On the Shoulders of Giants
The Architect of Opportunity: A Luncheon with Dr. Michael H. Morris
Thursday, October 8, 2026, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at World Trade Center Seattle. Lunch is included.
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." (Isaac Newton)
Every opportunity available to us today exists because of visionary leaders who shaped the industries and communities we know. By standing on the shoulders of these giants, we get to see and create what comes next.
This October, we are honored to welcome Dr. Michael H. Morris, founder of the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative, for an inspiring interview and Q&A with longtime PSBJ Publisher and frequent CEO interviewer Mike Flynn.
Professor | Founder | Researcher | Program Director | Author
Dr. Michael H. Morris has spent decades moving entrepreneurship from a privilege of the already-resourced to an infrastructure for economic mobility.
He founded the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative at the University of Notre Dame, a framework that treats business formation as a pathway out of poverty when the right scaffolding exists. That model now runs in Seattle as On Ramp, through Seattle University's Albers School of Business: a ten-month program that opens with a six-week bootcamp, followed by twelve weeks of student consulting and personal mentoring, built for aspiring entrepreneurs in economically challenged communities.
His research and programs span continents, demonstrating that entrepreneurship is a universal human capacity when systems of support are built with intentionality and equity.
Why This Matters in Seattle
This is not a conference keynote being repeated in another city. On Ramp goes into communities, knocking on doors and showing up at shelters to tell people face to face that business ownership is a real option for them. Trust comes first. The classroom comes second.
The program lives at Seattle University's Albers School of Business, led by Peter Rowan, the Lawrence K Johnson Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship and Executive Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, alongside Janie Ng, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Economic Development. Together they have turned Notre Dame's model into something Seattle runs on its own terms, in its own neighborhoods.
An Invited Table on the Waterfront
This is a small invited lunch, not a conference. World Trade Center Seattle sits at the water's edge on the downtown waterfront, and the room holds about 100 guests. It is a curated table: founders, funders, faculty, and the people actually doing the work, close enough to talk to each other rather than listen from the back of a ballroom.
Lunch is included. Valet parking is available and attire is business professional.
Proceeds from the event benefit Seattle University.
Get full event details and reserve your seat at the event page. Seats are $55 with lunch included, and the room is limited to about 100 guests. Tables and sponsorships are available, and you can also volunteer.
Gatherings like this are part of how we think about home at reSpace. A great neighborhood, whether in Leschi, Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, or any of Seattle's premier communities, is built on the same idea: people who would never have crossed paths sharing a table, a conversation, and what comes next. That is the spirit of co-homeownership, where you own a private suite in a beautiful Seattle home and share thoughtfully designed common areas with neighbors who become a small community.
On the Shoulders of Giants is proudly presented by Katrina Eileen and reSpace, in partnership with Seattle University's On Ramp program.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the Shoulders of Giants event with Dr. Michael Morris?
Thursday, October 8, 2026, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at World Trade Center Seattle. Lunch is included.
Who is interviewing Dr. Morris?
Mike Flynn, longtime publisher of the Puget Sound Business Journal and the series' interviewer.
Who is Dr. Michael H. Morris?
The founder of the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative at the University of Notre Dame and director of Seattle University's On Ramp program, which brings that model to Seattle through the Albers School of Business.
What does the event benefit?
Seattle University.
How much are tickets?
$55 per seat, lunch included. Full details and tickets are on the event page at respace.co. Tables and sponsorships are also available.
Is parking available?
Valet parking is available at World Trade Center Seattle. Attire is business professional.