Seminar Description:

Private equity and venture capital have been a potent sources of innovation and job generation in the global economy. In the U.S., the majority of new jobs are generated by entrepreneurial firms. Private equity has transformed entire industries. Academics and policy makers have long highlighted the critical role that these sectors play in promoting a dynamic economy and opportunities for sustained competitive advantage. This research seminar looks at academic research on private equity and venture capital to answer critical questions about what these investors do and how they transform the industries in which they invest. Each session will be two hours in length. The first hour will focus on discussing three or four academic papers. The second hour will be question and answer with a guest on the week’s topic.

The course will have six two hour sessions in Q1. There will be a one hour short answer exam for those who enroll in the 1.5 version.

Students who choose to enroll in the 3-credit version of the course will participate in Q1 sessions and then continue for the second half of the term and write a supervised 20-page research paper on some aspect of venture capital or private equity.

Week 1 – Measuring Risk and Return in Private Equity Performance – The Academic Evidence

Week 2 - Asset Allocation, Private Equity, and Venture Capital

Week 3 – How Do Venture Capitalists Create Value?

Week 4 – What Do Private Equity Investors Do?

Week 5 – Issues of Gender and Diversity in Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital

Week 6 – The Real Economic Impact of Private Equity and Venture Capital