Duke Angel Network (DAN) Associates
The Duke Angel Network (DAN) brings together over 100 members of Duke’s entrepreneurial community to invest in Duke affiliated startups. Founded in 2015, DAN is investing in companies in which a founder, executive, or board member is a Duke University alumnus, faculty member, staff member, student, or parent. DAN members (investors) are individual accredited investors with a Duke affiliation. The group targets private companies with the potential for significant growth and financial return. In addition to facilitating investments, DAN leverages the power of the global Duke community to provide guidance and expertise to portfolio companies.
Duke MBA students can become part-time Associates for the Duke Angel Network on a volunteer basis. Applications are due in early Fall of first year.
Duke New Venture Fellows
The Duke New Venture Fellows program helps Duke MBA students gain startup experience by working with technologies that are spinning out of Duke University. This program is run by Duke’s Office of Licensing and Ventures (OLV) which is the tech transfer office at Duke University.
As a New Venture Fellow, Duke MBA students join in conversations with leading faculty discussing the future of innovation and entrepreneurship at Duke. As a fellow, you’ll
- Work closely with faculty, staff, and experienced serial entrepreneurs
- Commercialize and bring to market cutting-edge technology
- Network with innovators and Duke faculty from across industries
- Contribute to high-level conversations, attend invite-only guest speakers, and join founder pitch sessions
Applications are due in the Fall and in the Spring. For more information visit the website. If you have questions, email Rob Hallford (Fuqua ’05) at rob.hallford@duke.edu.
Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club at Fuqua (EVCC)
The EVCC is an award-winning club run by Duke MBA students interested in entrepreneurship. It is an active and important student organization that hosts speakers, meetings, and trips to entrepreneurial hubs like Silicon Valley.
Duke Entrepreneurial Leadership Network (ELN)
The Duke Entrepreneurial Leadership Network (ELN) is a select group of Duke alumni and current students in their final year who are committed to founding or leading an innovation-drive startup. ELN Fellows see the potential of science and technology to positively impact society and have the bold spirit needed to start and scale organizations that can enable that potential to be realized. These dedicated entrepreneurs will positively impact the communities in which they operate by creating economic value and jobs, delivering solutions to large-scale problems, and building durable new ventures. This program is by application only through an annual selection process.
Student Founder Program
In 2019, the Student Founder Program was launched to build upon the success of the Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs Program, the premier program supporting Duke student founders. The goal of the program is simple: to support all undergrads and graduate/professional students across Duke who are interested in creating a product or service, testing a pilot, and launching their own venture—whether commercial, social, artistic, or beyond. Students in the program gain experiential education, mentoring, a tight-knit community, and resources including small prototyping grants, discounted access to services like HubSpot and AWS, and more.
TechTreks
Through the TechTreks, Duke MBA students can visit venture capital and startup firms in other cities. Silicon Valley is an annual destination, with additional trips planned, based on interest, to Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Austin, Chicago and other cities that have entrepreneurship. Past meetings have included Kleiner Perkins, Google, Apple and other prestigious firms as well as startups. This program is administered by the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club, with support from Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Fuqua Fast Pitch
Fuqua students who are startup founders can flex their startup muscles and showcase their hard work for the Fuqua community while competing for non-dilutive prize money. This spring event is open to all Fuqua students (teams must consist of at least one Fuqua student who is a substantial equity holder and is identified as a co-founder).
Funding Support
Loan Assistance Program
The Fuqua Entrepreneurship Grant offers student loan assistance to Fuqua students who have actively contributed to I&E programs and have founded or co-founded a for-profit business which they will pursue full-time after graduating. The Fuqua Entrepreneurship Grants provide funding to support students for up to two years post-graduation and is a competitive award.
Eligible applicants must have outstanding student loans. Preference will be given to student debt incurred during the course of study at Fuqua. The monetary value of the Fuqua Entrepreneurship Grant will vary each year, depending on the number of awards made. Applications will open in Spring 2023.
Prototype Funding
A generous donor has made possible financial support to help Fuqua students validate their venture ideas. Funding can be used to build prototypes, run pilots, and/or test core assumptions. Funding requests ranging from $100-$1,000 will be considered; applications for funding are accepted on a rolling basis. Download the application using this link.
U.S. recipients should be aware that the award payment is considered taxable income. The award will be reported to you via a 1099 or W-2 (if you are on payroll), and the actual amount of tax you owe will vary based on your personal tax status. For international recipients, be aware that the award payment is considered taxable income and subject to Federal and North Carolina tax withholding of 35.35%. You are advised to consult with your tax advisor, as the actual amount of tax you owe will vary based on your personal tax status.
Fuqua Summer “E-ternship” Grants
Daytime MBA students who are interested in working full time on their own startup OR working at a startup or investment organization unable to pay a market rate salary during the summer between their first year and second year are eligible to apply for financial support (the Fuqua Summer Entrepreneurial Internship (“E-ternship”) Grant) to make this a viable option for the summer.