Paul W. Brown

Regent Brown, a Democrat from northern Michigan, is chair of the Board of Regents. He received his B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from the University of Michigan and his J.D. degree from Wayne State University.

Regent Brown is a managing partner of eLab Ventures, a venture capital firm headquartered in Michigan with offices in Silicon Valley. Previously, he was Vice President of Capital Markets at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), under Governor Granholm and Governor Snyder, where he managed the bulk of the state’s $2 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund investment portfolio and developed programs focused on increasing the availability of capital for businesses in Michigan. He has also testified before Congress on issues of economic development and access to capital. Prior to joining MEDC, Regent Brown practiced law in the Manhattan office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. He began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge John O’Meara in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Regent Brown is the board chair of the Michigan History Foundation and serves on the board of the Wolverine Mutual Insurance Company. He is a past board member and observer of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, the Michigan Venture Capital Association, the Venture Michigan Fund, and several early stage IT and life-science companies. Regent Brown cofounded and was board chair of Front Door Insights. He has also taught courses on finance and entrepreneurship as a lecturer in the College of Engineering.

Regent Brown was elected to the Board of Regents in 2018. His term expires January 1, 2027.