The Daniels College of Business (Daniels’) has hired Stephen Miller, DU alumnus and a former CEO of clean technology incubator CleanLaunch as its new director of entrepreneurships.

According to Miller, who was hired over winter break, the position was officially created this academic year, but the idea of an entrepreneurship program at DU has been in the process of becoming an official Daniels program for some time.

“The idea started many years ago,” said Miller. “Under the leadership of (Daniels’) Dean Christine Riordan, lots of professors have been building a program that will cross over into all of the schools at DU.”

The program will allow undergraduate and graduate students to work with professors, guest speakers and executives of all levels to develop entrepreneurial skills and will focus on student engagement.

“We are already engaging with clubs on campus, such as the Daniels’ Entrepreneurship Society and Entrepreneurs in Action,” said Miller. “I would love to work with the Living and Learning Community on Creativity and Entrepreneurship, as well as focus on helping students to get involved with the business community.”

Miller said that while the program will have some fundamental classroom work, it will be focused primarily on external experience.

“Our main goal is getting students for all parts of the university involved,” said Miller. “We want to get students out into the business world, either through DU clubs, internships with venture capitalists or even having them develop ideas for their own start-ups.”

The position was made possible by an endowed gift from Robert and Judi Newman, which they specifically designated for the creation of the program. Miller could not say the exact amount of the gift.

Miller also said that he is in a staff position and is not faculty.

“I may become a guest lecturer by the invitation of faculty members from different departments,” said Miller.
In addition to the many entrepreneurs that Miller said he hopes to bring to campus, Miller also has some experience to share with students.

“I spent the last 10 years running two different incubators,” said Miller. “I used to run an incubator focused on technology out of the former Stapleton airport, and the last four years I spent working on renewable and clean energy through my incubator CleanLaunch from the National Renewal Energy Lab.”

According to Miller, he is now 100 percent focused on Daniels.

In addition to his new position as Director of Entrepreneurships, Miller said that Daniels is also hiring an endowed Koch Chair soon, who will assist him. A Koch chair will be paid through university endowed funds and will assist in various aspects of the program and funding.

“The finalists are being selected and one will be hired by spring,” said Miller. “They will start by the fall quarter.”
Miller said the finalists are all young, which he believes will bring a new perspective to Daniels and DU.