Beta Theta Pi - Purdue University

Beta Mu Chapter of Beta Theta Pi Purdue University P.O. Box 442100 Lawrence, KS 66044-2100 Address Service Requested Beta Theta Pi – Purdue University purduebeta.com @betapurdue BETA MU LINK BETA MU LINK GROWING UP TOGETHER GROWING UP TOGETHER W orking in sales, Ron Gabrisko '94 attributes the fundamental career skills to his time in Beta eta Pi. "Learning to be more social and work with different types of people are important lessons you learn in a Fraternity," he explained. "Some of my best friends came out of Beta—these guys stood up in my wedding and we still get together at least once a year. I knew no one when I came to Purdue, and they became my second family." Ron learned about Beta Mu through a freshman dormmate, Baco Benton '94, and as a Purdue baseball player, he was drawn to the Chapter's strong athletic presence. He clicked with the brothers instantly and went on to serve as social chairman, planning parties and events such as midnight surfing. "Monday nights were also super fun, and you always had 100 brothers you could go out with." A VARIED CAREER Ron thrived as an Academic All-American baseball player and dreamed of joining the major leagues—a dream he recently honored by throwing the first pitch for the Texas Rangers! He studied mechanical engineering at Purdue, and an MBA at Stanford eventually led him to Silicon Valley. Currently, Ron is the CRO of Databricks, the third VC-backed company he's worked with. Ron helped the founders grow the Data & AI firm from less than $1 million in revenue to over $3 billion, and he's proud to say that Databricks is the fastest-growing soware company of all time; they recently raised over $10 billion at a valuation of $62 billion. As chief revenue officer, Ron runs all global sales, partnerships, and business development ("basically anything that touches a customer"). He believes AI is a generational shi in technology and is excited for Databricks to lead that innovation, predicting it will become a trillion-dollar company in his career. In an earlier role, Ron collaborated with LL Cool J on the company BoomDizzle Studio: a virtual platform where people from across the world can record a song in real time without meeting in person. e two became friends, and Ron was able to accompany the rapper to two Grammys ceremonies. LEANING ON CONNECTIONS Ron likes to discuss his varied jobs to remind students that their first job out of school doesn't necessarily define their whole career. "Try to pick something you're passionate about, but focus on what you'll learn, the people you'll meet, and the network you can build." He also stresses reaching out to alumni connections within that network. "When I hear from a fellow Beta, Boilermaker, or Stanford alum, I'll always see how I can help them." One way Ron stays in touch with Beta is an annual charity golf tournament in memory of his pledge brother Cory Sanderson '94. His friend Baco leads era reunions once a year, and when Purdue made the Final Four in Arizona, Ron and roommate Brad Siok '94 eagerly hosted about 30 brothers at his home in Scottsdale—some of whom he hadn't seen in decades. "Beta gave me some of my best memories, and I always encourage brothers to stick together and reach out." You can connect with Ron at rgabrisko@yahoo.com. Ron Gabrisko '94 on Beta's Life Lessons

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