The Daniels College of Business is co-leading a brand new, University-wide collaborative: Project X-ITE (Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship). This audacious cross-disciplinary initiative ignites new ideas across DU and beyond, harnessing the creativity and innovation of faculty, students and stakeholders. Project X-ITE will be the institutional hub for entrepreneurial education and engagement at the University of Denver.
“Entrepreneurship today, regardless of one’s interests or avocation, is an imperative, and we owe it to our students to expose them in meaningful ways to the dynamism and creativity of the entrepreneurial value chain,” says Brent Chrite, dean, adding that Project X-ITE will position DU and Denver as a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship. “Project X-ITE reflects our commitment to provide an ecosystem toward this end that is unrivaled in university-based entrepreneurial activities.”
Project X-ITE will support a range of new endeavors—such as a student’s business startup or a cross-disciplinary academic program at DU. Specifically, it will create a lecture series, speaker series, smaller events and other programs to stimulate conversation among students, alumni, faculty, industry leaders, academic leaders and others on the topics of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship.
Three University deans are providing oversight of Project X-ITE: Daniels Dean Chrite, JB Holston, dean of the Daniels Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science, and Marty Katz, dean of the Sturm College of Law. Earlier this month, Denver entrepreneur and chief innovation officer for the state of Colorado, Erik Mitisek (BSBA 1999), was named Project X-ITE’s executive director, effective April 1.
Project X-ITE is currently seeking proposals to support—for business ideas, new technology or other initiatives. Learn more about the initiative at projectxite.org.