The past year has been a busy one at the Magnuson Center. Not only have we been adjusting existing programming to be delivered safely during the pandemic. We’ve also been expanding, bringing in new programming that students, alums and staff have asked for to support and strengthen the Dartmouth entrepreneurial community. 

As the spring semester wraps up, it’s the perfect time to ask: what can the Magnuson Center do for you? Whether you’re a student, faculty or alumni, the Magnuson Center has programs to help you at every stage of entrepreneurship. 

The Magnuson Center’s offerings are broadly broken down into four arenas: experiential learning (providing hands-on opportunities for current students); start-up support (providing resources and mentorship to founders); alumni engagement (connecting alums with interns, investment opportunities and support for their own ventures); and community development (engaging with and encouraging entrepreneurship in the Upper Valley and beyond). 

 

Here’s what you’ll find in each of those areas:

Experiential Learning

Engaging with the next generation of entrepreneurs and encouraging entrepreneurial thinking is critical to the Magnuson Center’s mission. We give current students and young alumni the chance to explore entrepreneurship through:

• Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community: A community for students with an interest in entrepreneurship. 
• Magnuson Student Leadership Board: A chance for students to inspire, motivate and mentor their peers.
• Entrepreneurial Internship Program: Placing students in internships at start-ups and venture capital firms. 
• DALI Lab: Giving students the change to design and build real-world tech solutions for companies and initiatives
• Student Programs: Providing smaller groups to support students with specific goals in entrepreneurship, from women in business to students with an interest in venture capital. 
• TuckLab at Magnuson: Giving undergraduates the business skills they need to supplement their liberal arts education. 

Startup Support

If you’re a founder, the Magnuson Center is a knowledge base that can help you bring your company forward. Whether you’re looking for the basics, or need more advanced information, the Magnuson Center is here to provide:

• Resources: Need to know how to craft a pitch deck, register a business or protect your intellectual property? We’ve got a whole library of trusted resources. 
• Grants: Need funding to pay an intern or develop software? The Magnuson Center offers grants for these purposes and more. 
• Technology Guidance: The Magnuson Center’s technologists can bounce around ideas and provide guidance to make your business stand out from a technological perspective. 
• Investment Resources: The Magnuson Center can help connect you with angel investors whose mentorship is priceless. 
• Cancer Innovations Accelerator: If you’re in the cancer and biotech space, this accelerator can help you bring your idea from the lab to market. 

Alumni Resources

The Magnuson Center’s programming doesn’t stop when you graduate. Alumni are a valuable part of the Dartmouth entrepreneurial community, providing mentorship, guidance and networking. Here’s how the Magnuson center engages with alumni. 

• LinkedIn Groups
• Dartmouth Entrepreneurs Forum 
• Ability to hire or mentor a current student
• Connecting investors and startups 

Community Development

The Magnuson Center supports organizations with an entrepreneurial focus in the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire, and the wider Dartmouth community. Since the pandemic, the Magnuson Center has run a Stand With Small Business initiative, connecting Upper Valley businesses with Dartmouth interns. 

Are you feeling shy or uncertain because you’ve never interacted with the Magnuson Center? Don’t hesitate to reach out. The Magnuson Center Office Hours allow you to have one-on-one conversations with the Magnuson Center Staff to answer questions, get advice and learn how the Magnuson Center can best serve you.