Ibanca Anad

Over 300 students, professors, and local entrepreneurs gathered at Duke University’s Gross Hall on Monday, March 30th to attend a very special discussion by a very special guest.  “This man hardly needs an introduction,” said moderator Dr. Eric Toone of Duke’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative as he opened the sold-out event. Of course, to many in the audience, the cofounder and former CEO of PayPal, early investor in Facebook, creator of a fellowship which pays university students to drop out and start companies, challenger of U.S. government and incredibly successful venture capitalist (yes, this is all one person) is a common household...

Similar to most colleges, Duke’s social landscape includes fraternities and sororities. But a unique aspect of Duke’s social scene are Selective Living Groups (SLGs), communities that are usually co-ed and are often associated with a particular theme or interest, such as civic engagement and arts appreciation. Like Greek life, all SLGs organize rush processes to recruit new members during the spring semester. The Cube was officially formalized as Duke’s entrepreneurship SLG in 2011, when a group of students working on companies felt the need for a peer support system. In its growth over the years, over 40 students have...

A policeman is observing his night duty when he notices a man searching for something under a lamppost. He approaches the man and asks what the matter is, and the man informs him that he’s lost his keys. After several minutes of looking together, the policeman asks whether the man is sure he dropped them under the lamppost. The man replies, “No sir, but this is where the light is.” This story, referred to as the “streetlight effect,” has been cited in the social sciences since the 1960s. It’s only very recently, however, that its relevance has been explored...

2014 proved to be a promising year for Duke students and faculty involved with entrepreneurship. With favorable rankings in the “Top 10 Entrepreneurial Schools,” Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Best Full-time MBA Programs,” and “Top Colleges for a Major in Economics,” Duke established its commitment to providing resources for students interested in business and innovation. Here are some of the highlights from 2014: The first startup career fair: In February 2014, StartupConnect brought together more than 20 companies and over 250 students for a night of networking. The event, open to the entire Duke community and students from UNC’s entrepreneurship minor program, allowed attendees to become acquainted with local startups like...

Most college students who have used public transportation can agree that riding a bus can often be an awkward experience. Seeing a guy you met during orientation week but completely forgetting his name, waving at someone you thought you know but actually don’t, accidentally sitting in between two best friends…with the potential for so many uncomfortable situations, it isn’t unusual to walk into a bus where everyone is evading eye contact with strangers, staring blankly into phone screens, headphones in...

Most college students who have used public transportation can agree that riding a bus can often be an awkward experience. Seeing a guy you met during orientation week but completely forgetting his name, waving at someone you thought you know but actually don’t, accidentally sitting in between two best friends…with the potential for so many uncomfortable situations, it isn’t unusual to walk into a bus where everyone is evading eye contact with strangers, staring blankly into phone screens, headphones in...

From California to Canada, hundreds of students from across the continent gathered in the buildings of Duke’s Engineering Quad to attend “Code for Good.” Unlike other collegiate Hackathons, participants in this competition spent 24 hours creating technological innovations targeted specifically at addressing some of our world’s most important current issues. Tracks this year included “Poverty and Inequality,” “Health and Wellness,” “Energy and Environment,” and “Education.”  By noon on Sunday, 75 teams presented their creations, which just a day before had been mere...

Being a student at a liberal arts college has taught me that the translation of thought is our society’s most valuable currency. So when I got an email from a subscription mailing list about the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic hosting an “Ideas Forum,” I knew it was time for me to embark on a spontaneous adventure. After lots of last-minute bookings, frenzied “fitting-my-life-into-a-bag,” and red-eye bus rides, I found myself at the doors of Washington, D.C.’s Sidney Harman Hall, ready to be seated in an auditorium filled with remarkably passionate people, all restless to talk about our time’s most pressing issues....

Being a student at a liberal arts college has taught me that the translation of thought is our society’s most valuable currency. So when I got an email from a subscription mailing list about the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic hosting an “Ideas Forum,” I knew it was time for me to embark on a spontaneous adventure. After lots of last-minute bookings, frenzied “fitting-my-life-into-a-bag,” and red-eye bus rides, I found myself at the doors of Washington, D.C.’s Sidney Harman Hall, ready to be seated in an auditorium filled with remarkably passionate people, all restless to talk about our time’s most pressing issues....