Joe Akin’s career is a testament to the power of communication, entrepreneurial drive, and transformative leadership. A proud graduate of Oklahoma State University with a degree in Speech Communication (1990), Joe began building his professional journey while still a student. Alongside two friends—and with little more than determination and grit—he co-founded a weightlifting gym. Though all three were broke college students, the gym quickly became a local success story, sparking the interest of Kicker, an emerging audio company headquartered in Stillwater. As the founder of the company’s international division, he and his team established distribution networks in 42 countries. Joe’s ability to scale businesses continued at Ocean Dental, where he served as Chief Operating Officer. Over eight years, he helped expand the organization from a single clinic to 37 clinics across seven states, making dental care more accessible to underserved communities. His next move took him to SST as COO, where he played a pivotal role in the successful sale of SST to Proagrica, strengthening the company’s global presence in ag tech.

In 2020, Joe joined Stillwater Medical as Vice President of Human Resources at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, as Senior Director of Development and Community Outreach at the Stillwater Medical Foundation, Joe combines his passion for leadership and communication with a dedication to community advancement. Recently, he launched the first formal Art of Response Communication Training for Young Professionals of Stillwater—a program he calls one of his most rewarding ventures. True to his philosophy, Joe frequently reminds colleagues, friends, and mentees: “Communication is the key…to everything.”

A longtime Stillwater resident of 40 years, Joe and his wife Mona raised two sons, both now thriving in the Oklahoma City area.