Early Life and Education
Eren Ozmen was born in İzmir, Turkey. She moved to the United States to pursue her Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Nevada, Reno, which she earned in 1985. She also sold homemade baklava to pay her bills while she finished her graduate degree.
Rise to Success
Eren Ozmen, along with her husband Fatih, acquired Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) in 1994. At that time, SNC had only 20 employees. Under their leadership, SNC has grown significantly through strategic acquisitions, expanding its operations to include over 30 locations. Eren Ozmen has focused on creating a healthy work environment, promoting family-friendly policies. In 2017, the Ozmens launched Ozmen Ventures, a seed and early-stage venture capital fund based in Reno. In April 2021, SNC spun off its space capabilities into a new commercial space company, Sierra Space.
Key Business Strategies
Eren Ozmen's business strategy has centered around innovation, strategic acquisitions, and a focus on long-term growth. She has invested heavily in R&D and has been open to taking risks to pursue new opportunities. This approach has positioned SNC to compete effectively against larger companies in the aerospace and defense sectors. SNC's focus is on solutions for the U.S. government, as well as on new space technology. In May 2024, SNC was awarded a $13.1 billion contract by the U.S. Air Force to develop and produce the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC).
Philanthropy
Eren and Fatih Ozmen have made significant philanthropic contributions. In 2014, they donated $5 million to the University of Nevada, Reno, to establish the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship. This center supports and enhances the university's entrepreneurial programs.
