CSP 1, 2, 6, 7. This course focuses on applying evidence-based entrepreneurship methods to go from idea to a sustainable business model. Students learn how to apply behavioral economics, the Customer Development Model and the Lean Startup methodology to discover important and unsatisfied customer needs by designing compelling and competitive value propositions, viable business models that can profitably fulfill these value propositions, and persuasively pitch value propositions/business models to prospective customers/investors. Students engage in a variety of hands on team activities while in class, engage in a team field study involving a local startup, and develop/pitch their own startup ideas.

CSP 1, 2, 6, 7. The focus of this course is actually designing the product-service (offering) that can profitably capture customer demand. Once authentic customer demand is discovered and a compelling value proposition that satisfies that demand is verified, the next step is to design an offering that that customers will want to use and one that is sustainable. Students apply Lean/Agile design methodologies and customer value targets to iterate through offering designs, prototypes, and business models until a “best fit” design is achieved and “fast followers” can’t easily imitate. This is a highly interactive course where students 1) engage in a variety of hands on team activities while in class and 2) design and test their own offering concepts.

CSP 1, 2, 6, 7. This course focuses on the business model validation phase of creating a new venture. Once a “best fit” product-service (offering) design is achieved that can profitably satisfy customer needs better than competitive solutions, a logical next step is to validate demand traction for that business model to ramp up customer sales. Students learn to apply various demand traction strategies and how to best position an offering in a competitive market to realize profitable revenue potential. It also addresses the capital funding process, progressive business plan development, types of investors, company valuation strategies, capitalization tables, negotiating tactics, term sheets, and more. Students create a mock start-up that takes them through this critical validation stage.

CSP’s: 1, 2, 6, 7. This course will focus on the legal issues that entrepreneurs face when starting and running a business in the global economy. Throughout the course we will focus on various substantive practical areas of law that most impact entrepreneurs such as: establishing ownership structure, related shareholder or membership agreements, other documents which impact ownership structure, sales and lease contracts, loan agreements, raising capital and securities law compliance, venture capital negotiations and agreements, the role of the board of directors, potential roles for an advisory board, debtor-creditor relations, employment law, and Intellectual Property law.

CSP’s 1, 6, 7. This course examines how the U.S. legal system is evolving to accommodate the Internet’s impact on business practices, society and values. The course covers a wide range of Internet-related legal issues including technology and the law, court jurisdiction over Internet-related business activities, intellectual property, e-commerce, taxation of Internet sales, privacy in cyberspace, on-line defamation, information security, cyber-crimes, and government regulation of Internet services. Emphasis is placed on developing legal doctrines and their application to Internet-based business activities.

CSP 1, 2, 6, 7. This course focuses on scaling up a new venture. Once a startup has validated demand traction for its business model and obtained sufficient growth capital, it is set to make the transition to an early-stage growth company. The transition presents formidable challenges. The course examines many of the decisions that founders/owners must make and the resulting trade-offs that they must accept in this transition. Decisions regarding: gearing up for and financing rapid growth, changes in company governance, boards and advisors, intellectual property licensing, patents and trademarks, growth strategy, scaling business operations, strategic marketing, staffing, financial and risk management, exit strategies. This course challenges the student with these decisions and how to approach them.

CSP’s 1, 2, 6, 7. This course follows the pattern of a typical internship course. However: you’ll be working for yourself (or team), you’ll be mentored by an “entrepreneur-in-residence” as evaluator, and you will be paying yourself in equity (there may be additional emoluments). Upon admission you’ll be assigned a slot in the incubator (space scheduling, locker, mentor, resources, etc.). In the incubator, each student/team’s needs are assessed and additional resources brought to bear. You’ll have access to resources provided through the incubator (legal, financial, marketing, investors, etc.) as needed, and available resources permit. The mission of the incubator (and this course) is to help you succeed. The onus is on you; faculty and mentors are facilitators, not guarantors.

CSP 1. Advances in information and communication technology and the proliferation of business support services available online (“in the cloud”), are reshaping the entrepreneurial landscape. Technology is enabling entrepreneurs to reach new customers, manage their operations, and offer products and services that previously required long lead-times and significant start-up capital. These digital tools are increasing entrepreneurs’ ability to experiment, quickly test new ideas, and adapt their business to changing market forces. Entrepreneurs must be able to leverage these digital tools in a way that can make their businesses stand out from other firms, all of which have access to these same tools. This class teaches how to use these technologies to effectively start and manage a business.

CSP’s: 1, 3, 6, and 7.

Non-Business students must be in good standing with minimum of 45Credit Hours. Cross listed with MGS 4560. According to the U.S. Labor Department, almost 50% of the companies in the U.S. are small businesses. This course covers the unique issues of managing and growing a new or existing small business. The mission, objectives, goals, and strategies are set for small business. Staffing decisions, from hiring operative employees to the board of directors, are covered. Major emphasis is placed on the design, integration, and operation of production, marketing, and finance.