PROVIDENCE – Brown University is launching an interdisciplinary center for entrepreneurship with a $25 million gift from alumnus Jonathan M. Nelson, founder and CEO of Providence Equity Partners.
Nelson, class of 1977, said he was inspired to fund the entrepreneurship center because of Brown’s distinctive approach to education and the unique characteristics of “the Brown student.”
“The qualities of an entrepreneur are, in my mind, the same as the qualities of students at Brown,” Nelson said. “These students self-select into Brown and are aspiring entrepreneurs. We’re filling a demand.”
The center will be unique in its “action-oriented and interdisciplinary approach to entrepreneurship,” the university said. Called the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship, other Brown departments, schools and centers will collaborate to provide students with academic grounding in entrepreneurship, applied experiences and mentorship opportunities. •
