William “Billy” Obenauer is currently a PhD student in the Lally School of Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY where he studies organizational behavior. His research interests include leadership, the use of humor in organizations, and discrimination. Billy has had papers accepted for presentation at the annual conferences of the Southern Management Association, the Eastern Academy of Management and the Midwest Academy of Management.
In addition to his role as a student, Billy is also a digital learning consultant at NYSTEC, a not-for-profit consulting organization that serves as a Trusted IT Advisor to state and local governments in New York. In this position, he works with partners in both the public and private sector to organize events that foster education, research, and entrepreneurial leadership within government. As a part of these duties, Billy is a member of the New York State Forum where he serves as co-chair of the Business Innovation and Emerging Technologies Work Group. In that role, he has helped to organize and execute the “Effective Use of Data and Analytics” series of events.
Prior to attending RPI as a PhD student, Billy earned his MBA at RPI. While attending RPI as a master’s student, he participated on a team that designed, developed a business plan for, and produced a prototype for a new type of athletic apparel. He also participated in the Lally Masters’ Scholars Program where he had the opportunity to work with researchers and practitioners in research on corporate entrepreneurship. Billy was also honored with the school’s annual Chief Innovation Officer of the Future Award.
Billy has also earned a Master of Science in Education from SUNY Oswego and a Bachelor of Science in Professional Retail Management from Bellevue University, graduating from both programs with a 4.0 GPA. At SUNY Oswego, he was also a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa honor society. His work experience includes three years as a high school business teacher, two years as a college cross country coach, and ten years in the field of retail management.
Billy is married with four children. He and his family live in southern Vermont with their three cats and four dogs.
William G. Obenauer 