Entrepreneur David Shaw ’73 Hosts Lunch With Students, Discusses New Book

David Shaw '73, an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose family funded the creation of the Shaw Innovation Explorers Program at UNH, visited campus April 1 for a lunch with students in the program and UNH president Elizabeth Chilton, as well as a fireside chat about his new book, "Wave Making: Inspired by Impact."

The Shaw Innovation Explorers Program, a fellowship designed for proven creative and innovative UNH sophomores to gain a 360-degree understanding of innovation through hands-on, high-impact experiences, was made possible by support from the Shaw family. Nine current members of the program were on hand to take part in the lunch with Shaw.

"David's influence extends globally and here at UNH through the Shaw Innovation Explorers Program," Chilton said during her introduction of Shaw at the event. "Thanks to the Shaw family's generous support, this program allows students to engage with pioneering leaders across fields like art, music, science, technology, and local industries."

Shaw is perhaps best known for founding IDEXX, a global leader in veterinary diagnostics, and for his "pioneering work" in biotechnology, material sciences and impact media, Chilton said. He is also a dedicated environmentalist who has worked to champion biodiversity and sustainability and advocate for global conservation through the International Union for Conservation of Nature and other organizations.

At the conclusion of the event, the Shaw Explorers presented a gift to Shaw - a pair of shoes customized by program participant Emma Wilusz '26. Chilton noted that in his book Shaw discusses a game invented and played by his family, called "Shoe Golf."

"We got you and John a pair of shoes you can use for the game," Chilton said. "They have been customized by one of your Shaw Explorers, Emma Wilusz, who is also a Makerspace Mentor at UNH's ECenter. Emma has figured out how to burn away the dye in fabric - without damaging the fabric - to create unique designs, and she created these for you."

The fireside chat featured a question-and-answer session with Shaw, who touched on a variety of topics, including his personal journey and motivation for writing "Wave Making," environmental stewardship and sustainability and his personal health journey and advocacy for brain health.

"Striving for greatness often requires disruption, challenging convention, and making waves," Shaw said.

In regards to environmental stewardship, Shaw said he had been inspired by Earth Day and the iconic Earth images from the Apollo 11 mission, and he underscored the fragility of our planet. He discussed urgent environmental challenges - such as ocean health - and the importance of global cooperation and sustainable economic models to protect natural ecosystems.

He also shared his recovery from viral encephalitis - pointing to the power of resilience, therapy and neuroplasticity - noting how his experience led him to deeper involvement in promoting brain health, and to greater awareness of the potential for better brain fitness and recovery from cognitive impairment.

You can view a brief video from the fireside chat here.