The John J. Sullivan Endowed Chair for Free Enterprise (Sullivan Chair) is under the new leadership of Karl Dakin. Dr. Dakin, is a veteran entrepreneur acting as the part-time Executive Director. Sullivan Chair is launching a series of programs intended to teach Regis University students about and how to be entrepreneurs.
Sullivan Chair programs are tailored to provide individual and immersive learning opportunities through engagement in a variety of business activities:
- Starting new businesses (micro, small, cooperatives, innovation)
- Solving community problems
- Improving governance (local, state, federal)
Education will complement and supplement classroom instruction in business, government and leadership by teaching Regis University students about business by starting and running businesses.

Responding with solutions to the condition of today’s economy and the diminishing role of government, the Sullivan Chair will employ ‘free enterprise’, mission based approaches to meet the needs of customers, communities and the world.
Central to all programs of the Sullivan Chair is the newly established Regis Entrepreneur Club. This organization will become a student-operated business upon completion of a cash prize business plan competition that will end in December. The Club will hold interactive learning events, conduct competitions and facilitate placing students in situations where they can learn by doing. Membership in the Club is open to the public. Business owners are encouraged to join the Club and act as mentors to Regis University students http://www.meetup.com/regis-entrepreneur-club.
In joint venture with the Institute on the Common Good, the Sullivan Chair is now hosting the Colorado Capital Congress – a citizen led public forum on improving how Colorado businesses obtain money to fund new job creation. Ideas on improving the quality of investment opportunities, reducing regulations and matchmaking investors with businesses are being developed into action initiatives with volunteer task forces. Citizens of Colorado are invited to engage in this dialogue, vote and participate in positive change. Join the Colorado Capital Congress MeetUp Group http://www.ColoradoCapitalCongress.com.
Work is underway to design, stage and start a series of businesses and enable a series of community impact investments. Individual projects will be selected based upon their value as learning experiences to Regis University students and their contribution to the community in which they are first operated. Using a franchise model, each project will be built for replication in a large number of communities around the world.
Karl Dakin, Executive Director
Sullivan Chair for Free Enterprise
kdakin@regis.edu
720-296-0372


