As a student in Entrepreneurship at Haas, you will have the opportunity to network with some of the most knowledgeable professionals in the Bay Area. The Lester Center administers various programs that provide students like you with the experience and networking that are essential to entrepreneurship.

As an MBA student at Haas, there are a multitude of opportunities about entrepreneurship and its specific fields available to you. Choose one of the following guides depending on your entrepreneurial interest:
Interest in Venture Capital
Interest in Biotechnology/Technology Enterprises
Interest in Social Entrepreneurship

If you are not yet sure of where your interest lies, you can still participate in numerous programs and activities organized and supported by the Lester Center. The following is a brief guide for students who want to be involved in Lester Center activities and the entrepreneurial community at Haas:

Network with Professionals
Attend the monthly Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forums, one of the most valued and popular programs at Haas, where students get the chance to listen to and interact with entrepreneurs from various fields of business including energy technology, VoIP, social ventures and more. Meeting with a Lester Fellow is another great opportunity to network personally with professionals.

Learn
Choose from a variety of Courses on entrepreneurship. During the 2005-06 academic year, there were 20 adjunct faculty teaching 15 entrepreneurship courses to over 700 students. There were 6 mentors from the business community who advised the students on their business plans as well. Some courses that support your interest in entrepreneurship are:
MBA 294 Life as an Entrepreneur
MBA 295A Entrepreneurship & Innovation
MBA 295B Venture Capital & Private Equity
MBA 295C Opportunity Recognition: Tech & Entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley
MBA 295D New Venture Finance
MBA 295E Case Studies in Entrepreneurship
MBA 295F Customer Development in a High Tech Enterprise
MBA 295G Entrepreneurial Investing in Later Stage Tech Companies
MBA 295H Top-Down Law
MBA 295I Entrepreneurship Workshop for Start-Ups
MBA 295J Entrenpreneurship in Biotechnology
MBA 290E Marketing for High Tech Entrepreneurs
MBA 290I Managing Innovation and Change
MBA 231 Corporate Finance
MBA 262 Brand Management and Strategy

Compete
The Lester Center administers two business plan competitions: the Berkeley Business Plan Competition and the Global Social Venture Competition. This year's competitions drew in 175 entrant teams, over 50 judges from the Venture Capital community, and gave away $135,000 worth of cash prizes to the teams with the best business plans. Students from all over the US, the UK, and India were involved in these competitions.

Meet Students with Similar Interests
Join one of the Student Groups dedicated to entrepreneurship at Haas. These groups organize their own events and programs with the support of the Lester Center. For example, every year, the Entrepreneurs Association and the Lester Center collaborate for the annual Venture Capital Roundtable Dinner- a great opportunity for you to meet with over 35 leading venture capitalists from the valley, all in one place... plus great food! The idea is to give you exposure and the opportunity to speak with representatives from the venture capital industry.

Apply for a fellowship
Every year, the Lester Center, through the sponsorship of Dan Turner, awards one $5000 fellowship to students interested in an entrepreneurial career.

Get Your Certificate
You can get an MBA Certificate in Entrepreneurship upon graduation. Take a look at this list of successful Haas alumni who started their own companies with the help of the Lester Center.

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