The Innovate State Speaker Series at MSU announces a new addition to this year’s lineup: YouTube superstar Tyler Oakley.
Established as one of the most influential LGBT vloggers, Oakley is an A-Lister in the digital age. Oakley and his best friend Korey Kuhl, both MSU alumni, host "Psychobabble," a weekly show that tops the iTunes podcast charts.
“We are proud to welcome Tyler Oakley back to campus to be part of the Innovate State Speaker Series,” said Paul Jaques, director of student and community engagement at Spartan Innovations. “His videos are engaging and fun, and he’s got a lot to share about entrepreneurship, creating a personal brand and using media in innovative ways.”
Innovate State is a collaborative program designed to connect forward-thinking speakers with students and professionals interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. Topics include startups, innovation, new business creation, leadership, customer acquisition, funding and other special topics. More information on the series can be found at innovationcenter.msu.edu/innovate-state.
Oakley’s talk will include a presentation and question-and-answer session with the audience. This free program begins at 7 p.m. on Feb. 17 in the Pasant Theatre of MSU’s Wharton Center for Performing Arts. Tickets are available to MSU students only with a student ID through Jan. 21 and then open to the public on Jan. 22. Tickets must be picked up in person at the Wharton Center Ticket Office.
Oakley graduated from MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences in 2011. He has raised more than $500,000 for The Trevor Project in 2015, won two Teen Choice Awards and two Streamy Awards. A regular guest host on CBS daytime talk show, 'The Talk,' Oakley was named one of Time Magazine’s 30 Most Influential People on the Internet.