COURSE NUMBER: MBA295A.2
This course
is dual-listed with the Evening-Weekend MBA Program.
COURSE TITLE: Entrepreneurship
and Innovation
UNITS OF
CREDIT: 3 units
INSTRUCTOR: Kurt
Beyer
E-MAIL ADDRESS: kurt_beyer@berkeley.edu
PREREQUISITES: None
CLASS FORMAT: Mixture
of lectures, workshops, cases, team projects and guest speakers.
REQUIRED
READINGS: The course will have one book (Tipping Point by Gladwell) and also rely on readings
and other materials available on study.net.
BASIS FOR FINAL
GRADE: This is a comprehensive course focused on entrepreneurship
and innovation. Grades will be based on individual and team assignments
and participation.
CAREER FIELD: See
abstract below.
ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S
CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES: 295A is the gateway to the Haas
Entrepreneurship Program and is designed for both those students who are
committed to starting a new venture as well as those who want a better
understanding the tools, techniques, and theory behind this dynamic business
process. Students from the program have produced multiple promising
startups through the years including recent successes Indiegogo, Tubemogul,
Magoosh, Mobileworks, Traveling Spoon, Plushcare, Windfall Data, Xcell
Bioscience, Limebike, Fuzzy, Fusologics and Pokemon Go. Former students
also hold prominent positions at successful startups Pinterest, Postmates,
Uber, Clever, Elance, LiveRamp, Fireeye, and Kenshoo. The course focuses on the
entrepreneur as a leader and manager of change. Through the semester we will
provide the critical tools and strategies addressing product development,
target market analysis, financial modeling, fundraising, and customer
development. Innovation theory and case studies will be supported by live
case examples from some of the most successful local entrepreneurs and alumni,
taking full advantage of Berkeley's unique proximity to San Francisco and
Silicon Valley. The culmination of the class is the opportunity to
present class projects to an audience of Angel Investors and Venture
Capitalists.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Dr. Kurt
Beyer is a member of UC Berkeley’s Haas Business School and
Graduate School of Information Science faculties, where he teachings the
entrepreneurship program to MBAs, undergrads, and grad students. The
program produces multiple promising startups each year including recent
successes Indiegogo, Tubemogul, Magoosh, Mobileworks, Traveling Spoon,
Plushcare, Noglo, Socialwire, and Vires Aerospace. Former students hold
prominent positions at successful startups Uber, Pinterest, Postmates, Clever,
Elance, LiveRamp, Kenshoo, and Education Elements. Kurt also serves
as a senior partner at Parallel Advisors where is advises executives at recent
IPO startups Yelp and Marin Software in addition to many successful earlier
stage companies.
Prior
to joining Berkeley and Parallel Advisors, Kurt was a faculty member at the
United States Naval Academy and founder of Riptopia
Digital Media where he served as CEO for 6 years. During the 1990s Kurt
flew F-14 Tomcats and was assigned to a fighter squadron at Naval Air Station
Oceana in Virginia Beach. Injury cut his naval career short, and Kurt was
honorably discharged, receiving a Navy Commendation Medal and National Defense
Service Medal.
Kurt
is the author of Grace
Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age, published by MIT
Press in 2010, which highlights the rise of the computer industry through the
amazing career of Grace Hopper, the woman responsible for the development of
computer programming. The book was in the Top 10 Science/Technology books for
2010/2011 and is the basis for a 2015 ESPN documentary: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=12205119.
Kurt
earned his BS in engineering and history from the U.S. Naval Academy where he
served as Brigade Commander senior year. He received an MA in economics
and philosophy from Oxford University, and a PhD in the history of science and
technology and economic history from UC Berkeley. Born and raised by an
immigrant working class family on Long Island, Kurt now makes his home in Marin
County with his wife Johanna and two sons Charlie and Gus.
http://facultybio.haas.berkeley.edu/faculty-list/beyer-kurt
http://www.linkedin.com/in/drkurtbeyer
Twitter:drkurtbeyer