During the 1999-2000 academic year, a group of ambitious Duke University students organized and launched the University’s first entrepreneurship competition, the Duke Start-Up Challenge, an entrepreneurial endeavor in and of itself. Their motivation was based on the observation that while Duke has excellent programs in business, medicine, law, engineering and arts and sciences, there was no formal outlet for entrpreneurial collaboration among students and faculty in the various schools. Additionally, Duke’s geographical location in the Research Triangle Park, an area know for technological innovation and business excellence, provides the university with an abundant source of inspiration and resources for entrepreneurial activities. Garry Snook was the founding donor. Before structuring the details of the competition, the founding committee first established its purpose in regards to Duke and its students. These goals became guiding principles as decisions were made about the competition and are followed to this day. Fundamentally, the Duke Startup Challenge should position Duke University as the pre-eminent center of entrepreneurial innovation in the Southeast by:
In 2002, the organizing committee announced the addition of a social enterprise track to be included in the fourth annual competition.
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History & Prior Winners |