experiences / Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs
Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs
The Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs program is Duke’s premier undergraduate entrepreneurship program created by Melissa Bernstein (T’87, P’15, P’16) and her husband Doug (P’15, P’16), the co-founders of successful toy company Melissa & Doug. Each year, a cohort of students is selected to receive mentorship and funding as they create their own ventures. Since its launch in 2013, 51 students have participated in this prestigious program.
To learn more about Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs, visit the program page.
MELISSA BERNSTEIN T‘87, P’15, P’16
“There’s such a dearth of advisors to help people, and by advising you can make such a difference. This has been the most rewarding thing, honestly, that I’ve ever done—including my business. It takes so little to make such a difference in the trajectory of these people’s lives. When I think about some of these businesses and how far they’ve gone—they’ve won crazy awards, they’ve gotten amazing funding—we have a good handful that are well on their way.”
UZOMA AYOGU E‘17
Co-Founder of Releaf, A Platform to Connect Nigerian Agribusiness to Customers
“Being in the Melissa & Doug program has pushed my team and me to perform better because we have to set goals and meet them on deadline.”
IVONNA DUMANYAN E‘17
Co-Founder of Biometrix, A Wearable Device That Collects Data to Help Athletes Train Safely and More Efficiently
“The inspiration that one gets from the environment and from the connections and from the network that you are immediately immersed in through the Melissa & Doug program—it’s the driver of innovation.”
MELISSA & DOUG ENTREPRENEURS SUCCESS STORIES:
SmartMetals Recycling—Arun Karottu (T’15)
FarmShots—Josh Miller (E’16) (Y Combinator Fellow)
Ello Raw—Becky Holmes (T’15)
Carpe Lotion—Kasper Kubica (T’17)
Flylady Premium—Alex Elsea (T’17)
BioMetrix—Ivonna Dumanyan (E’17) (winner of the ACC InVenture Prize, Thiel Fellow)
Companies that have enjoyed ongoing success past program graduation:
DoubleDoggie—Michael Mann (T’16, B’17)
Myna Mahila—Suhani Jalota (T’16)
WorkerSense—Canyon Dell’Omo (E’18)
Flower Child Remedies—Tiana Horn (T’16)
Brainbuild—Joe Lam (T’17)
Neurun—Cade Netscher (T’16)
