The University of Dayton will launch the Herr Venture for Change Program to prepare students as entrepreneurs for the common good this fall.

The program will offer a nine-credit certificate in social entrepreneurship, which involves creating mission-based businesses that prioritize social impact alongside profits. Students will launch social ventures and, as Herr Scholars, will make meaningful contributions locally and globally. This includes summer partnerships with international nonprofits and ongoing collaborations with local entrepreneurs.

“This initiative aligns with the University’s Marianist mission to educate for service, justice and peace,” said School of Business Administration Dean Trevor Collier. "It will equip students with the necessary skills and experiences to become social entrepreneurs who believe their success, at least in part, is measured by the positive impact they have on society."

The program is created with a gift from alumni Mike ’90 and Katie ’94 Herr. It builds on their philanthropy at UD. Mike Herr, an accounting alumnus and UD board member, together with Katie Herr, an elementary education alumna and parent leadership council member, created a scholarship fund in 2018 and also help lead the We Soar campaign. Their legacy includes their daughters, also UD graduates.

"Creating a social entrepreneurship program resonates with me and my career," said Mike Herr, retired CFO of SRAM, a leading component supplier for the bicycle industry. "Rather than focusing on short-term outcomes, companies can find lasting success by investing in their employees, customers, industry and community. Social entrepreneurship should be a part of every company. The experiential learning and principles taught in this program will prepare all students to apply these tenets in their careers, whether that is in business, engineering, teaching, medicine or beyond.”

The program adds to the University’s entrepreneurship program, which is ranked in the top 50 nationally by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. Entrepreneurship students also launch micro-businesses; can win money and support for new ventures through Flyer Pitch, one of the largest business plan competitions at the collegiate level; act as angel investors; run one of the largest largest student-run corporations in the country; and direct a microlending program through Flyer Consulting.

The University plans to hire a Herr program director. Anyone interested in contributing to the future of the program can contact Colleen Dwyer at cdwyer1@udayton.edu.