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Wade Brooks

Wade Brooks Assistant Professor | Finance and Business


wbrooks2@linfield.edu

Dr. Brooks is an entrepreneur, investor, and educator with more than 30 years of experience building, scaling, and advising companies across technology, consumer products, and venture-backed businesses. He has founded multiple companies, led organizations through national expansion, and advised founders and investors on growth strategy, capital formation, and exits. Most recently, he served as CEO of a high-growth consumer products company that expanded into national distribution through retailers including Whole Foods, Costco, and Walmart.

Dr. Brooks has also been deeply involved in early-stage investing, serving as Executive Director of the Willamette Angel Investment Fund and advising angel groups on portfolio strategy and investment processes. In academia, he previously served on the faculty at Willamette University, where he founded the entrepreneurship program and launched a university-based angel investment fund. His research on venture capital and angel investing has been published in top journals including the Journal of Business Venturing.

Education

  • Willamette University, BSc in Philosophy and Art
  • Willamette University, MBA
  • Harvard Business School, Financial Management Program
  • University of Denver, PhD in Business Administration (Finance and Entrepreneurship)

Academic Interests

Academic interests include entrepreneurial finance, venture capital, angel investing, private equity, startup finance, corporate finance, entrepreneurial strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship, early-stage investing, new venture creation, investment decision making, entrepreneurial ecosystems, behavioral finance, portfolio strategy, entrepreneurial leadership, capital formation, small business finance, governance in entrepreneurial firms, venture growth and scaling, mergers and acquisitions, technology commercialization, family business and succession, entrepreneurial education, experiential learning, and entrepreneurship policy and economic development.