Buck Goldstein

Buck Goldstein (born March 11, 1948, in Atlanta, Georgia) is the Entrepreneur in Residence and Professor of Practice in the Department of Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the co-author, with Holden Thorp, of two books: Engines of Innovation – The Entrepreneurial University in the 21st Century, in which they contend that the world’s biggest problems can be effectively addressed by large research universities through a combination of skillful innovation and execution; and Our Higher Calling—Rebuilding the Partnership Between America and its Colleges and Universities in which they contend that the informal compact between American higher education and the public is broken and must be restored. He was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Information Industry Association and Information America, the company he co-founded, has appeared numerous times on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies. He received his B.A. with Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1970 where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and the Order of the Golden Fleece. Customers included virtually every major law firm in the United States, most of the Fortune 500 and many large federal agencies including the FBI, the DEA and the CIA.

Over the years, Goldstein has served on a variety of non-profit boards, including chairman of the Institute of Arts and Humanities advisory board at UNC-Chapel Hill, president of the Atlanta Chapter of the American Jewish Committee, and board member of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. He currently serves on the Board of the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, the Ackland Art Museum and the Chancellor’s Think Tank, all at UNC and as an advisor to the Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival. Goldstein recruits alumni and other university supporters with entrepreneurial expertise to serve as mentors for faculty and student projects and to provide off-campus internships for students. As Professor of the Practice at the university, he teaches both small seminars and large lecture courses in entrepreneurship and supports the continuing development of the undergraduate Minor in Entrepreneurship and its internship program.

"I want to make entrepreneurship a part of the fabric of the university," Goldstein said in an interview, "We want to develop both business and social entrepreneurs. We want to give students and faculty members the tools to turn ideas into reality."

Goldstein and Holden Thorp co-authored Engines of Innovation – The Entrepreneurial University in the 21st Century, suggesting that the top 125 U.S. research universities can play a crucial role in revitalizing the American economy. They also co-authored Engines of Innovation—Rebuilding the Partnership Between America and its Colleges and Universities which argues the partnership between American higher education and the public is broken and must be rebuilt. Atlanta Business Chronicle, 22 October 2001 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Information Industry Association and Information America, 1991 Fast Tech 50, Arthur Andersen LLP, Atlanta, 1988