People looking to start their own businesses know that it often times takes more than an impressive resume to ensure a company's future success. Now, Duke University has received a multi-million dollar donation that it said will support future entrepreneurs. David M. Rubenstein, a trustee of the North Carolina school and co-founder of the Carlyle Group, has given $15 million to the university's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative, to be used to not only enhance existing programs, but to spur the creation of start-up ventures by students, staff, faculty and alumni. "Every successful institution began as someone's bright idea, and the creativity and can-do spirit of entrepreneurs are playing an ever more important role in building the economy and solving social challenges," President Richard Brodhead told Duke Today. "In today's economic climate, sparking and training the entrepreneurial spirit is a fundamental goal of education. We're grateful to David Rubenstein for making Duke a leader in this field." The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative was launched in 2010 to better serve students and faculty who wanted to establish their own businesses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 2.5 million jobs were created in the U.S. by new business establishments in 2010. |