Helping Dartmouth Entrepreneurs Thrive
Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship
The mission of the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship is to serve Dartmouth students, faculty and alumni along all points of the entrepreneurial journey. Originally conceived of in the Provost Division, and as part of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer (OETT), that also includes our Technology Transfer Office (TTO), the Magnuson Center was established in 2018 through a generous gift from Allison and Rick Magnuson ’79, the Center brings together various programs that support entrepreneurship and innovation at Dartmouth and beyond. By bringing together these diverse resources, the Magnuson Center is able to streamline services and help Dartmouth entrepreneurs thrive.
Together, the Dartmouth entrepreneurial community is stronger. We leverage campus resources, human capital and an intricate understanding of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to help achieve the following:
- Foster innovation on campus and beyond by attracting more entrepreneurial-minded students and faculty to Dartmouth .
- Support Dartmouth entrepreneurs — be they students, staff or alumni — in launching successful businesses.
- Strengthen innovative and entrepreneurial thinking on a local and global level in order to contribute solutions to complex global challenges.
The Magnuson Center serves as a hub, aggregating resources, advice and networking opportunities for Dartmouth community members involved in innovation, entrepreneurship or venture capital. Today, DALI Lab, DEN (Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network), Dartmouth Angels, TuckLaB, the Dartmouth Entrepreneur’s Forum, and the Magnuson Center Incubator, powered by Tuck, all fall under the Magnuson Center family of programs and initiatives.
To realize its vision, the Magnuson Center focuses on four key mission areas, or pillars:
- Experiential Learning: The Magnuson Center facilitates educational programming, internship support and off-campus trek experiences for students interested in entrepreneurship. By offering hands-on opportunities, we aim to strengthen students' interest in entrepreneurship and give them a realistic idea about what it's like to work in a start-up.
- Startup Support: The Magnuson Center facilitates mentoring, workshops and early stage seed capital offerings for founders. Our dedicated team members are here to help founder navigate resources available within and outside the Dartmouth community.
- Alumni Engagement: Dartmouth has an extensive network of alumni entrepreneurs and investors. We leverage this network to increase opportunities through programs including mentorships, the biannual Dartmouth Entrepreneurs Forum, DEN city chapters and our virtual alumni community.
- Community Development: The Magnuson Center is positioned as a thought leader in local, regional and international economic development and entrepreneurship efforts. By supporting the larger entrepreneurial community, the center aims to forge connections, demonstrate best-practices and contribute to a stronger regional entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Our History
The Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth College was announced in May 2018, with a successful endowment fundraise of $36 million. Creation of the Magnuson Center followed a four-year pilot program, the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network (DEN). To date, the center has surpassed its original fundraising goal and has increased its total raise to $50 million, inclusive of a lead gift from Allison and Rick Magnuson ’79. In addition to the Magnuson’s gift, the center has received 26 gifts of $1 million from a group of alumni leaders in technology, venture capital, and private equity—creating the Dartmouth Founders Circle.
The Magnuson Center is currently located at 15 Thayer Drive, which serves as a workplace for members and staff. However, most of the Magnuson Center's work takes place outside this location, both on campus and online.
We moved in March of 2022 into a state-of-the-art building located in the west end of campus, the nexus of technology and business education at Dartmouth. This will enhance the Magnuson Center's partnership with other organization like the Tuck School of Business and the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society. The new building will be a destination for interdisciplinary ventures and creative collaborations at Dartmouth by inviting students and faculty from all five of Dartmouth's schools to explore entrepreneurial opportunities.
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15 Thayer Drive, Suite 001, Hanover, NH 03755
603-646-8888
