I’m incredibly proud of the resources that Duke University has invested in the innovation and entrepreneurship space. Prospective MBA students who want a comprehensive overview of all the amazing offerings focused on entrepreneurship at Duke and in Durham should check out these links for innovation support services, facilities and Incubators, and funding opportunities to discover the wide range of resources Duke provides to innovators. Those pages list all the resources that Duke provides to innovators: key academic certificates, funding opportunities, startup incubators, experiential learning programs, makerspaces, hackathons, exchange programs, selective living arrangements for entrepreneurs, mentorship programs (and much more!) that Duke has to offer.

The best part is that whether you’re a budding entrepreneur with a business idea that you want to nurture, an engineer interested in finding space to build and invent, an expert who wants to collaborate with teams from multi-disciplinary backgrounds to create and launch industry-specific products, or a new engager who is interested in learning more about innovation and entrepreneurship by taking an introductory course, Duke has something for you! I included a list below of some key resources that experts, entrepreneurs, engineers, and new engagers might be interested in so that folks can hit the ground running on day one.

Many innovators and entrepreneurs have an interest in recruiting for a role in the tech industry. When I was a prospective student, Duke was at the top of my list, because I knew that tech recruiters sought out Duke students for coveted roles in Silicon Valley, and that year over year, Duke’s recruiting statistics have shown that graduates place incredibly well in the tech space. What I did not realize was just how many different resources Duke offers to students interested in learning more about innovation and entrepreneurship. Duke offers students an unparalleled opportunity to develop their ability to think in disruptive and innovative ways, providing students with the key skills that employers value and prioritize.

Interested in working in a makerspace? Well, we have three to choose from. Want to start a company? No problem, the Duke Angel Network and the Duke Startup Challenge provide access to alumni venture capitalists, mentorship, and potential seed funding opportunities, plus access to a whole host of other resources for commercializing your venture. Interested in living in a dorm with other student entrepreneurs? Great, the Cube offers a selective living dormitory for entrepreneurs. Interested in joining a club related to commercial or social entrepreneurship? There’s bound to be a club for you! Want to learn more about biodesign, inventing medical devices, or how to apply coding skills to drive environmental sustainability efforts? There are 50-plus courses related to entrepreneurship and innovation, and there are no less than five academic certificates that will allow you to develop a focused course of study, and a new Duke-wide graduate-level certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship is in the works.

And lastly, I’ll throw out a plug for the program I’m involved with. I’m a current Stanford University Innovation Fellow, and if you’re interested in improving the current programs offered around innovation and entrepreneurship at Duke, you might want to apply to the fellows program and join the amazing team of scholars, staff, professors, mentors, and investors who work tirelessly to make sure that Duke consistently produces best-in-class innovators and entrepreneurs. I hope you take the time to explore the resources below. From the Duke Incubation Fund to Fuqua’s Program for Entrepreneurs (also known as P4E), Duke has made a commitment to prepare the next generation of innovators on every level.

New engagers who want to take an introductory course about entrepreneurship

Engineers who want to build and invent

Entrepreneurs with a business idea to nurture

Experts who want to collaborate with teams to make industry-specific products