Nate Thelen ’98 (Computer Science)

Today, at 31, Thelen serves as the chief technical officer for Userplane, an Internet services company that lets people chat online using audio and video tools. Userplane now licenses its technology to more than 140,000 online social networking communities.

“Instant messaging can be better than phones for multi-tasking and quick notes,” Thelen said. “It definitely has a place in the world.”

And that place is growing, with Thelen and his Userplane colleagues leading this technological trend. Thelen began the company with fellow UO students Javier Hall and Mike Jones in 2001. Now Userplane has millions of live users in more than 15 countries.

In just over a year and half, Userplane evolved from a small, Internet consulting company to the premier provider of communication software.

In 1999, Jones convinced Thelen to come to Los Angeles to do technology development for his growing web consulting firm. Hall joined the company as well and, shortly thereafter, the three used their diverse skills to branch out and form Userplane.

With the growing popularity of their instant messaging products, they received an offer they couldn’t refuse: a deal with AOL. The sale has allowed them to hire more people and focus on new business ventures and innovations. The Oregon team has remained relatively self-sufficient – but with the power and budget of a major company.

Thelen said, “We’re really able to bite off bigger projects that we’d always dreamed of doing.”

—KN