Social Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Students
In 2018, Rick and Molly Klau of Denver made a generous, $1 million endowment gift to the Pulte Institute for Global Affairs for the establishment of new programs and courses; all focused on social entrepreneurship, innovation, and intrapreneurship. In partnership with the Pulte Institute and the McKenna Center for Human Development & Global Business, these opportunities bring Notre Dame students together with global social entrepreneurship organizations for engaging academic, experiential, and service-learning opportunities. Whether in the field or the classroom, these Social Entrepreneurship opportunities seek students who will apply empathy and burgeoning technical skills to complex social challenges.
About Rick and Molly Klau
The Klaus are members of the University's Badin Guild. Rick is a former member of the Hesburgh Libraries Advisory Council and is a current member of the Keough School of Global Affairs Advisory Council.
Rick is the chairman and former president of Hajoca Corp., the largest privately-owned North American wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating, and industrial supplies. His retail and distribution career includes prior leadership positions at WaterPro Supplies Corp., Ionpure Technologies, and Millipore. Earlier in his career, he also held several marketing and sales assignments at General Electric and served two years in the United States Navy Reserve.
Molly dedicates her time to volunteer and philanthropic opportunities targeting homelessness, hunger, and education in the metro Denver area. They are members of the Denver-area Constellation Philanthropy, a group of like-minded philanthropists focused on high-impact grantmaking. The Klaus each earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Maryland.
In 2018, the Klaus contributed $10 million to strengthen and endow Notre Dame's Center for Civil and Human Rights, also a part of the Keough School, which has was renamed in their honor.