Dartmouth Entrepreneurs Forum Returns to Hanover
Spotlight on Innovation and Impact
Entrepreneurial energy pulsed through Hanover, N.H., as more than 300 alumni, students, faculty, and community members convened for the Dartmouth Entrepreneurs Forum on May 1. Held at the Hanover Inn Ballroom and hosted by the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship, the full-day event celebrated the bold ideas and ventures emerging from the Dartmouth community—and the broader impact they’re making across industries and geographies.
Jamie Coughlin, Director of the Magnuson Center, opened the forum by welcoming attendees: “Entrepreneurship is thriving at Dartmouth—in the dorms, the labs, and across the globe,” he said. “This forum is a testament to the power of our community and the transformational ventures it creates.”
The day began with a fireside chat featuring Noah Dentzel ’10, co-founder and CEO of Nomad Goods. Dentzel shared lessons from building a consumer tech brand, including how early validation through Kickstarter helped launch their first product, the ChargeCard. “You need to be a DJ and follow the live energy of the room,” he said. “Being a founder is finding the line between the bad and good ideas—because the really good ones are already taken.”
The morning panel, Beyond Profit: How Social Entrepreneurs Are Redefining Success in Business, explored how mission-driven founders are reshaping what success looks like. Moderated by Alastair Huntley, MALS, the panel featured Theresa Ellis ’97, Matt Dunne, Mark Bernfeld ’78, and Sarah Hoit ’88, who emphasized the value of trust-based partnerships and intentional business modeling for social ventures. “Anyone out there you think is a competitor? Go talk to them; they are your friend,” said Hoit. The panelists urged entrepreneurs to embrace business frameworks even in nonprofit spaces, highlighting that social return can be just as measurable—and critical—as financial ROI.
In Raising Startup Capital in 2025, veteran investors Jeff Crowe ’78, Matt McIlwain ’87, and Laura Rippy ’89 explored what founders need to break through in today’s challenging fundraising climate. Moderated by Shira Elisha ’27, the session offered candid insights. “Venture does well in times of uncertainty,” noted Rippy. McIlwain added, “If you don’t stay curious, you’re a know-it-all, not a learn-it-all. Founders should be in a learning loop: get curious, make a decision, act, repeat.”
The afternoon's Startup Life Lessons Learned panel brought hard-won wisdom from seasoned founders Andrew Housser ’95, Alison Burklund Th’21, and Geoff Ralston ’82, moderated by Bryce Alexander ’27. The conversation focused on resilience and grit. “You don’t know how close you were to success unless you keep trying,” said Ralston. “It’s going to be harder than you think. You can quit—or you can be successful.”
Closing the day, Jung Son ’97 shared a compelling fireside chat reflecting on her role as Chief Legal Officer at Sequoia Capital. “Gain the necessary experience quickly, so you can seize opportunities when they arrive,” she advised, emphasizing the importance of mastery. “The 10,000-hour rule, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell, is key. Start when you’re young and work hard.”
Student ingenuity took the spotlight in the Magnuson Startup Competition, where finalists pitched bold ventures to a packed audience. Yashu Vuruputoor, Tuck ’25, announced the winners of the $20,000 Jeff Crowe ’78 Grand Prize:
🥉 3rd Place – NovaGyn, founded by Rebecca Thomson, PhD candidate and Surgical Innovation Fellow at Thayer School of Engineering. Rebecca also received the Entrepreneurial Graduate Student of the Year Award.
🥈 2nd Place – Enlight, led by Abdul-Kudus Alhassan ’26, who was also named Entrepreneurial Undergraduate Student of the Year.
🥇 1st Place – Nautilus, co-founded by Ali Houssain Sareini, MEM and Amayr Babar, MEM.
Congratulations to these outstanding founders! A celebratory Student Awards Dinner honored these students as well as the winners of the VCIC Global Championship: Andrew Swack ’27, Taoheng Chen ’28, Shira Elisha ’27, Julia Ebner ’28, Jake Griffith ’27, and Cooper Weissman ’27, led by Jim Feuille D’79, Adjunct Faculty and Advisor for the Center of PE/VC at Tuck.
In true Dartmouth fashion, the forum blended cutting-edge innovation with timeless values: curiosity, collaboration, and courage. As Jamie Coughlin shared in closing, “Our mission is to inspire and equip the next generation of leaders who will change the world—not someday, but starting now.”