Dan is the founding Executive Director of UMSL Accelerate, UMSL’s entrepreneur-training program. He is an experienced and successful entrepreneur with deep knowledge of the St. Louis entrepreneurial ecosystem. He is the CEO & Founder of Lauer Toys and the creator of Waterbabies, the second best-selling baby doll in the US with over 24 million units sold to date. As a successful entrepreneur, he understands the needs and challenges facing startups. He has extensive knowledge and experience in developing accelerators, product design, development, launch, market research, partner relationships, media relations, market penetration, licensing, innovation, and product positioning.