Alumnus makes gift to support CommVentures

A Penn State alumnus who operates his own media consultancy firm and whose career includes working in both the legal and business areas of the entertainment industry has provided a $35,000 gift to support CommVentures, housed in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.

Dan Hartman, who leads Hartman Media Consultants and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1985, has 30 years of experience in the television business, including extensive work in sports programming.

Hartman is a member of the Bellisario College’s Advancement Council, which supports the development efforts of the college. The University has agreed to match Hartman’s gift 1:1 through the Economic Development Incentive Matching Program, a featured opportunity of the current fundraising campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21^st Century Excellence.” This matching program is designed to incentivize gifts to spur economic development within and beyond the Penn State community.

His support of CommVentures benefits Penn State faculty and students by enhancing a privately supported fund created to address important societal questions through research and to generate viable business models with the potential to revolutionize modes, methods and impact of communications.

Through the work of CommVentures, the Bellisario College will be positioned to become an agent of positive change both in and out of the classroom. The approach is envisioned as a way to build upon the success of Invent Penn State, the groundbreaking initiative founded in 2015 that has allowed the University to put economic advancement and entrepreneurship at the heart of its mission.

“With this commitment, Dan is helping to greatly enhance our entrepreneurship and innovation efforts across the Bellisario College,” Dean Marie Hardin said. “It’s a key campaign priority, and another example of how our alumni and volunteers make a meaningful impact by helping our faculty and students succeed.”

With the fund established, grants will be available to support faculty-led endeavors that engage students and provide real-life experiences.

Hartman’s successful and varied career provides a testament to the value of creative and entrepreneurial efforts.

As senior vice president of programming for DirecTV, Hartman was responsible for program acquisition activities for the satellite company, negotiating carriage agreements for entertainment networks and sports properties.

As in-house counsel for Fox Broadcasting, he served as lead attorney for all sports-related areas and negotiated and drafted documentation relating to sports rights acquisitions. He began his career a corporate associate at the law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP, based in Los Angeles. Hartman is currently a board member for the Los Angeles Sports Council and Southern California Committee of Olympic Games, where he serves vice chairman and treasurer for both, and previously served as a board member for The Tennis Channel.

General information about CommVentures and additional opportunities to support the endeavor is available by contacting Jose Lugaro, director of development in the Bellisario College, at jose@psu.edu.

This gift will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.