Dr. Denise E. Williams, professor and department chair of Management, Entrepreneurship, and Human Resource Management at the College of Business and Management (CBM), has been a leader in community engagement since joining Metro State University in 2014. She bridges education with the Minnesota entrepreneurial ecosystem and advocates for underrepresented groups, including women, veterans, students, and alumni through innovative co-curricular and community programs.
Dr. Williams has organized workshops, trainings, consultations, and served as a keynote speaker for Minnesota community events focused on innovative mindset, leadership, and relational richness for entrepreneurs, Metro students, and veterans, including regional MN SBA “Boots to Business” programs, MN SCORE, and Better Business Bureau conferences. She has also partnered with women’s organizations to deliver training for women entrepreneurs and amplified her message of empowerment and innovation at national and local events.
Her support for veteran business owners earned her the “Veteran Small Business Champion” award in 2017. Metro State was awarded the “2019 Public Sector Champion” by Women Business Development Center based on her work. Dr. Williams has served as board member to high impact organizations including National Association of Women Business Owners, Junior Achievement North, and advisory committees with the Women Business Development Center and MEDA. With her recent Governor's office appointment to the Explore Minnesota for Business Council and increasing engagement with DEED’s Launch Minnesota’s Higher Education initiative, she continues to seek innovative ways to collaborate in the innovation and workforce development spaces that create opportunities for Metro State and Minnesota State system students.
Dr. Williams co-developed a validated assessment measuring innovative mindset and career readiness, currently used in the entrepreneurship program with CBM researcher, Dr. Marcia Hagen. She has designed and launched initiatives such as the Women Innovators and Entrepreneurial Leaders Development program, Leadership and career readiness for women course pilot, HERO Factor trainings (hope, entrepreneurial mindset, readiness, and opportunity) and a new “Trailblazer Coaching” pilot to empower BIPOC students (targeted for spring 2025). Recently, Dr. Williams expanded her community engagement at the Global Women Entrepreneurship Day conference at the United Nations in New York with follow up to local community leaders to explore local opportunities for engagement.