Student Groups and Activities
Haas Entrepreneurs Association
Ideas@Cal
Partners for Entrepreneurial Leadership
Haas Entrepreneurs
Association
At least one third of each incoming MBA class joins the Haas Entrepreneurs Association (EA). EA organizes and presents an array of programs and opportunities for Berkeley-Haas students and members of the UC Berkeley community. EA works to bring together students from across the UC Berkeley campus to support one another in their entrepreneurial pursuits. EA also spearheads a multitude of entrepreneurial events across campus, such as Ideas@Cal, the Venture Capital Roundtable, the Entrepreneurs Roundtable, and the Venture Capital Investment Competition, to name a few. Several of these programs are highlighted below. More information on EA’s ongoing activities and menu of opportunities can be found by visiting its website.
A 1
unit course, "Life as an Entrepreneur", has been developed
by EA to provide first-year MBAs
with a high-level survey of the field of Entrepreneurship.
Ideas@Cal
Ideas@Cal provides an opportunity for entrepreneurially minded students across the UC Berkeley campus to connect and share startup ideas. The event encourages students to form cross-campus collaborations in order to brainstorm, problem-solve, and help one another develop their startup ideas. Many of the participants go on to enter the Lester Center’s UC Berkeley Startup Competition and/or the Global Social Venture Competition.
The Venture Capital Roundtable, held each fall in Silicon Valley, and the Entrepreneurs Roundtable, held in the spring in San Francisco, give UC Berkeley students a chance to meet with venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs in an intimate setting where they can explore potential career options and discuss startup trends. The Roundtables are open to UC Berkeley students who have started a business or have a strong interest in starting a new business.
The Venture Capital Roundtable is designed to build bridges between UC Berkeley and the venture capital community. Students considering a position in venture capital or currently planning a startup that will require venture funding have a chance to speak in depth with venture capitalists, while VCs benefit from the exposure to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Past attendees have included representatives from some of the most well recognized firms in the venture capital industry.
The Entrepreneurs Roundtable provides an opportunity for students and successful entrepreneurs to come together in an informal setting. The event provides an excellent opportunity for students to meet fellow entrepreneurs who have had to tackle the common strategic, operational, and financial challenges that startups face.
Partners
for Entrepreneurial Leadership (PEL)
Partners for Entrepreneurial Leadership (PEL) is designed to help level the playing field for students who want to work for a startup for the summer by placing its members with high-growth companies. Many of these partnerships develop into ongoing projects during the students' second year in the MBA program. Previous PEL interns have worked on projects that range from customer acquisition and search engine optimization to sophisticated business and financial planning.
Berkeley
Solutions Group
The Berkeley Solutions Group offers Berkeley-Haas MBA student consultants to local startups, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations at below-market rates. Student consultants typically focus on market research, feasibility studies, financial analysis, and human resource planning.
Young Entrepreneurs at Haas
The Lester Center recognizes YEAH
(Young Entrepreneurs at Haas), a program encouraging entrepreneurship
for young students in Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond high
schools. To help more youth get to college, they've created
programs for kids in 6th through 12th grade where Berkeley MBA
and undergraduate mentors use real-life lessons in business,
finance and entrepreneurship to excite, educate and support
kids on the path to college.
[top of page]
