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Focus on Philanthropy: An Entrepreneurial Pursuit
October 19, 2011
Bill Luby
Bill Luby (Daytime MBA ’85)
Managing Partner, Seaport Capital
Donor to The Fuqua Annual Fund since 1986
Bill Luby says he’s always been passionate about entrepreneurship—he built a career around investing in privately-held, entrepreneur-driven companies. When Fuqua decided to launch a center for entrepreneurship, Luby was among the first to offer his support.
About five years ago, Luby was asked to join the exploratory task force for Fuqua’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI), led by Professor Jon Fjeld. The guidance that Luby and the other committee members provided was instrumental in creating the center’s structure and in integrating entrepreneurship into the school’s curriculum.
“Bill has been a key member of our Advisory Board. He’s a very valuable and active contributor, and I call on him frequently to ask his advice,” says Fjeld.
As the center developed, Luby continued to invest his time, and he also supports the center financially because he feels that his involvement has a true impact.
“Jon has always been very receptive to input from all members of the board. Our advice is actively solicited, and our opinions and experience have really been put into practice. So I feel like I am genuinely contributing to the formation and success of the center, which makes it rewarding,” Luby explains.
Now, as the first chair of the development committee for CEI, Luby is even more intimately involved with raising funds for building the center and taking it to the next level.
“In addition to being a valuable sounding board on many issues, Bill volunteered to chair our development committee, for which we are very grateful,” says Fjeld.
After spending more than 20 years in private equity, Luby has a great deal of experience to share. Currently, he is the Managing Partner of Seaport Capital, a private equity firm he cofounded in 1996. The firm specializes in investing in communications, media, and information services companies.
Much like the private companies he’s supported, Luby says that he has watched CEI rise to become a core piece of the Fuqua experience, and he’s excited about helping to take the center even further.
“CEI has an opportunity to become a national center of excellence,” he says. “So I twist as many arms as I can. Alumni can contribute in many ways including serving as judges, mentors and advisors—it’s not just about the money.”
The involvement of alumni like Luby, with his combination of personal engagement and financial support, allows the center to be sustainable, Fjeld says.
“We are very focused on building a great center and a great set of programs for students and alumni—that is what we are good at and how we spend our time,” Fjeld explains. “So having someone like Bill organizing our development effort is needed and helpful, and it’s icing on the cake because he already contributes so much, both intellectually and financially. Without people like Bill we wouldn’t be able to have a sustainable center. The financial support of people like him allows us to offer an integrative educational program in entrepreneurship.”
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