Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program

Master the startup blueprint, and get an opportunity to pitch your idea to blue-chip Silicon Valley venture capital firms
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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.

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

Your business or idea

Regardless of stage of maturity

Real-World Examples

Real-world examples

Delivered through a mix of recorded and live online lectures with faculty and guests

Discussion Boards

Discussion boards

Moderated by subject matter experts

Seed Money for Pitch Winners

Badge for the Business Plan Competition winner

Awarded to the winner of the Business Plan Competition

Curriculum

Business Plan Competition

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 successful business ventures. 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?

"…the business plan contest, forcing me to apply everything I’ve learned.”
Elissavet F.
Health Care Professional
"…the session on financial statements and exit strategies.”
Raf H.
CEO and Founder, Kukun Inc.
"…the peer reviews were really helpful.”
Fallon T.
CEO, Tur Swimwear
PJ Mastracchio

“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)

Rajpreet Kaur

"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
  • 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.

    • 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

    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

David Hsu
David Hsu

Academic Director; Richard A. Sapp Professor; Professor of Management

Ethan Mollick
Ethan Mollick

Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar; Associate Professor of Management; Academic Director, Wharton interactive

Kartik Hosanagar
Kartik Hosanagar

John C. Hower Professor; Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

Lori Rosenkopf
Lori Rosenkopf

Simon and Midge Palley Professor

Karl Ulrich
Karl Ulrich

CIBC Endowed Professor; Professor of Operations, Information
and Decisions; Professor of Management; Advisor on Asia Strategy

Certificate

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.

FAQs

Didn't find what you were looking for? Write to us at learner.success@emeritus.org or Schedule a call with one of our Academic Advisors or call us at +1 680 205 5118 (US) / +44 185 845 9995 (UK) / +65 3135 1422 (SG)

Early registrations are encouraged. Seats fill up quickly!

Flexible payment options available.

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