ANN ARBOR, MICH. — The University of Michigan’s Samuel Zell and Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business has received a pledge of $60 million from the Zell Family Foundation. The funds will provide endowed support to the institute for the continued delivery and development of entrepreneurship programs for students and alumni. This includes $10 million dedicated to a new fund that will invest in new student business ventures. “Our goal is to accelerate the learning curve and the opportunities for budding entrepreneurs, as well as to build a powerful alumni network,” says Sam Zell, chairman of Equity Group Investments and a University of Michigan alumnus who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1963 and a law degree in 1966 from the Big Ten school. “Entrepreneurs have always been a primary driver of growth for this country. I believe that fostering entrepreneurial education is an investment in the future.” The Zell Lurie Institute is consistently ranked among the top graduate programs in entrepreneurship education by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine, and has remained in the top three national programs for three consecutive years. According to Forbes magazine, Zell had an estimated net worth of $4.9 billion as of May 2015.
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