Schedule of Classes

This course is designed to give students a feel for an entrepreneurial career. The course will consist of entrepreneurs and investors as guest speakers, case studies, and opportunity recognition theory and activities. By the end of the course, students should have an understanding of the benefits and risks of being an entrepreneur and how entrepreneurs recognize opportunities

Activities involved in starting, financing, growing, and harvesting a new business venture. Entrepreneurs and their behavior, analysis of opportunities, obtaining capital, and venture strategies.

This course focuses on fostering the analytical and conceptual skills required to develop and test the feasibility of technology-based product-focused business concepts. The course will expose the student to issues that a product-focused company would face when attempting to launch a new venture.

This course is designed to give students some of the tools and knowledge necessary for understanding, launching and managing a social venture (not for profit or for profit). Social entrepreneurship combines the passion of a social mission with the techniques of the discipline of business. The social entrepreneur applies practical solutions to societal problems. The result may be a new product, new service, or new approach to a social problem.

Family-controlled businesses are characterized by challenges that threaten their continuity and distinct core competencies that can result in unique competitive advantages. The course will explore and analyze family business continuity challenges and best management, family, and governance practices for leading family-owned businesses. Since the focus is on pragmatic, action-oriented, management, governance, and family/business leadership skills, the course will be taught primarily through live and written cases, discussions, lectures, and a study/consultation experience with a family business.

This entrepreneurship course is for students who have one or more ideas for starting a business (or nonprofit). The idea could be a retail shop or a biotech product, whatever the students decide. The course is heavily focused on actually creating an enterprise, ideally up to selling products or services. It is also possible to work on an existing venture concept and contribute to its actual development. This "hands on" course will enable students to launch ventures after the course concludes, with mentoring and assistance from the Turner Center.

This course is for MBA students who wish to explore launching a venture of their own or immersing themselves in another actual venture. Beyond the readings, a variety of exercises, live cases and other learning opportunities will enable participants to partially customize the course content to fit their needs and interests. Several specialists and entrepreneurs will serve as distinguished guest entrepreneurs for certain sessions. This is an applied, experiential course that allows for the application of knowledge from other MBA courses. A primary focus will be on conducting a venture feasibility or other project.