The first of its kind west of the Mississippi, DU’s new Liniger Center on Franchising will provide non-credit coursework, networking and research opportunities for students interested in the possibilities of franchising.
From marketing and finance to real estate and franchising law, the center will provide students the experience and knowledge necessary to be a successful franchisor or franchisee. Additional courses will build students’ conflict-management, negotiation and leadership skills. The center also will provide students an in-depth understanding of what it takes to succeed and lead in the industry while preparing them for the Certified Franchise Executive Exam.
Beyond classroom experiences, the Liniger Center will host workshops on current trends and serve as a site for peer-to-peer networking. Franchisees and franchisors will be able to collaborate and develop innovative solutions to problems challenging the industry.
Housed within the Daniels College of Business, the center aims to facilitate timely research through collaboration with the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management, the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management and the Reiman School of Finance. Additional partnerships with industry leaders will ensure that the center’s research focuses on issues facing franchisees and franchisors today.
The launch of the Liniger Center comes at a propitious time. The growing franchise industry is projected to do more than $826 billion in business in 2022. The industry employs more than 8 million people, a number expected to rise.
The center is made possible by a $3 million gift from Dave and Gail Liniger, co-founders of RE/MAX, an international real estate company. The couple launched their company in Denver in 1973. Since then, RE/MAX has grown to nearly 7,000 offices and more than 125,000 agents across the world.
“We’ve spent 50 years seeing amazing things happen when entrepreneurs come together, share their experiences and support each other,” Dave Liniger says. “The center will be a hub of learning and growing in that same spirit.”
