A determined and successful entrepreneur of one of the fastest-growing companies in the world, Chad Richison has built a technology juggernaut in a state where the landscape of big business is dotted primarily with oil and gas. Today, innovation drives Oklahoma’s economy and the major driver comes from a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma. In 1998, at the age of 27, Richison founded Paycom, an online human capital management software company. Thanks to his visionary leadership Paycom now stands as one of the state’s largest employers, boasting one of the largest market caps of any publicly traded company in Oklahoma. Paycom is a company with a fanatical focus on seeking innovatio
Peggy Kates grew up on a dairy farm in Calumet, a town with a population just shy of 600. Although her parents loved cattle farming, they were determined that their daughter would have additional professional choices with a college education. “Education was very important to my parents,” Kates said. “My dad served on the school board for 10 years. And even though they didn’t have a college education, they were determined for me to have a better life and understood how important education is to success.” Kates attended the University of Central Oklahoma, then known as Central State University. She supplemented her college scholarships through a work study program in UCO’s financial aid offic
