Programs for MBA Students
MBA students at Haas have the opportunity to network with some of the most knowledgeable professionals in the Bay Area, enroll in cutting edge courses in entrepreneurship and innovation, and take advantage of many other opportunities.
With the Lester Center's support, you can:
- Network with Professionals
- Learn
- Get Your Certificate
- Meet with a Mentor
- Compete
- Meet Students with Similar Interests
- Incubate Your New Venture
- Apply for a Fellowship
Guides are available for those with specific interests:
- 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
Attend the Entrepreneurial Best Practices Series workshops and learn about the practical aspects of entrepreneurial activity. The series is timed to match the academic year and also the business plan competition season, particularly the Berkeley Business Plan Competition and the Global Social Venture Competition.
Attend the A. Richard Newton Distinguished Innovator Lecture Series/Life as an Entrepreneur Series Tuesday evenings at 5 PM to hear distinguished entrepreneurs from organizations at various stages of development and representing a broad range of industries. Entrepreneurs will talk about how their organizations were created and share the lessons they learned.
Choose from a variety of Courses on entrepreneurship, taught by our exceptional faculty. Some courses that support your interest in entrepreneurship are:
- MBA 295A Entrepreneurship
- MBA 295B Venture Capital and Private Equity
- MBA 295D/EWMBA 295T New Venture Finance
- MBA 295C: Opportunity Recognition in High Technology
- MBA 295E: Case Studies in Entrepreneurship
- MBA 295F: Customer Development in High-Tech
- MBA 295G: Investing in Entrepreneurial Opportunities
- MBA 295H: Managing the Legal Environment of Business (formerly Top Down Law)
- MBA 295I: Entrepreneurship Workshop for Start-ups
- MBA 295J: Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology
- MBA 295T: Business Model Innovation & Entrepreneurial Strategy
- MBA 290E: Marketing for High-Tech Entrepreneurs
- MBA 290I: Managing Innovation and Change
- MBA 290N: Managing New Product Development
- MBA 290V: Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Telecommunications & Media
- MBA 290T: Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Information Technology; Wireless Services
- MBA 290T: Innovation, Creativity and the Entrepreneur
- MBA 292N: Social Entrepreneurship
- MBA 292T: Achieving Social Impact
- MBA 264: High Technology Marketing Management
- Boalt 255: Venture Capital and IPO Law
- Boalt 256: New Business Counseling Practicum
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.
Meet with a Mentor
Since 1996 the Lester Center has recruited successful Bay Area entrepreneurs as student mentors. They act as leaders, mentors and educators and hold scheduled office hours for students who need advice or help with their business ideas and career goals. Our mentors are successful Bay Area entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and lawyers who provide wisdom and guidance to UC Berkeley’s emerging entrepreneurs.
Click here for profiles of our current mentors.
Availability of appointments with mentors is announced by e-mail ONLY. If you'd like to sign up for e-mail announcements, you can do so on our Contact page. Click here for information on the Mentoring Schedule and Signups.
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.
Incubate Your New Venture
The Berkeley Entrepreneurship Laboratory provides space and services for start-ups created by current Haas School students and recent graduates. Located near the business school, BEL provides a convenient to campus space for promising new ventures that have progressed beyond initial planning. The Lab provides an intense educational and operating environment where real companies formed by Berkeley students, alumni, faculty and researchers can rapidly work through their experimental phase, form and flourish. The Lab works in concert with the Lester Center’s other programs to provide a complete entrepreneurial environment conducive to the fast-paced start-up world. Please see the Laboratory page for more information.
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. Other fellowships are also available.
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