Zayo Group CEO Dan Caruso and his wife, Cindy Caruso, have pledged $2 million to the University of Colorado, half of which will fund construction of a physical connection between the business and engineering buildings.
The university has yet to finalize plans for the multimillion-dollar project, but early concept designs show a 67,260-square-foot addition and remodel between the buildings of the Leeds School of Business and the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
The space, as currently designed, will feature an innovation and entrepreneurship hub; classrooms, offices and event and study spaces; an auditorium; and an outdoor commons. It will also provide views of the Flatirons and have a space called the “Caruso Connection” in honor of the donation.
In early 2017, the project was anticipated to add 30,000 square feet to the Koelbel Building and cost $22 million, but it has expanded significantly since to include the multi-level connection between the Koelbel Building and the Engineering Center. The project and cost estimates have not been finalized, but the scope and design will be complete before the project goes to the Board of Regents for approval later this year, CU spokeswoman Julie Poppen said. Pending regent approval, construction will begin in the spring of 2019 and finish by the end of 2020.
“We’ve been very active in support of CU for a number of years,” said Dan Caruso, adding that he and Cindy Caruso decided to make the $2 million donation after seeing more university efforts in recent years to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration among different sections of campus and the community. In the past, he said, efforts had been fragmented.
“The reason we believe it is important is that entrepreneurship and innovation are bringing so much positive change to the world at large,” he said.
Cindy Caruso added that they were excited to see the brick-and-mortar plans coming together.
Sharon Matusik, dean of the business school, said in a CU news release Monday that the new building connection symbolizes the cross-discipline work the university is encouraging.
“This connection between our two colleges, and how it allows us to bring in the business community, will better prepare all of our students to lead in the future,” Matusik said in the release.
The other half of Dan and Cindy Caruso’s $2 million donation will be split among various campus programs over the course of five years, such as:
• End the Gap, an initiative to reach gender parity in CU’s business programs by 2020;
• the New Venture Challenge, in which CU student teams develop and pitch startup ideas;
• the National Center for Women and Information Technology, a nonprofit alliance dedicated to increasing girls’ and women’s meaningful participation in computing;
• Catalyze CU, a 10-week summer startup accelerator for students, faculty and staff;
• and Startup Colorado, a support network for entrepreneurs.
Beyond his work heading Boulder-based telecommunications firm Zayo Group and supporting CU, Dan Caruso has also dabbled in local politics. In 2017, he launched the citizen group Engage Boulder to fundraise on behalf of City Council candidates. However, he previously told the Daily Camera that he no longer prioritized continuing the group after four of the five Engage-backed candidates lost in the November election that year.
Cassa Niedringhaus: 303-473-1106, cniedringhaus@dailycamera.com and twitter.com/@CassaMN
