MIT Sloan Executive Education’s non-degree executive courses are led by MIT Sloan faculty and provide a targeted and flexible means to futureproof your business and your career. Fueled by cutting-edge research and aided by the latest technology, Exec Ed’s offerings include 90+ in-person and online courses offered throughout the year, as well as custom programs for organizations, and Executive Certificates.
EDP is held each year in January, EDA each year in June.
Entrepreneurship Development Program
The week long Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP) draws from the vast culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at MIT. This unique entrepreneurship development course introduces participants to MIT’s entrepreneurial education programs, technology transfer system, and global entrepreneurial network. It covers the entire venture creation process, from generating ideas to building viable global businesses, with a special emphasis on the nurturing roles of corporations, universities, governments, and foundations.
EDP participants will leave this course able to:
- Create, identify, and evaluate new venture opportunities
- Interpret customer needs and quantify the value proposition
- Start and build a successful technology-based company
- Understand how the process of starting new ventures may vary geographically and culturally
- Develop winning business plans
- Scale startups to be globally successful
- Navigate the venture capital investment process
- Obtain feedback on personal entrepreneurship skills
- Enhance and expand your network
This program leverages MIT’s culture of high-tech entrepreneurship to help entrepreneurs, corporate venturing executives, startup companies, and others involved in entrepreneurial environments learn what they need to develop ideas into successful businesses, and how to increase entrepreneurial opportunities in their corporations, institutions, and regions.
Through lectures by senior MIT faculty, visits to local startup companies, and live case studies with successful entrepreneurs, participants will be exposed to the content, context, and contacts that enable entrepreneurs to design and launch successful new ventures based on innovative technologies. Specially designed team projects give participants hands-on training and practical experience developing a business plan, while networking events bring participants together with members of MIT’s entrepreneurial community. During the program, you will use a custom-developed generative AI tool that leverages the 24-step Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework to create a robust and refined business plan at record speed.
Entrepreneurship Development Accelerator
The Entrepreneurship Development Accelerator (EDA) is a chance for you to exponentially advance the progress of your venture. Led by serial entrepreneurs Bill Aulet and Paul Cheek, this new, intensive, week-long program bridges the gap between idea and execution, helping participants develop the skill sets required to put a plan into action and de-risk their business opportunity so that they can confidently move forward.
You will leave this course with:
- A more comprehensive and rigorous business plan that has a higher likelihood of success than your previous working plan
- Enhanced target customer profile and persona development
- Next steps for building a successful sales process
- Goals and milestones for your next phase of work
- Global perspectives on launching, growing, and scaling a business shared by other teams participating in the course
- A strong sense of alignment and a common language among your team members with respect to your venture’s strengths, weaknesses, marketing, and growth plan
- Participants joining as a team* will have the added benefit of creating a common language and properly aligning goals to accelerate their business plan
The six-day program runs Sunday through Friday and includes lectures by serial entrepreneurs and MIT faculty, team projects, coaching, AI-enabled business planning, and live case studies with successful entrepreneurs. During the week on campus, you will be exposed to the content, context, and contacts that enable entrepreneurs to design and launch successful new ventures based on innovative technologies. You’ll benefit from a free-flow of ideas from global participants starting ventures from scratch or launching new businesses within existing enterprises. Your team will benefit from dedicated coaching sessions with experienced MIT entrepreneurs, successful founders, and faculty members.
Hands down the best learning experience ever in my life. Life changing, practical and engaging, and taught by the top faculty in the field, you’ll meet top entrepreneurs and hear their stories, you’ll build an amazing network, be part of the MIT ecosystem, and above all you’ll be having some serious fun.
Bill Aulet is just great. This is a must for anyone who wants to start an innovation driven business/startup. . . I wish I had done this [course] before I started my company. Simply, you will leave knowing exactly what you need to do from idea stage (defining your market and customer) through how to scale up your business. You will also understand how to present to investors to raise funds.
The most valuable week of education I have had. This course is truly transformational, providing education that can be put straight into action to realize your entrepreneurial endeavors in either an existing business or a start-up. This course exceeded my expectations, providing me with knowledge, experience and networks to succeed.
The program provided me with invaluable, lifelong lessons in business and entrepreneurship as well as the skills and confidence to move ahead in my career pursuits. The week exceeded my expectations and left me with an unspeakable energy to start the new year.
Follow