About

The Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship offers entrepreneurship training and practical opportunities aimed at preparing Colby students to be effective innovators and entrepreneurs—whether they are creating dynamic new business ventures or improving existing organizations or programs. The lab provides funding for students to start commercial and social enterprises, mentorship, as well as innovation and maker spaces on campus and in downtown Waterville. The lab heads the development of an entrepreneurship ecosystem involving alumni, faculty, staff, and Colby community members as well as companies, organizations, and institutions.

The Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship is the result of a generous gift from Trustee Emeritus Todd Halloran, a ‘84 Colby graduate and Harvard Business School graduate who has spent the majority of his career investing in and working with accomplished business leaders and entrepreneurs, and their growing companies.

The decision to support the creation of the lab was driven by Todd Halloran’s interest in and work with businesses, management teams, entrepreneurs, and the major role that small businesses play in driving the country’s economy. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses accounted for 65 percent of net new-job creation since 2000 and 44 percent of U.S. economic activity. Additionally, small businesses comprise 47 percent of private-sector employees.

Spanning decades, Todd Halloran’s generosity to Colby has empowered generations of students to enrich their education, change their life trajectories, and innovate for the greater good. Halloran’s involvement with Colby includes establishing the Halloran Family Faculty Research Endowment Fund in 2010 as well as serving as a trustee from 2006 to 2012. He has also worked on the College Relations Visiting Committee, the President’s Advisory Committee, chaired the Nominating Committee and the Alumni Fund Committee, and made a significant contribution to the Schair-Swenson-Watson Alumni Center. Additionally, Todd Halloran has been engaged with Colby’s DavisConnects, including participating in its Paving the Road to a Future in Finance events and directly supporting students by funding the Wall Street prep courses offered at the College.

Todd Halloran is currently a senior advisory partner at Freeman Spogli & Co., a private equity firm that partners with management in U.S.-based consumer-related growth businesses; serves on several private company and philanthropic boards, and personally owns majority and minority stakes in a number of small businesses.