Duke is home to a dynamic community of entrepreneurs who are working to translate their discoveries to products that will improve human health.
Duke Resources
Duke entrepreneurs will find many resources to support their endeavors right here on campus. A selection of these resources are listed below.
Duke Engineering Entrepreneurship (EngEn)
EngEn integrates needs-driven design experiences, entrepreneurial education, startup resources, and a leadership team of successful entrepreneurs to deliver technological solutions to societal needs in health, defense, climate change and beyond.
Entrepreneurial Post-Doctoral Program in Biomedical Engineering
Ph.D. programs have typically not delivered the skills needed for graduates to launch and succeed at startup companies. To address this emerging need, Duke Biomedical Engineering and created a new entrepreneurially-focused postdoctoral program. It focuses on imparting the skill set needed to start technology-based companies to participants.
Duke Fuqua Program for Entrepreneurs
The Program for Entrepreneurs (P4E) helps students start new ventures, supported by experiential entrepreneurship education. Undergraduate, graduate and professional students form multidisciplinary teams to explore potential markets for innovations, evaluate the viability of business models and develop go-to-market strategies and operations for new commerical or social ventures. To get involved, contact Stephen Fusi, MBA or Jon Fjeld, Ph.D.
Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E)
Duke I&E works in partnership with students, faculty, staff and alumni to turn ideas into action that can impact lives. I&E serves as a hub and resource center across the Duke innovation system, connecting innovators to education, mentoring, resources, community and intellectual leadership.
Duke Law Start-Up Ventures Clinic
The Duke Law School Start-Up Ventures Clinic provides legal advice and assistance to entrepreneurs and to seed early stage entrepreneurial ventures that have not yet raised significant amounts of outside capital. The clinic assists these clients in a wide variety of legal matters including company formation, intellectual propety protectinon, commercialization strategies and operational issues.
Duke Office of Licensing and Ventures (OLV)
Duke OLV is a university service unit composed of specialists in research review, licensing, business development and legal matters who are experienced in transferring technologies from the physical sciences, biological sciences and information and computer sciences. OLV is responsible for managing invention disclosures from all schools and colleges at Duke.
The Innovation Co-Lab
The Innovation Co-Lab is a creativity incubator focused on exploring how new and emerging technologies can fundamentally reshapre the research, academic and service missions of the university. Students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds, interests and skill-sets are encouraged to participate.
Non-Duke Resources
We're also fortunate to have additional resources in our local area to support the Duke community in their entrepreneurial journey. A few of these resources are noted here, but please contact us and we'll likely be able to point you to others.
Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC)
SBTDC provides management counseling and educational services to small and mid-sized businesses. Most services are free of charge and confidential.
NCBiotech
NCBiotech connects companies with university researchers and introduces entrepreneurs to potential funders.