Santa Clara University has announced a gift of $25 million from Jeff and Karen Miller to help address the needs of the world’s poor.
The gift will enable the university’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society — now known as the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship — to boost its capacity to support entrepreneurs and advance SCU’s influence in the social entrepreneurship and impact investing fields. To that end, the center will expand its training and mentoring efforts, investigate and create new ways to unlock funding for social entrepreneurs, and engage faculty and student fellows who provide value-added research to social entrepreneurs worldwide. The gift also will help launch a fundraising campaign for a new science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) facility.
Jeff Miller, an SCU alumnus and longtime venture capitalist, is president of JAMM Ventures and previously served as chair and CEO of Documentum. His wife, Karen, spent ten years at Intel in production management and administration.
“We are tremendously fortunate to have the Millers as supporters, allies, and generous benefactors,” said Miller Center executive director Thane Kreiner. “They share our mission and embody the center’s unique combination of Silicon Valley entrepreneurial DNA and the Jesuit tradition of serving the poor. We look forward to many years of collaboration and success in our quest to eradicate poverty and mitigate climate change.”
“$25 Million Gift From Jeff and Karen Miller Advances Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University.” Santa Clara University Press Release 05/01/2015.