The Liniger Center on Franchising Will Foster Entrepreneurship and Careers in The Franchise Industry
Dave and Gail Liniger have given $3 million to the University of Denver to create the Liniger Center on Franchising at the Daniels College of Business. When the couple co-founded RE/MAX in Denver in 1973, they disrupted the real estate industry and encouraged entrepreneurship within it. The Liniger Center on Franchising will educate and serve entrepreneurs in their quests to build career success in the broader franchise industry.
The Liniger Center will be the first such franchise education organization west of the Mississippi River. It will provide guidance, resources and other support to franchisors and franchisees through education, networking and thought leadership, according to a news release from the University of Denver, a private school. The center’s services will expand the Linigers’ commitment to lifelong learning. An opening date was not disclosed in announcing the establishment of the center, but advertising for an executive director was posted on June 21.
Courses at the Liniger Center will cover subjects related to franchising, including business models, conflict resolution, ethics, financial analyses and real estate. Faculty from multiple disciplines will lead research on topics of interest within the franchise industry. The center has a goal of being a valued resource for both learning and networking for current franchisors and franchisees, business owners who want to franchise their companies, and others aiming for careers in the industry.
Reaction to the Liniger Center on Franchising
“The University of Denver is immensely grateful for Dave and Gail Liniger’s visionary generosity in establishing the Liniger Center on Franchising,” university Chancellor Jeremy Haefner stated in the news release. “Their commitment to helping other entrepreneurs succeed through franchising is extraordinary, and we are excited for all the ways that this partnership will benefit students, faculty and the business community.”
In the same release, Dave Liniger said he and Gail have “spent 50 years seeing amazing things happen when entrepreneurs come together, share their experiences and support each other. The center will be a hub of learning and growing in that same spirit. We’re thrilled to help new generations discover the incredible value of franchising and the power of joining forces with like-minded professionals. With the right concept, values and people, anything is possible. The sky’s the limit.”
Vivek Choudhury, dean of Daniels College of Business, predicted that the Liniger Center will “support the growth in franchising that we expect to see in Colorado in the coming years. We are so thankful to Dave and Gail Liniger, true visionaries in the franchise space, for this generous gift. We are honored to have the Liniger name associated with the center and the University of Denver.”
Background on Gift, RE/MAX
Adam Contos, who earned his Executive Master’s of Business Administration degree from the University of Denver in 2017, participated in the process of lining up the Linigers’ investment in the center, and he will chair the center’s advisory board. Contos, former CEO of RE/MAX Holdings Inc., will serve as an adjunct faculty member at the Daniels College of Business this fall. “In working with Dave, Gail and DU on this initiative, I have the great opportunity to pursue my lifelong dream of contributing to franchising education,” Contos said in the university’s news release.
RE/MAX Holdings Inc. is a leading franchisor that is the parent of two brands: RE/MAX and Motto Mortgage. The Linigers’ dedication to educating entrepreneurs is incorporated within their business model; each franchisee and employee has a vested interest in helping others. Dave and Gail Liniger are members of the International Franchise Association’s Hall of Fame. Both have shaped their franchise’s culture of collaboration, productivity, gratitude and giving back to the community.