Bill Oliver to speak at Ivy Tech Cook Institute in April

Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus will welcome Bill Oliver, co-founder of Oliver Winery, as the keynote speaker for its 11th annual Cook Institute for Entrepreneurship luncheon on April 19 at 11:30 a.m. in Shreve Hall. Prior year’s events were postponed due to pandemic-related closures and gathering requirements.

“Ivy Tech Bloomington’s Gayle & Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship is so glad to be hosting this event again. The Cook Institute is a direct expression of the Cook Center’s mission to engage our local community and foster entrepreneurship in the communities we serve,” said executive director of the Ivy Tech Cook Center, Steve Bryant. “Bill has an inspirational story to share about starting and running a successful business, especially over the past couple of years.”

Bill Oliver, winemaker and businessman, focuses on new product development and strategic planning at Oliver Winery, which grew to become one of the largest wineries in the eastern United States under he and his wife Kathleen’s direction. In 2006, it became a 100% employee-owned company and in 2021, was purchased by NexPhase Capital, a New York-based private equity firm specializing in buying and scaling up small to medium sized businesses. Oliver holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana University Kelley School of Business, where he met his wife.

Sponsorships are available at $3,500 for signature, $2,000 for presenting, $1,000 for table. Individual tickets are $100 each. Proceeds support programming at Ivy Tech’s Cook Center for Entrepreneurship for the benefit of Ivy Tech students and the community in which they work and live. Portions of tickets and sponsorships are tax deductible.

To purchase sponsorships, tables, and individual seats, visit www.ivytech.edu/cookinstitute.