Any students who haven’t already visited Michael Hannigan, Innovator-in-Residence at the Innovation Institute, should be sure to do so before he leaves Colorado College at the end of the semester.
Hannigan is the founder of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation, as well as a Colorado College alum and a former geology professor. As Innovator-in-Residence, he is a valuable resource and an inspiration for any students interested in social entrepreneurship, nonprofit work, and start-up businesses. He will continue to hold workshops and open office hours for the rest of the semester.
Hannigan, class of ’75, was one of the first students to spend all four years on the Block Plan. After graduation, he stayed on campus and taught in the Geology Department, filling in for a permanent professor. Following that teaching gig, “I traveled all over the place and did all sorts of interesting things,” said Hannigan.
However, his ties to CC are very strong, and he worked in the Advancement Office for three years. Eventually, he founded the Pikes Peak Community Foundation “from nothing, with a pen and paper in my kitchen,” he said. Since its founding in 1998, the PPCF has funded over $150 million dollars worth of philanthropic business.
Now, Hannigan is back on campus again as the Innovator-in-Residence, and having a blast.
“I work with students to help them find a niche in the social entrepreneurship and nonprofit world,” said Hannigan. “I work with the Big Idea teams, looking at their business structure and helping them adapt to challenges on the fly. I help them rethink what they intended to do versus what they can do.”
Hannigan will hold three more workshops at the Innovation Institute, Nov. 16, Nov. 30, and Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. These workshops are entitled “Real Life in the Nonprofit Sector” and are designed to teach students how to create a nonprofit from scratch. He’ll also join Patrick Bultema, Executive Director of the Innovation Institute, in teaching his dynamic Half Block course.
The Innovation Institution is an opportunity Hannigan feels truly must be taken advantage of.
“It’s one of the more exciting things that happening at CC right now. It’s a think tank that actually gets stuff done,” said Hannigan. “Check it out. If you have an idea that you want to try to make happen, this is the place. We have an event almost every Thursday.”
His enthusiasm for the program is electric and it is clear why students flock to the Innovation Institution every afternoon. Hannigan is helpful, positive, and, of course, innovative. His dedication to helping students manifest their ideas makes him a resource the campus community is lucky to have.
“The work that I’m doing at CC is really fun. I’ll keep being the Innovator-in-Residence as long as they let me,” he said.