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Executive Director, Deming Center for Entrepreneurship听

Even Erick Mueller鈥檚 therapy dogs seem able to sense how tired he is this Monday afternoon.听

Erick has just returned from solo teaching a rural entrepreneurship workshop in Hayden all weekend鈥攐ne way he volunteers to help budding founders鈥攁nd is about to attend a reception for Buffs With a Brand, the initiative the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship created to help student-athletes market themselves in the age of NIL.听

Perhaps out of respect, or just being tired themselves, his two English retrievers, Khaya and Auggie, are resting quietly under his desk.听

But once he starts talking about his favorite subject, Erick quickly gets his second wind.听

鈥淓ntrepreneurship is an amazing platform,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty special to know you鈥檝e helped change the trajectory of someone鈥檚 life in a positive way, whether it鈥檚 employing someone in a business or giving a student the tools and knowledge to help them on their journey. It keeps me coming back for more.鈥澨�

Erick has been with Leeds since joining as an adjunct professor in 2003, but even as he rose through the ranks of the Deming Center, he remained a founder. He鈥檚 created five businesses and remains co-founder and chairman of Funovation, which specializes in developing fun attractions that, as he put it, remind the world to play.

鈥淚鈥檓 a firm believer that our faculty should be doing what they teach,鈥� Erick said. 鈥淚 get to teach what I do and do what I teach. That delivers that much more of an impactful, practical, tangible learning experience.鈥澨�

Entrepreneurship for all

Something he emphasizes in his teaching is that entrepreneurship is not just for people who want to start a company.听

鈥淓ntrepreneurship is not starting a business鈥攊t鈥檚 a way of thinking that you can use at a big or small company,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e help people by giving them the tools, programming and classes to go as far down the path as they want.鈥�

The opportunity to help create impact is what excites Erick about his work.

鈥淭he word I use a lot is unleash鈥攐ur work at the center unleashes the entrepreneurial excitement in everybody,鈥� Erick said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to see the light bulb go on for someone who starts by saying, 鈥業 can鈥檛 do it,鈥� and then they leave by saying 鈥業 can do this, I have the tools to do it and I鈥檓 inspired to do it.鈥欌�澨�

You won鈥檛 hear him use the word 鈥渦nleashed鈥� when he talks about his other avenue to create impact. After his mother died while he was young, Erick and his siblings got a puppy, Tippy Tail, 鈥渁nd to an extent, she saved my life,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aving the unconditional love of a puppy when you鈥檙e a teenager, dealing with angst鈥攊t was a tough time.鈥澨�

That firsthand experience with an animal鈥檚 power to heal left a deep impression. In his early 30s, he adopted a pair of dogs, Max and Pula, who became mainstays in children鈥檚 hospitals and, especially, retirement homes. He鈥檚 continuing that tradition with Auggie and Khaya, both recently certified as therapy animals.听

鈥淔or me, it all comes back to impact,鈥� Erick said. 鈥淢y journey has been about being of service鈥攚hether with puppies, as teacher, a founder, a dad, or a community member. I feel very blessed to give back to others.鈥�

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