Fertile ground for start-ups
The entrepreneurship specialization in the Professional MBA and MS in Management and Organizations programs, taught at the Bard Center for Entrepreneurship, stands on the principle that it takes more than just “one great idea” to create a successful venture. It takes a bedrock foundation in business strategy and practice…connections with other entrepreneurs and business leaders…access to facilities and resources…and qualities that aren’t easily taught—like passion, tenacity and resilience.
For 15 years, the Bard Center has been providing a supportive “real-time lab” for early-stage companies, including:
- 15 graduate courses
- On-site incubator spaces hosting start-up companies
- Sources of funding through the Rutt Bridges Venture Capital Fund
- An annual Business Plan Competition, awarding seed funds to new ventures
- Networking and mentorships with the influential members of the Bard advisory board
The Bard Center has an impressive track record. Graduates and past Business Plan Competition winners have gone on to develop an ambitious array of entrepreneurial ventures: website design firms, point-of-care services for hospices, all-natural nut products, unique twists on healthy fast food, and photography services for animal shelters. With support from the Bard Center, these entrepreneurs and others are creating jobs and bringing new vitality to the region’s economy.
FACT: The U.S. Small Business Administration rated Colorado the #1 state for innovation and entrepreneurship.
FACT: From 1980 to 2005, firms less than five years old accounted for all net job growth in the United States.
Business Dynamics Statistics Briefing: Jobs Created from Business Startups in the United States, January 2009
FACT: 75 percent of Americans think the United States cannot have a sustained economic recovery without another burst of entrepreneurial activity.
Kauffman Foundation, 2009
For 15 years, the Bard Center has provided education in the fundamentals of starting a business, helping scores of aspiring entrepreneurs translate raw ideas into flourishing enterprises. Find out more about the Entrepreneurship specialization within the Professional MBA or MS in Management and Organization.