NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – What’s your purpose? It’s a simple yet profound question that Sean Dwyer asks his students, challenging them to think deeply about their lives and consider how they can make a difference in the world.
When he entered college in 2008, Dwyer, now an assistant professor of entrepreneurship in the OU Price College of Business, thought he needed to be a doctor to make a difference in the world. Two pivotal moments challenged that assumption and changed the course of his life.
“While at a conference in 2009, a speaker asked a question that challenged me to my core: Why are you doing what you are doing? After reflecting, I realized that I really wanted to use my creativity to help others. I left that conference knowing that I wanted to become a business major with plans to one day become an entrepreneur,” he said. “Shortly after, Blake Mycoski, who started Toms Shoes, came to our university and spoke about his ‘One for One’ business model, in which he donated a pair of shoes to children in need for every pair his company sold. His story showed me that a business can be about more than just generating profits—it can help make a difference in the world.”
These experiences sparked a lasting change in Dwyer, leading him to enter the business world with a vision of impacting the lives of others. He eventually started a clothing line with charitable giving model similar to Toms Shoes, worked as a CPA and served entrepreneurs as a management consultant. In 2019, Dwyer took a hiatus from the business world and joined the nonprofit Youth with a Mission (Kona). That journey led him to rural villages in Southeast Asia.
“I was there to serve among those in need, and what I saw broke my heart. The young people there had dreams of starting businesses, but I quickly realized that most of their dreams would never come true. I knew I needed to do something,” he said. “I decided to pursue my Ph.D. at Baylor University to understand how business can be used as a platform to help people rise out of poverty and make a difference in their communities.”
While at Baylor, he became friends with Tyler Self, a professor who leads a business leadership program called Business, Excellence, Scholarship and Team. Known as BEST, the program challenges students to make a difference in the world through personal growth and learning.
This January, the BEST cohort of students traveled to Oklahoma City to meet and learn from the Hobby Lobby group. During their trip, Dwyer and members of the OU Entrepreneurship Division hosted the Baylor students for a ‘Live with Purpose’ event.
“They were only here for one afternoon, but they learned about living with purpose from President Harroz, four entrepreneurship faculty and an alumnus from the Price College of Business. They also visited Not Your Average Joe coffee shop to hear about their purpose-driven social mission,” he said. “The event was an incredible success and left the Baylor and OU students who participated deeply inspired. The OU students who participated expressed interest in more events like this, so we’re now looking into hosting similar ‘Live with Purpose’ events for our students here at OU.”
Preston Rathburn, a senior in the Price entrepreneurship program, was among the attendees. He’s a former student of Dwyer and considers the professor a mentor.
“One of the most important lessons I took away from this event was that financial success alone doesn’t bring fulfillment. True purpose comes from something deeper,” Rathburn said. “Dr. Dwyer has had a profound impact on my life, providing me with valuable opportunities to showcase my potential. As a professor, he doesn’t just encourage students to maintain the status quo; he challenges them to think bigger and push boundaries.”
Dwyer describes Gen Z students like Rathburn as the most purpose-driven generation, eager to make a meaningful difference in the world through their work. But he also cited research that shows they often lose motivation in unfulfilling jobs. He expressed the need to effectively equip and empower Gen Z students for the reality of the business world while also calling for employers to embrace the motivational needs of this generation.
“I think companies today should embrace a higher purpose than just providing a job to new hires. This will not only be a win for the workers but also for the organization. In fact, research indicates that workers at organizations with a strong sense of purpose are four times more engaged at work, which can help organizations achieve competitive advantages,” Dwyer said. “There’s clearly something going on here that we can tap into to empower OU students to become the difference-makers of tomorrow. Helping raise up the next generation of business leaders with a strong sense of purpose is a major part of my own purpose, and I am incredibly grateful to do this here in the Price College of Business.”
Dwyer has published research on purpose in entrepreneurship and has a forthcoming book that details the ways to make a difference in the world through business ownership.
Visit the Price College of Business to learn more about OU’s entrepreneurship undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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