Legendary professor inspires gift for entrepreneurship
Throughout his career, whether he was redefining delivery logistics at Amazon or expanding ridesharing at Lyft, Rex Tibbens (MGT ’98) has drawn inspiration from leaders who helped shape his vision as an aspiring business executive. But one in particular—the late Richard L. Osborne—stood out.
“Gorilla,” as Osborne was affectionately known by students, was part of the Case Western Reserve University community for 45 years and a professor of entrepreneurship at Weatherhead School of Management.
“One of the core elements of his classes was entrepreneurship through acquisition,” said Tibbens, who is executive chairman of home
solutions company Leaf Home and a member of the CWRU Board of Trustees. “Gorilla taught us many foundational elements I still use today.”
In Osborne’s memory, and to carry forward those principles, Tibbens recently made a commitment towards the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) Center at the Weatherhead School. His gift will fund the center’s first executive director and anchor a program that reflects not only his values, but Osborne’s enduring legacy.
“I was delighted to learn that Weatherhead was considering building a core program around ETA,” said Tibbens. “My gift is meant to serve as the foundation. I hope it inspires others to contribute and build a unique and innovative program that creates many successful future entrepreneurs.”
Originally published in the summer 2025 issue of Forward Thinking magazine