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The Edward Lowe Foundation is a national, nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship and land stewardship. Our entrepreneurship programs, which revolve around education, recognition and research, focus narrowly on second-stage companies — those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. Our land stewardship initiatives play out at Big Rock Valley, our 2,000-acre home in southwest Michigan, where we are committed to preserving the property’s unique biodiversity through innovative land management practices.

Dan Wyant
Chairman & President
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As chairman and president of the Edward Lowe Foundation, Dan Wyant works with the board to establish a vision and ensure that founders’ intent and the foundation’s mission are carried out. He also oversees daily operations and execution of strategy. This includes evaluation of the organization’s current entrepreneurship and land stewardship initiatives and determining new programmatic direction.

Colleen Killen-Roberts
Divisional VP of Entrepreneurship
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In her current role she leads the entrepreneurship team in developing programs that help second-stage entrepreneurs get to the next level. These include the System for Integrated Growth, PeerSpectives® Roundtables, the American Academy of Entrepreneurs®, Leader Retreats at Big Rock Valley, Entrepreneur in Residence and Legacy Council. Killen-Roberts also cultivates appropriate partners to deliver these programs throughout the country and manages the rollout process.
Ed Lowe

Ed Lowe invented Kitty Litter in 1947. A cleaner alternative to the ashes and sand previously used in litter boxes, clay-based Kitty Litter enabled more cats to remain indoors and reshaped U.S. pet demographics, with cats outnumbering dogs. What’s more, this simple product led to the creation of an entirely new industry, and today the cat litter business generates annual U.S. sales of nearly $2 billion.
Darlene Lowe

An entrepreneur herself, Darlene established her own interior design business, Haymarket Interiors, in the late 1960s. In the 1970s, she became vice president of design and facilities planning at Edward Lowe Industries, where she managed the design and renovation of more than 80 diverse projects, including the foundation’s 2,000-acre campus, Big Rock Valley.

Don Bauters
Director of Finance and Treasurer
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Don Bauters joined Edward Lowe Industries (ELI) and the Edward Lowe Foundation in 1986. He has held a variety of financial positions and was promoted to director of finance and treasurer in 1990.
Board of Trustees (left to right): Pete Pairitz, Paul Bowles, Darlene Lowe, Monica Wyant, Jack Pycik and Dan Wyant

Entrepreneurship Team (left to right): Robin Joye, Colleen Killen-Roberts, Rita Phillips, Chris Ryback, TJ Becker, Joy Kitamori, Paul Bateson, and Dino Signore