Dan Lauer

Dan Lauer is the founding executive director of UMSL Accelerate, an initiative that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship in and outside the classroom and helps bring concepts from mind to market. Dan is a long-standing, successful entrepreneur who has founded multiple companies, including Lauer Toys Inc., best known for the Waterbabies® line, which has enjoyed 26 years of continuous distribution and 23 million units sold. Through the UMSL Accelerate, he serves as a catalyst for developing a vibrant ecosystem of students, faculty and community to inspire innovation and advocate for entrepreneurship.