Maryland Smith Students

UMD’s Entrepreneurship Center Renamed To Honor Rudy Lamone

Thanks to a generous $3.8 million gift from Linda Lamone, the University of Maryland’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship has added to their name.

Now called the Dingman-Lamone Center for Entrepreneurship, the renaming honors the legacy of Rudolph P. “Rudy” Lamone, their former dean who is largely credited with shaping the university’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Established in 1986 with alumni Michael Dingman’s support, the center was one of the first entrepreneurship hubs at any business school. It has since grown into a nationally-recognized incubator, most notable for offering students experiential courses, venture programs, seed funding, and startup opportunities.

Their Center was also among the first to receive the Nasdaq Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship from the GCEC.

FURTHER SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS

Lamone was deeply involved with the UMD community until his passing in 2023.

“Rudy Lamone was a guiding force at the Smith School for decades, pioneering entrepreneurship education not just here but across the nation,” said Smith School Dean, Prabhudev Konana. “Their collective influence is reflected in this well-deserved honor.”

Today, the center launches 50-100 ventures annually, and hosts programs like Pitch Dingman, a Shark Tank-style competition, Dingman Center Angels, the largest university-run angel network, and the Terp Startup Accelerator.

“This transformational gift strengthens our endowment, allowing us to expand programs and invest in new opportunities for the next generation of student innovators,” says Managing Director Michael Hoffmeyer.

“It will also allow us to deepen our support for ventures with greater seed funding and provide long-term sustainability for the center’s mission to nurture entrepreneurial leaders,” he adds.

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