Leadership in the Business World
Leadership in the Business World (LBW) is an intensive summer program for a select group of rising seniors who want an introduction to a top-notch undergraduate business education and the opportunity to hone their leadership, teamwork, and communication skills. Since 1999, LBW has brought students from six continents and nearly every state to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Overview
Designed to provide students with a glimpse of Wharton’s undergraduate curriculum, LBW offers opportunities to learn about leadership in 21st century organizations through a dynamic and rigorous mix of classes with Wharton professors and business leaders, real-time business simulations, and team-building activities.
Each summer, LBW students:
- Attend lectures and presentations from outstanding Wharton faculty and guest speakers
- Participate in classroom discussions about core business subjects, including research-based theories of leadership and teamwork
- Practically apply real-world business practices through Wharton Interactive’s digital simulations and case competitions
- Conduct research on business enterprises and speak with successful leaders across the industries of finance, entrepreneurship, entertainment, real estate, retail, and more
All participants who complete the program will earn a Wharton Global Youth Certificate of Completion.
Instructional Team
Instructors work closely with the Academic Director to deliver daily program lectures, facilitate group activities and coach students’ capstone projects.
Teaching Assistants consist of both undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Pennsylvania. TAs facilitate small-group discussions, lead small-group lab work, ensure student understanding, assist with final project development, and hold office hours to answer student questions.
Academic Director: Xu (Henry) Han
Xu Han (“Henry”) is an Associate Professor of Management at the College of New Jersey and an Adjunct Associate Professor and Senior Fellow in the Management Department at the Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania. Henry earned his Bachelor in International Law from China Foreign Affair University and Ph.D. in Management (Strategy) from Guanghua School of Management at Peking University.
Henry’s broad research interest lies in understanding how firms create value and sustained competitive advantage through corporate entrepreneurship and business model innovation. He is particularly interested in firms in FinTech and renewable energy sectors. Henry’s research has been published in influential academic and practitioner-oriented journals and presented in multiple international conferences. He received “Best Empirical Paper Award” from the Entrepreneurship Division of Academy of Management. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of Management and Organization Review.
Henry’s teaching is focused on a diverse set of strategy and entrepreneurship related topics (e.g., business model innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, digital transformation and disruption, early stage financing) in undergraduate, MBA and Executive Education programs. He also writes teaching cases on these topics. Henry received a Wharton Teaching Excellence Award in 2020. Besides research and teaching, Henry co-founded and runs a venture-backed climate tech company which received grants and prizes from National Science Foundation and Department of Energy. He also advises a number of start-up and established companies on various strategy and entrepreneurship issues.
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.
“During LBW, I was immersed in Wharton’s rigorous and collaborative academic culture. Through lectures and guest speakers, I was exposed to the distinct facets of the business world and discovered my interest in the intersection between business and psychology." - Maddie B., New York, USA