PSU Magazine Spring 1997

lessness, knowledge, and persistence. These four Portland State alums are part of the digital elite-entrepreneurs in the wired world-and they've made it. Wi1en Mae Wu was invited to travel with a U.S. trade mission to A ia la t June, he jumped at the chance. "I was the only representative of a small business on the delegation," she says, add ing that the experience "was a real eye-opener"-an insight into both the opportunities and difficulties of trading overseas and the help available from the government. On her trip, Wu discovered that although people in places like Korea and Thailand knew of Seattle, few had even heard of Oregon. If the state wants to change that perception, it has to get a lot more involved, champi– oning its reputation for high-tech and ffering help to bu inesses that don't have the resources of larger companies, he ay . "Small-business people must be more willing to participate, too. If you want to be a big company, you have to behave like one. You have to get into the game to find out what the rules are." raying on the cutting edge of new developments comes naturally to Wu, as does the entrepreneurial spirit. She is a native of Hong Kong, where "everybody is an entrepreneur." Wu came to Portland as a student, studying first at Mount Hood Com– munity College and graduating in business and p ycho logy from PSU. Although she worked for several years in sales and marketing for different computer companies, Wu ay , "it was always my goal to start my own busines ." The opportunity came in 1989, when a friend she'd talked with about starting a business offered her a $10,000 loan. "That was a day I'll never forget. When someone has so much faith in you, you know you have to succeed." With the demand for personal computers exploding, the timing for starting a computer busines wa perfect. "Personally, though, it was the worst scenario for me," says Wu. She had a toddler and a baby only a few months old, and though her parents helped out, at one point she had to bring the children to work with her. "It was tough, but you do what you have to do. If you're really determined, you' ll make it. And when you over– come obstacle , you value your success all the more." Wi 's company, which se lls customized PCs, computer compo– nents, and software to businesses, began in 1989 with four employees and now has 40. Along the way, Wu ha garnered numerous honors, includ– ing a 1994 Governor's Award for outstanding emerging business and a 1995 ranking by The Business Journal a one of Oregon's fa test growing companies. "At the srart-up stage, it was just a matter of surv ival. Then, we began looking at expanding our market and asking what makes us different, what value were most important to us a a company," Wu recalls. Paramount among those values was respect, both among the employees and for the customers, along with an openness to new ideas and a commitment to team– work, he ays. Running a growing business always involve new problems, new cha llenges, say Wu. "But then you find so lutions and have the satisfaction of watching your company move from one stage to another. When you run out of chal– lenges, I suppose it's time to retire." • 7 Pl JOTO BY STEVE OJPAOLA Mae Wu '82 President and CEO, FEI America Inc. SPRING 1997 PSU MA AZINE 11