FUQUA SPONSORS ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETITION FOR DUKE STUDENTS

Students at Duke University and interested entrepreneurs soon will be given a chance to compete for $50,000 in prize money in the Duke Start-Up Challenge, an event designed to provide start-up funds for entrepreneurial endeavors.

Dean Rex Adams formally announced the competition, which is sponsored by the School.

"The entrepreneurial energy within the Duke community has been at a fever pitch for some time," said A. Gary Larson, one of the Fuqua MBA students who is planning the event. "This student driven initiative represents a very exciting opportunity to both recognize and harness this growing energy."

Anyone is eligible to enter the competition as long as they have at least one Duke student on the team and as long as the team has not received any funding for the business plan they are submitting in the competition.

Workshops will be held at Fuqua in December and January to help those who are interested in learning more about writing a business plan. An executive summary of the plan will be due in late January and by mid-March, the second-round selection will be completed. Final round selection and winners will be announced at the end of April. Judging will be handled by outside business executives.

"Our goal is to further foster the entrepreneurial energy of the Duke community and RTP area," Larson said. "We hope this annual event will position Duke University as the prominent center of entrepreneurship education in the nation."

For more information, contact Larson at (919) 286-2783 or by e-mail at ag14@duke.edu.