The Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network Innovation Center and New Venture Incubator is wrapping up its first full operating year, having hosted 43 co-curricular events, including trips to Boston and California, and held programming in support of students interested in entrepreneurship. Over 1,190 students and 77 alumni participated in programs over the fall and winter terms, though final spring numbers are not yet available, DEN entrepreneurship director Jamie Coughlin said.
DEN focused on developing co-curricular programming — events that tie into academics — over the past two terms, which Coughlin said reflect the College’s liberal arts focus and help establish entrepreneurship in a local context.
“Oftentimes, there’s this desire to replicate, say, Silicon Valley,” he said. “And my challenge to our team is how do we lead, how do we come to our own thoughtful conclusion on what is going to be appropriate for Dartmouth.”
While traditional startup programs mainly focus on for-profit, technology-based business models, Coughlin said that DEN strives to expand the concept of entrepreneurship to include the social sector and arts and entertainment.
In an attempt to establish a Dartmouth-specific entrepreneurial mindset, DEN teaches students how to walk through the creative process, translate ideas into tangible work and analyze the market competence — or viability — of their work, Coughlin said.
DEN associate Ryan Buckvar ’17 said that DEN has focused on creating various diverse programs. Gradually, DEN’s focus shifted toward fine-tuning the details of these co-curricular programs and identifying the exact demands and needs of “the network” — involved students, professors and alumni.
At a DEN board retreat in Boston last week, Buckvar said that the DEN associates and board members discussed how to encourage new students to join while securing resources for students already working on startup models.
As a DEN associate, Buckvar said that he oversees, organizes and evaluates various co-curricular programs. He added that the role of associates has evolved to meet the changing needs of the network’s members.
Coughlin said that College President Phil Hanlon and Provost Carolyn Dever’s interest in fostering student entrepreneurship has been helpful in the development of the DEN Innovation Center, the physical facility of DEN where the organization hosts events.
Participants come from diverse academic fields and include faculty, graduate students, alumni and community members from the Upper Valley area, he said.
“It’s kind of like an open-door policy — we want all of these different individuals to partake,” Coughlin said. “And the reason for that is the belief that it ultimately takes a village to build these ideas.”
Since its start, DEN has organized various off-campus activities in addition to its on-campus programming. These include a trip to Boston in the fall, a West Coast trip over winter break and a visit to New York City in the winter. In addition, this year saw the establishment of a DEN living and learning community on the fourth floor of New Hampshire residential hall.
Jay Batchu ’18, a resident in the DEN in Residence program, said that though he did not have a conventional first-year experience, living in DEN gave him the opportunity to bond with an interesting mix of like-minded upperclassmen.
Whether it be during an official floor meeting or a casual dinner, he said that the residents interact with one another actively and regularly.
“There has been one too many late-night discussions that stretched past two or three in the morning that we, as a floor, had,” he said.
He said that he appreciates how he can go up to anyone at any time and discuss his startup ideas or ask for advice.
Buckvar, who participated in the West Coast trip, said that the program provided him with an opportunity to manage real-world business problems and gain hands-on experience in carrying out market surveys. The 15 participants of the program worked for three different early-stage startups over a two-week period.
Moving forward, Coughlin said that DEN is focusing on finding ways to provide support and resources for the network members’ developing startup ideas. This will include securing more funding and matching members with alumni mentors.
He added that funding efforts have been successful so far, with DEN raising $4.5 million. He said the organization is piloting a DEN founder grant, which gives $5,000 to early-stage entrepreneurs on campus, and holding an annual conference, Dartmouth Venture, which awards $25,000 to network members.
