Essentials of Entrepreneurship
Essentials of Entrepreneurship is an intensive two-week summer program for a select group of high school students currently enrolled in 9th to 11th grades. This immersive experience challenges students to engage with peers, use innovative thinking, and learn the basics of what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
Overview
Essentials of Entrepreneurship provides an immersive introduction to the journey of creating a new venture. With a two-week schedule filled with lectures, recitations, and activities, students will learn how a successful startup is created, as well as obtain core techniques in the areas of user research, opportunity testing, MVP developing, marketing, scaling and exiting. Ultimately, the program will challenge students to collaborate with peers, use innovative thinking, and develop a pitch for an early-stage startup.
Whether students plan to start their own company or become an innovator within an established organization, this program will encourage students to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset that can be applied across numerous fields.
Each summer, Wharton Essentials of Entrepreneurship students:
- Attend lectures and presentations from notable Wharton faculty, lecturers and PhD students
- Learn core techniques in the area of user research, opportunity testing, MVP developing, marketing, scaling and exiting
- Collaborate in teams to develop a pitch for an early-stage startup
- Explore historic Philadelphia and experience college life on Penn’s Ivy League campus
All participants who complete the program will earn a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion.
Instructional Team
Program Leader: TBA
Instructors: TBA
Academic Director: David Hsu
David Hsu is the Richard A. Sapp Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from Stanford University with undergraduate majors in economics and political science. After a few years working in industry, he received his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University, followed by his Ph.D. in management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Hsu’s research interests are in entrepreneurial innovation and management. Within that domain, he has investigated topics such as intellectual property management, start-up innovation, technology commercialization strategy, and venture capital. His research has appeared in leading journals such as Management Science, Journal of Finance, Strategic Management Journal, and Research Policy. He is past department and associate editor of Management Science. In 2008, Hsu was awarded an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Industry Studies Fellowship. At Wharton, he teaches two MBA electives, Entrepreneurship and Technology Strategy. At Penn, Hsu is Associate Faculty Director of the Weiss Tech House, which encourages and supports students in the creation, development, and commercialization of innovative technologies.
Academic Directors provide guidance to the Wharton Global Youth team on instructor hiring and lead the development of program curriculum. Their responsibilities include designing course topics, recommending activities, selecting readings, and creating capstone projects that align with Wharton academic standards and enrich the summer learning experience.
Teaching Assistants consist of both undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Pennsylvania. TAs facilitate small-group discussions, ensure student understanding, assist with final project development, and hold office hours to answer student questions and share their Penn and Wharton experiences.
“This program gave me my first insight into college, and it made me incredibly passionate about pursuing a career in business. Be sure to get to know your professors and peers, and keep building your network throughout the program." - Richa S., Manila, Philippines