Program Lead: Dartmouth College's Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship
2-Week Course for Summer Scholars 2024
Dates Available:
Session 1 - June 30 - July 12 2024,
Session 2 - July 14 - July 26 2024,
Session 3 - July 28 - August 9 2024
Overview
The Summer Scholars Entrepreneurship camp will be an immersive, hands-on program that builds on Dartmouth’s strong liberal arts foundation to expose students to the Art of Entrepreneurship. Students will be guided through the new venture journey - from opportunity recognition to solution creation and business model formulation - across many different types and scales of businesses. Borrowing from their current real-life experiences, students will learn the shared elements that underpin all entrepreneurial endeavors whether applied to social media influencers, local retail businesses, non-profit enterprises, or venture-scale startups.
Unlike alternatives, which pull only from traditional business teachings, Summer Scholars will bring a unique cross-section of perspectives from across the arts and sciences to teach students how innovation can be sparked by integrating existing ideas in new ways.
The first week of the program will be instructional content, supported by case discussions and guest speakers, and the second week will focus on applying the learnings - including a rapid-business challenge and culminating pitch contest.
The instructional content will mimic that of a traditional investor pitch deck, allowing students to continually integrate their learning along a clear storyline.
Objectives
By the end of the course, students will:
- Possess a deeper understanding of how to develop a “lens” for opportunity recognition in their daily lives and continued pursuits
- Possess a foundational understanding and framework to develop and evaluate entrepreneurial ideas and their viability
- Understand the most critical concepts which are necessary to operate a business and solicit the appropriate investment and support
- Be able to articulate and understand the importance of “failing well” and appreciate that entrepreneurship is a continual process rather than a destination
- Developed deep connections with their peers in recognizing the necessity of a strong support network when pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors
Draft Instructional Content Schedule
Days 1-5 - Creativity Bootcamp
- Introduction to the “Entrepreneurial Mindset”, intelligent failure, and the business model canvas
- Problem and opportunity recognition
- Solution formation
- Customer identification and ideal customer profile development
- Business model research and matching
- Go-to-market strategies and application
- Competitive research and assessment
- Funding, fundraising and business structures
- Solution formation revisited
- Mastering the pitch
Day 6-9 - Fast-track to Failing Well
- Field exercise on customer research and testing
- Two-day “start-up sprint” that culminates in a pitch contest
Post-camp community
Borrowing from successful startup accelerator and incubator programs, Summer Scholars will create an alumni network and online forum for students who complete the program. Students will be encouraged to share updates on their entrepreneurial journeys, and seek collaboration and support from fellow summer scholars across cohorts. Over time, this will serve as a significant differentiator for the program and the value students can derive from it.
PRE-REQUISITE
Scholars are encouraged, but not required, to bring a device that can access the internet (mobile devices, laptops, tablets, etc.)
INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHY
The Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship will be hosting a cohort of instructors.