Classroom

The Stanford Graduate School of Business Summer Institute for Entrepreneurship offers current graduate students the unique opportunity to build the analytical and practical skills critical to launching a successful business.

You will be taught by the renowned Stanford Graduate School of Business faculty and gain an intimate knowledge of the processes and challenges that face any entrepreneur. In the process you will acquire both the hard skills (such as finance, marketing, and accounting) and the soft skills (such as public speaking, leadership, and networking) needed to excel in a business environment.

Building Professional Networks

One of the largest components of the program is the relationships that are fostered with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, executives, and venture capitalists.  The program draws from the economic diversity of the region to explore different industries and business models ranging from early start-ups to large firms.  Guest speakers from leading companies are invited to the program and often become mentors and valuable resources for participants.

The program uniquely draws diverse participants from across Stanford and Universities around the world. In addition to the strong level of interaction that exists in every academic class, participants extensively work together on group projects and build the foundation for strong relationships.  Learning from each other is a natural benefit of the program.

New Venture Projects

As part of the program, diverse teams of students will develop a plan for commercializing a new product or service for an existing organization or a new venture.  Teams will receive guidance from expert industry panels, and will have numerous interactions with mentors and business executives whose expertise specifically matches the team’s project.  The final business plans will be presented to and evaluated by prominent Silicon Valley executives and corporate, venture, and angel investors.