Dr. Daniel Olson is an expert in business and entrepreneurial strategy. He was the co-founder of a deep-tech medical device startup formed to commercialize a diagnostic device that ultimately proved unsuccessful. He taught courses in business strategy and entrepreneurship as a professor at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business. He has been a practicing corporate lawyer for almost twenty years and has worked in large law firms, in-house with his startup, and as a solo practitioner. His academic publications have appeared in top strategy and entrepreneurship journals. Dr. Olson has a PhD in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland, a JD from Harvard Law School, and a BA from Brigham Young University.
Professional Experience
BUSINESS STRATEGY AND LEGAL CONSULTANT (2022–Present) (Salt Lake City, UT)
Assist business clients and entrepreneurs with strategic analyses, strategy formulation, and strategy implementation. Provide clients with legal advice on corporate, securities, employment, and M&A matters.
Assist business clients and entrepreneurs with strategic analyses, strategy formulation, and strategy implementation. Provide clients with legal advice on corporate, securities, employment, and M&A matters.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF STRATEGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (2016–2022)
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, FOSTER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS (Seattle, WA)
Professor: taught graduate and undergraduate strategy and entrepreneurship courses. Empirical researcher: investigated causes and consequences of competitive positioning, employee turnover, and employee entrepreneurship. Seasoned communicator: created, delivered, and adapted strategy and entrepreneurship courses for MBA, graduate, and undergraduate students. Data analyst: used causal econometric methods and models in R, STATA, SAS, SQL, and Excel to explore big data.
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, FOSTER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS (Seattle, WA)
Professor: taught graduate and undergraduate strategy and entrepreneurship courses. Empirical researcher: investigated causes and consequences of competitive positioning, employee turnover, and employee entrepreneurship. Seasoned communicator: created, delivered, and adapted strategy and entrepreneurship courses for MBA, graduate, and undergraduate students. Data analyst: used causal econometric methods and models in R, STATA, SAS, SQL, and Excel to explore big data.
CO-FOUNDER, CEO, AND CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER (2018–2021)
EXHALENT DIAGNOSTICS (Salt Lake City, UT)
Co-founded and led strategy, operations, and legal for deep-tech medical device startup. Developed innovative SaaS and HaaS business models. Raised $750K in angel funding and secured $3M in grants for technology development. Negotiated complex IP license with University of Utah. Closed deals with suppliers, manufacturers, R&D partners, and distributors.
EXHALENT DIAGNOSTICS (Salt Lake City, UT)
Co-founded and led strategy, operations, and legal for deep-tech medical device startup. Developed innovative SaaS and HaaS business models. Raised $750K in angel funding and secured $3M in grants for technology development. Negotiated complex IP license with University of Utah. Closed deals with suppliers, manufacturers, R&D partners, and distributors.
STRATEGY RESEARCHER AND DOCTORAL STUDENT (2010–2016)
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, SMITH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS (College Park, MD)
Researched drivers of strategic value creation, startup formation, and entrepreneurial and growth strategy using economics and sociology lenses. Granted prestigious Kauffman Foundation dissertation fellowship for entrepreneurship research. Conducted award-winning research on the impact of corporate social responsibility on employee retention.
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, SMITH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS (College Park, MD)
Researched drivers of strategic value creation, startup formation, and entrepreneurial and growth strategy using economics and sociology lenses. Granted prestigious Kauffman Foundation dissertation fellowship for entrepreneurship research. Conducted award-winning research on the impact of corporate social responsibility on employee retention.
ATTORNEY, CORPORATE AND SECURITIES GROUP (2007–2010)
DORSEY & WHITNEY (Salt Lake City, UT)
Advised clients on strategic business initiatives and decisions. Led due diligence and contract negations for strategic transactions including early- and late-stage private company financings. Represented clients in buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions. Counseled clients on, and assisted in the creation of, venture capital and private equity funds. Collaborated with public company clients on SEC compliance.
DORSEY & WHITNEY (Salt Lake City, UT)
Advised clients on strategic business initiatives and decisions. Led due diligence and contract negations for strategic transactions including early- and late-stage private company financings. Represented clients in buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions. Counseled clients on, and assisted in the creation of, venture capital and private equity funds. Collaborated with public company clients on SEC compliance.
ATTORNEY, CAPITAL MARKETS GROUP (2005–2007)
MORRISON & FOERSTER (New York City, NY)
Represented underwriters and issuers in connection with more than $25B in equity and debt securities offerings including structured products, IPOs, secondary offerings, and PIPEs. Conducted due diligence and prepared contracts for public and private M&A deals.
MORRISON & FOERSTER (New York City, NY)
Represented underwriters and issuers in connection with more than $25B in equity and debt securities offerings including structured products, IPOs, secondary offerings, and PIPEs. Conducted due diligence and prepared contracts for public and private M&A deals.
ATTORNEY, CORPORATE GROUP (2004–2005)
JENKENS & GILCHRIST (Austin, TX)
Counseled clients on corporate and securities matters, including SEC compliance and Sarbanes-Oxley implementation.
JENKENS & GILCHRIST (Austin, TX)
Counseled clients on corporate and securities matters, including SEC compliance and Sarbanes-Oxley implementation.
Education
PHD, STRATEGY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP – UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
JD – HARVARD LAW SCHOOL; CAMBRIDGE, MA
BA, PHILOSOPHY – BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY; PROVO, UT
JD – HARVARD LAW SCHOOL; CAMBRIDGE, MA
BA, PHILOSOPHY – BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY; PROVO, UT
Bar Licenses
UTAH STATE BAR (since 2008)
NEW YORK STATE BAR (since 2007)
TEXAS STATE BAR (since 2004)
NEW YORK STATE BAR (since 2007)
TEXAS STATE BAR (since 2004)
Academic Publications
STRATEGIC BEHAVIOR BY MARKET INTERMEDIARIES, STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, (July 21, 2020)
Information intermediaries, such as professional critics and analysts, do not simply provide objective reviews. Instead we show that they strategically balance pressures from product “suppliers" and from their competitors as they compete for the attention of audiences.
Information intermediaries, such as professional critics and analysts, do not simply provide objective reviews. Instead we show that they strategically balance pressures from product “suppliers" and from their competitors as they compete for the attention of audiences.
BRIDGING STRATEGIC HUMAN CAPITAL AND EMPLOYEE ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCH: A LABOR MARKET FRICTIONS APPROACH, STRATEGIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP JOURNAL (August 17, 2017)
Factors that prevent employees from joining competitor companies may also keep those employees from leaving to start new companies. Other factors that prevent employee turnover, however, may actually encourage employees to leave to start new companies. This article reviews and integrates existing studies on employee turnover and employee entrepreneurship to suggest cases in which efforts at retaining employees may increase the likelihood that a business's employees actually leave to start competitor firms.
Factors that prevent employees from joining competitor companies may also keep those employees from leaving to start new companies. Other factors that prevent employee turnover, however, may actually encourage employees to leave to start new companies. This article reviews and integrates existing studies on employee turnover and employee entrepreneurship to suggest cases in which efforts at retaining employees may increase the likelihood that a business's employees actually leave to start competitor firms.
WHEN DOES CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REDUCE EMPLOYEE TURNOVER? EVIDENCE FROM ATTORNEYS BEFORE AND AFTER 9/11, ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL (August 16, 2016)
CSR is most effective at reducing turnover that is motivated by a preference for more meaningfulness at work. We find empirical support for this idea using microdata on attorneys employed by large law firms. Strikingly, the retention benefits of CSR are much stronger after attorneys experience mortality-related shocks that cause them to re-evaluate their jobs (i.e., for New York City-born attorneys following the 9/11 attacks).
CSR is most effective at reducing turnover that is motivated by a preference for more meaningfulness at work. We find empirical support for this idea using microdata on attorneys employed by large law firms. Strikingly, the retention benefits of CSR are much stronger after attorneys experience mortality-related shocks that cause them to re-evaluate their jobs (i.e., for New York City-born attorneys following the 9/11 attacks).
EMPLOYEE MOBILITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A VIRTUAL SPECIAL ISSUE, STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL (November 26, 2014)
Employee mobility and entrepreneurship research focuses on the role of individuals as critical conduits of knowledge diffusion, with implications for firm creation and competitive dynamics, industry structure and evolution, and regional growth or decline. This article creates a framework for understanding the causes and consequences of employee mobility and entrepreneurship across levels of analysis and identifies an incomplete list of research opportunities motivated by existing studies.
Employee mobility and entrepreneurship research focuses on the role of individuals as critical conduits of knowledge diffusion, with implications for firm creation and competitive dynamics, industry structure and evolution, and regional growth or decline. This article creates a framework for understanding the causes and consequences of employee mobility and entrepreneurship across levels of analysis and identifies an incomplete list of research opportunities motivated by existing studies.