Entrepreneur and Investor Trey Bowles Partners with SMU Impact Lab as Fund Manager and Advisor

SMU Meadows School of the Arts is pleased to announce a new collaboration with renowned entrepreneur, investor, and educator Trey Bowles, who will serve as Fund Manager and Strategic Advisor to the SMU Impact Lab.

In this capacity, Bowles will advise the Lab’s leadership team and students on fund strategy, investment process, and entrepreneurial execution, bringing a practical investor’s perspective to the Lab’s mission of supporting ventures that create measurable social impact.

Bowles is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of 1845 Venture Studio, where he and his partners co-found companies alongside exceptional entrepreneurs—bringing capital, strategy, and teams to launch fast and grow smart. 1845 focuses on building high-impact ventures in sectors including health and wellness, energy, advanced mobility and manufacturing innovation.

“Trey brings a rare combination of entrepreneurial leadership and investor discipline that will help shape the Impact Lab’s next phase of growth,” says Dr. Doric Earle, Co-Director of the Lab. “His guidance will be invaluable as we prepare students and community partners to launch and fund ventures that address real-world challenges.”

This collaboration marks a return to Meadows for Bowles, who in 2011 was brought in to help build and launch the Arts Entrepreneurship and Arts Management program, establishing one of the nation’s first formal university programs combining business and the arts.

“I’m honored to collaborate once again with SMU Meadows, an institution that’s been part of my journey for over a decade, to help equip the next generation of founders to build sustainable ventures that deliver meaningful impact,” Bowles says. “The Lab represents an incredible platform for combining purpose and performance.”

Bowles is no stranger to supporting entrepreneurs as they grow. As Co-Founder of the (now the DEC Network), he helped more than 10,000 founders start, build, and grow their businesses. He also co-founded the and the , leading public-private partnerships that advanced smart city and innovation initiatives across the region. Bowles has been working at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and education since 2010, championing collaboration among founders, civic leaders, and corporations to drive meaningful economic impact.

A multi-exited and serial entrepreneur, Bowles has founded and led multiple successful companies, including , where he invests in early-stage and growth ventures. He previously served as Managing Director for the Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator and Anywhere, helping founders across the country scale purpose-driven startups.

Nationally, Bowles has been a leading voice for entrepreneurship and innovation policy. He previously served on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) under the U.S. Department of Commerce and currently serves on the Board of the (CAE), a nonpartisan organization advocating for pro-entrepreneurial policies that strengthen innovation and job creation.

“Dallas has evolved into one of the most dynamic innovation ecosystems in the country,” says Jim Hart, Co-Director of the SMU Impact Lab. “The Impact Lab is both a reflection of that growth and a contributor to it. Trey’s leadership deepens our connection to this community of founders and investors shaping the city’s future.”

Learn more about the SMU Impact Lab at .