NBA 6859 - Tech Enterprises

Spring. 3 credits.

Offered in New York City. Part of the Cornell Tech Program.

R. Weiss.

This is an entrepreneurship course, but its focus makes it a different kind of entrepreneurship course than most others. It is all about entrepreneurial thought and entrepreneurial action in a wide variety of technology-oriented enterprises. These enterprises can be existing mature companies, research labs or similar settings, governmental organizations, start-ups, or other emerging ventures. They can be for-profit or non-profit. The scenario also can include an entrepreneurial project or initiative within an otherwise not-so-entrepreneurial enterprise.

The course’s primary goal is to provide students with (1) an overview of technology-driven entrepreneurship; (2) a deeper exploration of selected critical concepts that need to be mastered to create or maintain entrepreneurial technology enterprises; and (3) tools and skills to help students to “be” entrepreneurs or at least to operate successfully in entrepreneurial environments. In light of this goal, the course is loaded with practical content, experiential (hands-on) learning, as well as presentations and exercises from a variety of top Cornell business professors and industry practitioners. Among other topics, these entrepreneurship concepts include opportunity recognition and vetting, thinking and decision-making skills, team building and teamwork, customer and market assessment, venture formation and funding, technology commercialization and product development, legal and regulatory environment, intellectual property protection, presentation types and communication skills, and deal negotiations.