graduated from Louisiana Tech with a master of business administration in 2004 and bachelor of science in mechanical engineering in 2003.

Today, Drake and Melanie reside in Plano, Texas, with their daughters, Stella and Charlotte.

The College’s Inside the C-Suite lecture series provides a forum for top corporate leaders from some of the nation’s most prominent companies to share their views on topics of societal, academic, and professional importance. The series strives to stimulate insightful conversation on current issues by providing a platform for high-level executives to speak about cutting-edge issues, elaborate on trends, share wisdom, and provide important career inspiration and advice for students. Topics cover a variety of themes in core business subjects such as economic climate, ethics, corporate responsibility, leadership, globalization, strategic planning, entrepreneurship, technology, innovation, and diversity.

With focuses on the College’s core academic themes of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, this co-curricular program is designed to complement and expand on what students are learning in the classroom.

For more information on Inside the C-Suite, contact Mary Susan Britt, Executive Director of Development, at marysusan@latechalumni.org or 318.257.3741.