Memorial Honoring Ken Kousky Set for August 10th

“Not everybody can be famous but everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Last month the Great Lakes Bay Region lost one of its most compassionate, inventive, engaging, and iconoclastic resources with the untimely passing of Kenneth W. Kousky, who’s  kindness, expansive intellectual curiosity, and exceptional brilliance sparkled upon each project he advanced to fortify the economic climate of the Tri-Cities, while touching the hearts of countless friends, business associates, and students with unforeseen illumination as he made his journey through life.

While under the loving care of his daughters Carolyn & Rebecca, after waging a valiant battle against Parkinson’s disease, Ken finally succumbed to this heartbreaking illness  and passed away in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 11th; so in order for those living within the Great Lakes Bay Region to have an opportunity to pay their due respects to a man who impacted their lives and this region so deeply, a special Memorial Service for Ken Kousky will be held on Thursday, August 10th from 7:00 - 9:00 PM at the SVSU Alumni Lounge, which is located in Curtiss Hall at Saginaw Valley State University.  Parking will be available in lots JI or J2, and once attendees enter into Groening Commons, there will be paper signs directing attendees to The Alumni Lounge. 

We encourage you to share a story, reminisce, and think about all the joy, humor, friendship, and vision that Ken brought into this world. 

Ken graduated from Douglas MacArthur High School in 1972 and later from  Washington University in 1976 with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Urban Studies and then received a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a visionary entrepreneur and cybersecurity expert in St. Louis, and later when he decided to move back in Saginaw, Michigan in 2002, he expanded his focus upon nurturing start-up companies and revitalizing the economic climate and contours of the place that he called home.

He was Vice President of Novell, Inc. and President of NetWare. Ken founded Wave Technologies, based in St. Louis, which he then took public - an amazing accomplishment in itself - and later sold to Thomson Reuters. He then founded IP3 Inc. upon returning home to Saginaw.

More recently, Ken was the Executive Director and a founding member of the BlueWater Angels Investment Network, a Michigan-based funding network. He was CEO of ClearWater Ventures, a company devoted to helping startups organize, capitalize, and launch.  In addition, Ken was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Saginaw Valley State University, where he also enjoyed teaching and mentoring students.

Ken was a member of several corporate boards, including Michigan Sugar Corp., active in community and professional organizations, a frequent speaker on IT security topics, and a member of several advisory boards, including Washington University's Arts and Sciences National Council and Lawrence Technological University's advisory boards for both the College of Management and the College of Engineering.

In 2012, LTU selected him as one of Michigan's Leaders and Innovators.

Please let us know if you can attend with a comment on this post or by emailing me at robert.review@gmail.com

We hope to see you there!