Entrepreneur Emeritus
An initiative in which we collaborate directly with highly experienced entrepreneurs to enhance existing programs and explore new opportunities. Our goal is to ensure our suite of programs is for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs.
Helping others reach the summit
Our founder, Ed Lowe, was a huge fan of peer learning, which is integrated into nearly all of our programs. E2 elevates peer learning to a new level: delivering programs for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs. We like to compare our portfolio of services to climbing a mountain, because each program builds off another. An E2 has already reached the summit of the mountain and wants to help guide others to the top.
E2 participants engage in a variety of roles. Good candidates are second-stage entrepreneurs who:
- Have exited their businesses or are contemplating an exit.
- Understand the role of nonprofits and government-support programs within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Have participated in a variety of Edward Lowe Foundation programs and have values that align with the foundation.
- Have a strong desire to positively impact the trajectory of the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Just as Ed Lowe believed that successful entrepreneurs are innately wired to pursue opportunities for their businesses, he also believed they share a desire to help fellow business owners grow and make a difference in the world. “Entrepreneurs of a championship calibre,” he wrote, “without exception, are prone to give back their achieved surpluses so that their legacy carries on.”
Our inaugural E2: Dave Galbenski
A serial entrepreneur, Dave Galbenski founded Lumen Legal in 1992. Together with his wife, Lynn, Dave scaled the Michigan-based legal staffing firm to a national presence before successfully selling it in 2020. He then went on to launch two other enterprises: the Global School of Entrepreneurship and the Living Liver Foundation.
A longtime friend of the foundation and user of our programs, Dave helped us pilot the Entrepreneur Emeritus (E2) initiative in 2022. As our inaugural E2, Dave has served in a variety of roles: from facilitating roundtables and retreats to spearheading the E2 Fund as a vehicle for individuals who wish to contribute to the foundation’s endowment and perpetuate Ed Lowe’s vision of the foundation having resources to go on forever. In 2023 he was the second recipient of our Founders’ Award.
“For more than 20 years, the programs of the Edward Lowe Foundation and the beauty of Big Rock Valley have transformed me personally and professionally,” says Dave. “The role of E2 allows me to pay that gift forward through sharing my experiences while having fun along the way.”
Other members of our E2 team
