It seems more and more universities are getting involved in the entrepreneurship game these days. While many entrepreneurs are familiar with well-established business plan competitions, like MassChallenge, universities are increasingly investing in student and alumni projects by offering substantial resources and even funding opportunities. As a bonus, many universities are also providing extremely helpful resources to the general public for free.
A great example is the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network, or DEN, which has compiled a comprehensive set of useful research tools for entrepreneurs organized by topics that range from intellectual property and legal matters to industry analysis and financing resources, all of which can be found here. DEN, which has served the Dartmouth entrepreneurial community since 2001, has provided support for over 300 companies and currently partners with the Dartmouth Regional Technology Center to provide incubator support for over a dozen start-ups. Through the Tuck School of Business, DEN, like many universities, also offers alumni the opportunity to audit business school classes on entrepreneurship online for free.
DEN is a resource well worth exploring for both Dartmouth alumni and the general public. All entrepreneurs would be well advised to see what similar resources and support their alma maters can provide.
This post on Research and Start-up Issues was authored by Ed Dabuzhsky.