HGTV/CNBC Star Marcus Lemonis And Wife Donate $15M Gift To Marquette University

Marquette University President Michael R. Lovell announced today that alumnus Marcus Lemonis, star of HGTV’s upcoming The Renovator and CNBC’s The Profit, and his wife, Bobbi, have donated a $15 million gift to create the Lemonis Center for Student Success.

The Lemonis Center for Student Success will provide wraparound services for students across all majors, academic abilities, and backgrounds to enrich and expand student opportunities — a primary objective in the university’s Time to Rise fundraising campaign. Lemonis is a 1995 Marquette alumnus of the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, and he competed in javelin on the Track & Field team from 1991 to 1995.

HGTV is 2/3 done with production on an eight episode series, The Renovator, featuring Lemonis. The show will help homeowners renovate their home. In each one-hour episode, Lemonis will rescue frustrated families renovating a house that no longer meets their needs.

“It is always important for Bobbi and me to create a clear path to success for every individual, no matter where they are from or what they are studying,” Lemonis said. “As an alumnus who got the most out of my experience, it was paramount for me to highlight the things that worked and to strengthen the things that could get better. This initial gift is the start of building the road for others.”