Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program
Why Enroll in the Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program?
There’s no shortage of pitfalls for startups and their founders. The 90 percent failure rate of startups is enough to make you think about keeping your day job — forever. But what if there was a proven playbook that dramatically increased the odds of success?
Being successful in venture capital means having a mix of cross-disciplinary skills, which is why expert faculty for this program stem from social psychology, organizational behavior, information technology, finance, and marketing.
Enroll in this program and learn how to:
Pick the right business model
There are many different types of business models. Survey the range of options, including the disruptive model, the architecture model, the value chain model, and the efficiency model, with examples of each type. Use the Business Model Canvas tool to help you decide on your model.
Build the right team
Learn about the three Rs of founding teams — relationships, roles, and rewards — and the three critical questions entrepreneurs must address when setting up their organizations. Topics include allocating equity, founder’s agreements, hiring key management, and finding technical resources.
Choose the right financing approach
Raising funds to scale is one of the biggest challenges that startups face. Learn about the various financing pathways available and the trade-offs for each type. Topics include equity financing valuations, equity financing terms, and term sheets.
Ramp up sales and scale the business
In order to drive sales, you need a foundational understanding of your potential customers and markets. Considerations such as the rate of adoption of new products help with demand forecasting. Understand the importance of creating a growth culture and different expansion strategies, such as vertical and horizontal expansion.
Watch the Program Preview
Get a firsthand look at how this program equips you to launch, scale, and sustain successful ventures.
Your Learning Experience
Through a mix of live and recorded faculty video sessions, assignments, quizzes, and interactive discussions moderated by teaching assistants, your learning journey culminates in a pitch to the Wharton team and renowned venture capital firms. Some of the prominent firms from previous competitions include Sequoia Capital, Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Ved Capital, and Walnut Venture.
Your business or idea
Regardless of stage of maturity
Real-world examples
Delivered through a mix of recorded and live online lectures with faculty and guests
Discussion boards
Moderated by subject matter experts
Badge for the Business Plan Competition winner
Awarded to the winner of the Business Plan Competition
Curriculum
Business Plan Competition
Participate in a business plan competition* that serves as a catalyst for honing your entrepreneurial skills and gaining invaluable exposure. You will create a pitch for your own venture, and members of the Wharton entrepreneurship community will review the submitted plans with support from the program leaders. The top seven business plans will be selected as finalists, and those participants will get an opportunity to pitch their business plans to a Wharton venture capital panel in a live session.
The winner of the Business Plan Competition is rewarded with a badge, which is shareable on digital platforms and signifies the bearer's potential as a leading entrepreneur capable of turning visionary ideas into attractive business plans for investors. With this unique badge, you can showcase your exceptional presentation and persuasion skills as well as your mastery of a variety of entrepreneurial concepts, including team building, financial structuring, market scaling, strategic thinking, and business planning.
*Participation in the competition is optional and not essential for program completion.
What Was the Best Part of the Program for the Participants?
“More than two years after winning Wharton Executive Education’s Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program pitch contest, AtYourGate is now the industry leader in mobile ordering and delivery inside airports. As COVID-19 affected travel so dramatically, we pivoted from convenience to safety — and are launching in 16 new airports in Q2 of 2021. This program exceeded my expectations."
— PJ Mastracchio, Founder and CEO, AtYourGate Business Plan Competition Winner (2018)
"When I joined Wharton’s Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program, my initial research had been done and my company was in motion. This program gave me the confidence to scale the venture and validated my concept by virtue of being runner-up in the pitch competition. They ran a rehearsal pitch with me, offered insights on structuring equity offers, and much more. I highly recommend Wharton’s EAP program for anyone serious about scaling their own venture."
— Rajpreet Kaur, Founder of SayCheese.life, Former VP at HSBC Bank, and Head of Derivatives at Bharti Airtel Limited, India
Business Plan Competition 1st Runner-Up (2020)
Want to know what ideas won the Business Plan Competition since it started in 2018?
Interviews and Industry Examples
Wharton Executive Education's Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program features in-depth interviews with company founders and representatives from startups and established venture capital firms.
- Big Ass Fans
- Forerunner Ventures
- Greylock Partners
- Stringr
Adobe
Intel
Qualcomm
Aerocardal
Harry’s Blades
Dollar Shave Club
Jet.com
The Walt Disney Company
Bandar Foods
Silicon Valley Bank
IBM
Kickstarter
Xiaomi
Belle-V Kitchen
Wholly Moly
The online program also features examples of startups and established organizations that were once startups. It will cover multiple industries, including consumer packaged goods, ecommerce, internet, media and entertainment, and technology.
Note: All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
Meet the Faculty
Academic Director; Richard A. Sapp Professor; Professor of Management
Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar; Associate Professor of Management; Academic Director, Wharton interactive
John C. Hower Professor; Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions
Simon and Midge Palley Professor
CIBC Endowed Professor; Professor of Operations, Information
and Decisions; Professor of Management; Advisor on Asia Strategy
Certificate
Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn a digital certificate of completion from Wharton Executive Education.
Note:
After successful completion of the online program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wharton School.
This online certificate program does not grant academic credit or a degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
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FAQs
Have Questions?
Email: enterprise.clientsuccess@emeritus.org. We attempt to respond to queries in 24 hours or less. However, over weekends and holidays, our responses may take up to 72 hours.