02 Aug 2017

HBX Launches Entrepreneurship Essentials, a New Online Certificate Program

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BOSTON—HBX, Harvard Business School’s digital learning initiative, is announcing the launch of Entrepreneurship Essentials: People, Opportunity, Context, and Deal, the fifth course in its expanding suite of online certificate programs. The course introduces participants to the foundational principles of entrepreneurship, from idea discovery to marketplace assessment to financing.

Participants in HBX’s Entrepreneurship Essentials course will learn to apply to their entrepreneurial ventures a proven framework—People, Opportunity, Context, Deal—that has been taught to thousands of Harvard Business School MBA students. The course uses the Harvard Business School’s interactive case method to teach participants how to identify and evaluate an opportunity, leverage structured experiments to validate ideas, think about risks and rewards, secure financing, and talk to investors about a business. Featured in Entrepreneurship Essentials are successful entrepreneurs from diverse industries and leading venture capitalists, including Scott Cook of Intuit, Jennifer Hyman of Rent the Runway, and Jennifer Fonstad of Aspect Ventures.

The course is taught by William A. Sahlman, Baker Foundation Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. A renowned faculty member for over 30 years, Sahlman has authored over 200 cases, numerous articles, and two textbooks focusing on topics such as entrepreneurial management, venture capital, private equity, the structure of deals, incentives, commercializing science, impact investing, and the role of entrepreneurship in the global economy.

“I’m excited to share what I know about identifying and managing high-potential new ventures with a new set of students through the HBX platform,” Sahlman said. “Entrepreneurship isn’t magic; it’s a process that people can learn. I’m eager to see what new businesses are ultimately founded by participants in this HBX course.”

Over four weeks, Entrepreneurship Essentials provides participants with the information they need to understand the entrepreneurial journey. The course consists of approximately 20 hours of material delivered via the innovative, student-centered HBX online learning platform. Participants complete four modules of coursework on their own time while meeting regular deadlines.

”Bill Sahlman is one of the co-founders of modern entrepreneurial studies at Harvard Business School. For decades, HBS has been a leader in the study and teaching of entrepreneurship,” said Patrick Mullane, executive director of HBX. “With the introduction of this course to the HBX portfolio, we will give aspiring entrepreneurs around the world the knowledge they need to build a successful new enterprise.”

HBX is accepting applications for the first cohort of Entrepreneurship Essentials until October 16, 2017. The course will begin on October 25. Working professionals, first-time entrepreneurs, HBX past participants, and undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. The program is priced at $950. Visit the HBX website to learn more.

About HBX:
HBX, the digital learning initiative from Harvard Business School, was founded in 2014 with the mission of expanding the reach of the School by delivering high-quality online business education to learners around the world. HBX’s programs are designed to deliver a case-based, active, and social learning experience in a highly engaging digital learning environment. Each program is designed and taught by leading HBS faculty who bring their expertise and passion to learners from around the globe.

Contacts

Valerie Krempus
HBX
vkrempus+hbs.edu

Brooks Wallace
brooks+hollywoodpr.net
617-688-7200

About Harvard Business School

Founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University, Harvard Business School is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston. Its faculty of more than 250 offers full-time programs leading to the MBA and PhD degrees, as well as more than 175 Executive Education programs, and Harvard Business School Online, the School’s digital learning platform. For more than a century, faculty have drawn on their research, their experience in working with organizations worldwide, and their passion for teaching, to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. The School and its curriculum attract the boldest thinkers and the most collaborative learners who will go on to shape the practice of business and entrepreneurship around the globe.