Building a business based on falconry seemed pretty far-fetched to alumnus Ken Miknuk, who was studying to be a mechanical engineer in the 1980s and working to support his three children. After graduation, he was hired by Old Navy as a material-handling engineer.

Shortly after, Ken was diagnosed with Central Serous Retinopathy (CSR), an eye condition that causes migraines as a result of extensive reading and concentration. His engineering career quickly came to an end, making Old Navy’s Pacific Distribution Center, located just four miles southeast of Fresno State, his very last engineering project.

Life dealt Ken a bad hand, but he learned to count the cards. He knew he could make something of his love for falconry and, with the support of his wife, he decided to go all in.

Ken’s business, Winged Solutions, focuses on abatement, entertainment, and education. For a few months out of the year, he and his team fly their birds at resorts and golf courses that struggle with excessive amounts of pest birds.

Knowing that his work addresses important and powerful issues, such as evolution and the environment, Ken hopes to continue educating young minds.

While falconry may not have been the path Ken thought he would take, every detour has changed his life for the better.

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