Fuel Your Entrepreneurial Passion

An MBA student presenting his venture at the New Venture Competition Kickoff.
Winners of the 2023 Social Enterprise Track of the New Venture Competition accept their trophy.
MBA students prepare for an upcoming case discussion.

The Harvard Business School (HBS) community is a place where students are encouraged and inspired to pursue their entrepreneurial passions. There is a vast ecosystem of resources that supports the unique needs of innovators both inside and outside the classroom.

The global perspectives brought together in the HBS immersive learning environment drive a constant flow of dynamic ideas, leading to true change and lasting impact.

Given our longtime legacy of entrepreneurship with over 50% of our graduates who create at least one new venture, we continue to support our alumni with robust programming for collaboration and lifelong learning.

#1 Pitchbook Ranking for 2023:

Female Founders / Number of Founders / Companies Founded / Capital Raised

The Solara team celebrates after winning the Social Enterprise Track of the 2024 New Venture Competition.

Rock Center for Entrepreneurship

The Rock Center for Entrepreneurship supports students in their entrepreneurial ambitions through a variety of programming including the annual New Venture Competition, one-on-one meetings with our expert advisors including our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, and Rock Summer Fellows.

In addition, the Rock Center supports faculty research, fellowships, symposia, conferences and alumni programming like the Rock 100, a worldwide exclusive network for Harvard Business School founders of early stage, high impact ventures.

The New Venture Competition is an annual student competition sponsored by the Rock Center and Social Enterprise Initiative. There are two tracks for HBS students to participate in: the Business Track for ventures with economic returns that drive substantial market value, and the Social Enterprise Track for ventures that drive social change using nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid models. There is also a New Venture Competition Alumni Track which serves as a launch pad for innovative new ventures from HBS alumni, providing access and exposure to potential investors, mentors, and advisors.

More on the Rock Center

Student walks down the stairs at Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship building front entrance

Loan Reduction & Summer Fellows

Rock Center, in consultation with MBA Financial Aid, eagerly supports current students who want to pursue their passion for startups during their summer in between RC and EC years as a Rock Summer Fellow. One such way is through our Rock Loan Forgiveness program, a one-time need-based award of $10,000–$20,000 to graduating MBA students who are committed to pursuing their own for-profit entrepreneurial ventures.

Career & Professional Development (CPD)

CPD offers personalized career advice, opportunities to work one on one with 100+ career coaches, programming on various industries, workshops on interviewing skills, resumes, and cover letters. Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, Venture Capital Partners and Legal Experts are also available by appointment.

Student Journey

Explore all we have to offer during your two-year entrepreneurial journey.

An MBA student makes a pitch to early-stage investors during Demo Day.
MBA students prepare their pitch for the New Venture Competition.

New Venture Competition

Pitch your concept and get feedback, mentorship and a chance at $210,000 in prize money.

The audience cheers a winner of the 2024 New Venture Competition.

The entrepreneurial courses at HBS provide the foundation for understanding the processes, finances and context of entrepreneurship. They bridge the gap from the theoretical to the practical and offer invaluable takeaways for the real world of startups.

Students take a variety of entrepreneurship courses throughout both the Required Curriculum (RC) and Elective Curriculum (EC). There are 35 faculty members in the Entrepreneurial Management unit, one of the largest teaching units.

First year (RC) students can participate in Startup Bootcamp, an immersion program where you join a team and work alongside 150 students as you learn how to launch a new venture.

Harvard Innovation Labs

The Harvard Innovation Labs are a resource available to all current students from any Harvard school who are looking to explore innovation and entrepreneurship at any stage. They provide all the physical and intellectual resources students need to develop and grow, including one-to-one advising, office hours with industry experts, workshops, an incubator program, and a competition.

The Harvard Innovations Labs provide a multitude of in-kind support for local entrepreneurship, health and life sciences, and offer a variety of partner programming and mentorships.

Boston & Cambridge

Students can take advantage of opportunities across Boston and Cambridge to attend local events, hackathons, groups, and conferences. Boston is one of the largest cities for startups in the U.S. with venture investment growing year-after-year, making it a breeding ground for innovative ideas to grow into new ventures.

Boston is one of the largest cities for startups in the U.S. with venture investment growing year-after-year, making it a breeding ground for innovative ideas to grow into new ventures.

I look at the startup journey as the next 10, 20, 30 years, and what HBS really gives you is a community of friends to go through it with. Startups can be really lonely but I don’t feel that way now.

Cathy Han , MBA 2020

Co-Founder, 42 Technologies, Inc.

Cathy Han, MBA 2020