$12 million gift from Jake Jabs funds center to enhance event capabilities, educational experiences and connections with Denver’s business community.
Originally Published in CU Denver Today by Meme Moore, University Communications
DENVER, October 2, 2018 – The University of Colorado Denver Business School and the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship broke ground on the Jake Jabs Event Center, a signature event and educational amenity designed for the growing Business School’s future needs.
Set to open spring 2020, the event center is partially funded by a $12 million gift from American Furniture Warehouse Founder and CEO Jake Jabs. Half of the donation, $6 million, is allocated to the event center, which is a $11 million development project. The other $6 million Jabs gave will provide long-term support for programming, scholarships, research and more at the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship.
Jake Jabs, CEO of American Furniture Warehouse and donor:
“I have been proud to support CU Denver Business School for a number of years because I believe in the importance of higher education. With the growing interest in entrepreneurship education at this level, this new addition of the event center, auditorium and additional classrooms will make the Jake Jabs Center For Entrepreneurship and CU Denver Business School bigger and better than ever!"
CU Denver Business School Dean Rohan Christie-David:
“Jake’s gift of $12 million dollars is transformative. The gift impacts our students, faculty, and staff by providing the resources to strengthen academic offerings in entrepreneurship. The gift also helps our students to participate further in programs and events, which allow them to apply classroom skills in practical ways.”
Dr. Madhavan Parthasarathy, executive director, Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship:
Impact of $12 million: “Jake’s transformative gift has helped the CU Denver business school rise to the cutting edge of entrepreneurship education. It has greatly helped us forge new relationships with other schools both within and without the CU Denver University system, pursue international collaborations, design and run events such as THE CLIMB | Business Plan Competition, improve both the content and the experiential delivery of entrepreneurship courses, and provide scholarships.”
Jake Jabs Event Center – Facility Facts
The addition to the CU Denver Business School building at 1475 Lawrence Street replaces the underutilized courtyard facing the Larimer Street Alley. By activating this space, the Business School plans to participate in Denver’s Functional Alley Movement.
Architect: Stantec
Builder: JE Dunn Construction
Cost: $11 million total construction cost, $6 million of which was donated by Jake Jabs.
Amenities:
First Floor
- 300+ seat event space with state-of-the-art audio-video systems and video wall
- 60-seat classroom
- Catering kitchen
- Donor recognition wall
Second Floor
- New headquarters and office space, Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship
- 50-seat classroom
- Three conference rooms: small, medium and large
- Incubation lab space
Third Floor
- 90-Seat auditorium
- Two seminar rooms
Additional Quotes – Dr. Madhavan Parthasarathy:
Jake Jabs Event Center: “Thanks to Jake’s patronage, we are building an amazing, cutting-edge event center and auditorium and a new, contemporary home for the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship.”
Origin of relationship with Jake Jabs: “My first meeting with Jake Jabs was when he spoke in my entrepreneurial marketing course about 15 years ago. The students, needless to say, were both enamored by his celebrity status as well as the incredible content of his presentation. At the end of the class, Jake came up to me and said, ‘Your students are impressive, and you are obviously a good teacher, but you need to make the class more experiential – more connected to real entrepreneurs and the Colorado ecosystem.’ I am proud to say, we are now closely connected with some of Colorado’s greatest entrepreneurs who act as teachers, guest speakers, mentors, and advisors.”
Jake Jabs’ impact: “Outside of Mr. Jabs’ monetary gift, he has also provided myself, the entrepreneurship faculty, and students with advice, mentoring and knowledge… nuggets of wisdom that are indeed priceless. He has counseled, advised, and otherwise touched more than 500 CU Denver students. Jake Jabs is perhaps the world’s greatest furniture entrepreneur, and it is my honor to have a close friendship with him.”
CU Denver Facilities Master Plan:
The CU Denver Business School expansion is one of many capital expansion projects underway as part of the CU Denver Facilities Master Plan, a strategic ten-year plan to accommodate enrollment growth, enable educational excellence, enhance on-campus student life and integrate the university with the City of Denver. Other master plan projects contributing to CU Denver’s campus evolution include the recently opened Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center and recently announced search for a development partner to build a new first-year residence hall and develop vacant land near the existing Campus Village Apartments.
About CU Denver:
As Colorado’s only public urban research university, CU Denver educates a diverse student body through quality academics, ambitious research and creative work, and civic engagement. More than 15,000 students on our campus in the heart of downtown choose from over 100 degree programs in 8 schools and colleges at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. Graduates gain the powerful combination of immersive classroom and real-world experiences that are in demand today, while the city benefits from well-educated, top talent and a new generation of knowledge that fuels the future of Denver and our region. Learn more at http://www.ucdenver.edu/.
