History and Mission
The Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship was founded in 1989 through a $1 million endowment from Charles H. Lundquist. The center opened when few other educational institutions were embracing entrepreneurship as a legitimate area of study. Lundquist was so pleased with the impact of his investment, a couple years later he made a multimillion dollar gift to the University of Oregon and became the namesake of the Lundquist College of Business.
Since its inception, the Lundquist Center has earned an international reputation for providing one of the finest entrepreneurial education experiences. It has been committed, in both concept and action, to adding value by creating, sharing, and promoting business knowledge through cooperation and collaboration among students, faculty, and the greater business community. Through these efforts, the center has assumed a leadership position in economic and knowledge development activities within the Northwest region.
The success of the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship is tied to its educational philosophy of offering abundant real-world, live-fire experiences to students, shepherding and supporting them through the entrepreneurial process. Through these experiences students gain the courage to expand their comfort zones; to share, present, and defend their ideas; and to explore a venture’s merits with honest and open feedback from an active community of industry advisers, faculty members, practicing entrepreneurs, and alumni.
These hallmark experiential learning opportunities include:
- New venture Championship: recognized as one of the top three business plan competitions in the world for standing apart by offering an unparalleled focus on student learning from feedback and interaction with leading business executives
- Technology Entrepreneurship Program: a catalyst for high-tech startups created in partnership with the Battelle Memorial Institute’s pacific northwest national Laboratory and the Uo office of technology transfer. this program partners business, law, and science students to evaluate marketability and create business plans for commercializing new technologies
- Strategic planning projects: a program linking students with entrepreneurs to assist them in addressing critical strategic questions in their businesses while providing students an opportunity to work directly with an entrepreneurial business to better understand its challenges and limitations
- Venture Quest: a series of internal business plan competitions that give both MBA and undergraduate students the chance to articulate business venture plans to potential investors
- Venture Advising: individualized help for students seeking to launch their own venture by actively working with advisers and a network of professionals to explore its viability
The end result is not only successful students and graduates, but an energized and lasting network of alumni and professionals who share a passion for business innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.