Harvard Business School Launches Entrepreneurship Essentials, a New Online Certificate Program

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.