North Texas entrepreneur, investor, and educator Trey Bowles will serve as fund manager and strategic advisor to the SMU Impact Lab, the SMU Meadows School of the Arts announced.

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

SMU said that Bowles will advise the Lab’s leadership team and students on fund strategy, investment process, and entrepreneurial execution, and will bring “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 Venture Studio said it focuses on building high-impact ventures in sectors including health and wellness, energy, advanced mobility, and manufacturing innovation.

‘Sustainable ventures that deliver meaningful impact’

SMU said the collaboration marks a return to Meadows for Bowles. In 2011, he 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 said in a statement. “The Lab represents an incredible platform for combining purpose and performance.”

Co-founded the DEC Network, the Dallas Innovation Alliance, and the North Texas Innovation Alliance

SMU said that Bowles is no stranger to supporting entrepreneurs as they grow. As co-founder of the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (now the DEC Network), he helped more than 10,000 founders start, build, and grow their businesses.

Bowles also co-founded the Dallas Innovation Alliance and the North Texas Innovation Alliance, leading public-private partnerships that advanced smart city and innovation initiatives across the region. He has been working at the intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation, and education since 2010, SMU said, 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 Bowles Investment Group, where he invests in early-stage and growth ventures. Previously, he was managing director for the Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator and Techstars Anywhere, helping founders across the country scale purpose-driven startups.

Nationally, SMU said that Bowles has been a leading voice for entrepreneurship and innovation policy.

Bowles previously served on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship under the U.S. Department of Commerce and currently serves on the board of the Center for American Entrepreneurship, 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,” 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.”

Don’t miss what’s next. Subscribe to Dallas Innovates.

Track Dallas-Fort Worth’s business and innovation landscape with our curated news in your inbox Tuesday-Thursday.