Entrepreneurship

Advisor of Twaalfhoven Center for Entrepreneurship: Trabakino

The Bert Twaalfhoven Center seeks to support the entrepreneurial process by increasing understanding of new venture creation and by helping students develop the knowledge and skills required to succeed. It was created in honor of Bert Twaalfhoven, a graduate of Fordham University and Harvard School of Business, who started a number of internationally successful ventures. Consistent with the mission of Fordham University, CBA is developing a curriculum geared toward enhancing students' capacities to create and sustain businesses that are economically viable, environmentally responsible and socially just. Hence, our program is aligned with the principles of sustainable development.

The CBA Entrepreneurship Concentration has been designed to foster initiative, creativity and social responsibility while helping build the practical knowledge necessary for students to be successful as entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are characterized by the ability to recognize business opportunities and create or grow a new enterprise despite limited resources. They succeed by developing innovative products, services and market niches. Innovative socially and environmentally responsible products and services offer attractive opportunities for entrepreneurs operating in today's highly competitive and tightly linked global marketplace. The courses in the Entrepreneurship Concentration offer a wide range of educational and outreach options. They are appropriate for anyone interested in learning about sustainable development, starting or joining entrepreneurial ventures, or managing entrepreneurial ventures within multinational organizations.

To qualify for an Entrepreneurship Concentration, students must take 12-credits, including one introductory course and two core courses (Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Ventures and New Ventures Practicum I) and one additional entrepreneurship course.

Students can enhance their academic experience in entrepreneurship by participating in supervised independent research on a range of entrepreneurial studies, including field studies. In addition, with prior approval, selected courses in other areas that have substantial content in entrepreneurship may be counted towards the Entrepreneurship Concentration. For example, a course in Finance on Venture Capital or in Accounting on Tax Planning for the Closely Held Business could count towards the Entrepreneurship Concentration.

Offerings planned for 2007-2009 in the Entrepreneurship Concentration will include the courses below. In addition, other courses may be offered according to the interests of faculty and students. Please check with your advisor.

ST: Money and the Meaning of Life (introductory course) (3 Credits)

This course is suitable as a first course for students who want to pursue a concentration in entrepreneurship or for students who simply want a general overview of the area. The course is designed to help students envision and take the first steps toward planning and realizing life-paths that will be personally fulfilling, socially responsible and profitable. It introduces students to a variety of business concepts and entrepreneurial models. The course is based on readings, films and lectures. Guest speakers who are entrepreneurs will share their experiences with students.

ST: Innovation and the Entrepreneurial Mindset (introductory course) (3 credits)

This course is designed for students who believe that they may want to pursue a concentration in entrepreneurship and/or who have had some experience working in their own business or a family business. It will expose students to a variety of strategic options as well as building an appreciation of the demands of an entrepreneurial career and the consequences of a life choice to start a new venture independently, with partners, or within an existing organization. Certain readings, other course materials and guest appearances will be directed toward developing students' understanding of business ventures that have succeeded by capitalizing on principles of sustainable development.

ST: Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Ventures (core course) (3 credits)

(Pre-requisite: either Money and the Meaning of Life or Innovation and the Entrepreneurial Mindset)

This core course focuses on the process necessary to create a new enterprise with emphasis on exploring and evaluating innovative ideas, engaging in preliminary business planning, building social networks and investigating alternative forms of financing. Students will be expected to experiment with initial steps toward establishing a business. For example, they may be asked to create a customer profile and interview potential customers associated with their new product or service, to build a website, or to experience selling samples of their own or other's products or services.

ST: New Venture Practicum I (core) and II (3 credits each semester)

(Pre-requisite: Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Ventures)

Students will work on all aspects of starting a new business or bringing a creative idea to market, including uncovering and evaluating opportunities for new ventures, resource acquisition and pre-launch planning. Ideally, students will be able to launch and manage the preliminary or experimental stages of their venture.

ST: Entrepreneurial Communication & Negotiation (3 Credits)

(Pre-requisite: Business Communication and either Money and the Meaning of Life or Innovation and the Entrepreneurial Mindset)

This course develops communication and negotiation skills specific to entrepreneurship. It is appropriate for anyone wishing to win business by communicating innovative ideas in concise formats and to negotiate effectively with suppliers, employees, landlords, partners and the range of other stakeholders with whom an entrepreneur deals.