Universities with entrepreneurship programs can be fertile
ground for finding angels. The connection between entrepreneurial
academia and successful business start-ups is so well-established
(Stanford University and Cisco Systems--need we say more?) that
universities attract even more angel investors than incubators
do.
The important thing is getting in, seeing if there's a vein
to be mined and, if there's not, moving on. Many universities
have alumni angel networks, SBA-sponsored Small Business
Development Centers, and professors and deans who are wired into
angel investors, as well as new venture workshops that are really
networking opportunities.
If there's a university nearby and it has an
entrepreneurship program (no matter how formative), it's
worthwhile to call someone on the teaching staff, make an
appointment and sit down with him or her to see how the program can
help you find investors. If you have a choice of universities
nearby and you want to determine which has the top program, buy a
copy of a study that was published in The Journal of Business
Venturing called "Measuring Progress in Entrepreneurship
Education" by Elsevier Science. Call (800)282-2720 for a
reprint of this article, which appeared in Volume 12, Issue 5 of
the publication. The cost is approximately $44.
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