NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, May 1, 2015

By Mark Emmons

SANTA CLARA — Jeff Miller was telling a story about how he and his wife, Karen, once were in a cobra-infested part of Cambodia, wearing protective body armor and helmets, carefully treading through a minefield.

Then he stopped. Miller knew how ridiculous that must sound.

“At this point, your readers might say, ’This guy is an idiot. No wonder he’s giving his money away,’ ” he said with a laugh.

Miller is not crazy and he’s not giving away everything he’s made during a successful career as a Silicon Valley executive, either.

But he and his wife are donating $25 million to Santa Clara University and the now renamed Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship that has created a unique, good works program championed by the couple. It is one of the largest gifts in school history.