A Powerful, Collaborative & Diverse Network

Success in entrepreneurship and innovation is built on a foundation of community. Every day, Duke alumni, parents, donors, and friends are making an impact by sharing their expertise, advising students, providing resources, and connecting with one another. Involvement by these partners helps us bring real-world expertise into our programs, allows us to scale our programs with excellence, and provides pathways for the Duke community to learn from and rely on each other. We believe that by working together, we can make the Duke network even more powerful. 

In 2023, Duke I&E worked to grow our network of entrepreneurs and innovators by: 

  • Engaging more than 217 volunteers as mentors, classroom speakers, advisors, and advocates 

  • Hosting or co-creating 10 Duke I&E events to engage and connect, many in partnership with entities around Duke, including Venture Studio sessions at Duke and Fuqua reunions and Duke Women’s Weekend; Fuqua Forums: Entrepreneurship; and regional alumni events in Dallas and the San Francisco Bay area  

  • Connecting more than 1,308 community members at Duke I&E Network in-person and virtual events 

  • Creating virtual channels for Duke the I&E community to connect, including the Duke I&E Network on LinkedIn and the Duke I&E alumni industry group on Dukealumni.com 

  • Presenting Duke I&E’s vision, mission, faculty research, and program offerings to more than 500 Duke alumni, parents, friends, and donors

  • Securing more than $2.4M in investment in Duke I&E’s work from Duke alumni, parents, and friends 

Image
2023 annual report graphic 217 mentors, speakers, advisors, and advocates
Image
1308 community members connected 
Image
$2.4M invested in Duke I&E

The Ronald & Carrie Ludwig Duke in Silicon Valley Program

The Ronald & Carrie Ludwig Duke in Silicon Valley Program gives undergraduate students an intensive experience in the creation of new ventures. Over the course of a month, students gain an understanding of the resources, skills, and planning required to launch a new product or service and gain an understanding of how the startup funding landscape operates, all while  immersing themselves in the Silicon Valley culture and building a network of support. In 2023, 20 students visited 14 companies and spoke with 54 Duke alumni and parents about their career journeys.  

Image
2023 annual report infographic 20 students   54 alumni volunteers   COMPANY VISITS Apple Inc.   Waymo   Susa Ventures   Google Inc.   Emergence Capital   OpenAI   Stych   San Francisco Giants   Sprinter Health   Paradigm   LinkedIn   ThirdLove   YouTube   Uber

StartupConnect Networking Fair 

Duke I&E’s annual StartupConnect Networking Fair—a partnership with Pratt, Fuqua, and the Duke Career Center—gives students the chance to network in person with startup representatives, allowing students to gain an inside look into possible careers in the entrepreneurship ecosystem. At this year’s event, 24 employers met with 211 students. 

Image
2023 annual report infographic StartupConnect Networking Fair 24 employers
Image
2023 annual report infographic StartupConnect Networking Fair 95 undergraduate students
Image
2023 annual report graphics 116 graduate/professional students attended StartupConnect
Loading...

Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference

This year’s Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference, co-hosted by Duke I&E and the Fuqua Private Equity & Venture Capital Club, united more than 500 students, alumni, and investors. The event featured Fuqua Fast Pitch (a pitch competition by students across Fuqua), a Best Ideas Showcase (showcasing proposals from Fuqua’s Private Equity Buyouts Lab course), and a keynote conversation with David Rubenstein ’70, co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group. 

Read More About the PEVC Conference
Loading...

VCs in the Hot Seat

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week—an annual celebration of entrepreneurship with a focus on broadening entrepreneurship access to traditionally underrepresented communities—Duke I&E hosted VCs in the Hot Seat, an event drawing students, alumni, and community members to hear “pitches” by representatives from nine early-stage startup investment firms with a Southeast regional focus.  

Read More About VCs in the Hot Seat
Loading...

Entrepreneurial Leaders Network

The Entrepreneurial Leaders Network (ELN) consists of members across the U.S who receive ongoing access to emerging opportunities from Duke I&E, the Office of Translation & Commercialization, the Pratt School of Engineering, and Triangle-area growth-stage ventures. ELN’s 2023 cohort includes eight Duke students in their final year of study in law, business, chemistry, pharmacology, and electrical and computer engineering. The eight alumni members selected for the cohort are founders and executive leaders working in software, AI, healthcare, biotech, med tech, and legal counsel. 

Read More About ELN
Loading...

Celebrating Duke Women in Innovation

Duke I&E celebrated 2023's International Women’s Day theme—“DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”—by showcasing 33 of Duke’s many student and alumnae innovators working to make an impact through technology. In fields such as ethical AI, STEM education, and health tech, these women are making the world safer, more inclusive, more equitable, more sustainable, and more fun. 

Get Inspired by Duke Innovators