HEC Paris has a longstanding commitment to fostering entrepreneurship. Initiatives like the HEC Paris Incubator and the HEC Paris Challenge+ Start-Up Institute offer valuable support and resources to HEC Paris students and graduates seeking to launch their own companies. Academic programs such as the MSc in Management Entrepreneurship major and the Specialized Masters in Entrepreneurship offer students first-hand exposure to experienced entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and consultants through coursework, group projects and seminars designed to test and hone their entrepreneurial skills.

Alongside its Advanced Management Elective in Entrepreneurship, the HEC Paris MBA Program is reinforcing this commitment by launching a new certificate program for young aspiring entrepreneurs or those who are already operating their own businesses. The inaugural Entrepreneurship Track Program (ETP) will take place from September to December 2010, with an introductory session at HEC Paris in June.

Laying the foundation for entrepreneurship

The ETP has been designed to meet the needs of a wide range of entrepreneurs with work experience (three to nine years), from those seeking to start businesses from scratch to those looking to improve their investment practices when dealing with small or new enterprises. The three and a half-month program will give entrepreneurs the hands-on knowledge, skills and global perspective needed to successfully launch and manage their own businesses.

ETP Participants will receive practical training in finance, management and leadership, operations, innovation and sustainable corporate development from the Strategy and Business Policy department. Associate Professor Oliver Gottschalg will pilot the Program, supported by HEC Paris Start-Up Institute Director Frédéric Iselin, and Emeritus Professor of Strategy and Business Plan Michel Santi.

Designing, developing and growing a business

All course content is structured around three core axes—designing, developing and growing a new business—that target each critical stage of an entrepreneurial endeavor. Course material is delivered through an interactive pedagogical approach that combines classroom teaching and mentoring with workshops, seminars and field visits. The program also involves an interactive business plan workshop contest, enabling ETP students to put their learning to the test in front of a jury composed of venture capitalists, coaches, and accomplished entrepreneurs.

ETP students will learn alongside HEC Paris MBA participants, who represent 55 different nationalities, with 83% coming from outside France. “We have designed the ETP to offer program participants flexibility, specificity in entrepreneurial focus and access to the benefits of HEC Paris’ diverse learning community,” says HEC Paris MBA Associate Dean Valérie Gauthier. “HEC Paris is committed to training high-potential individuals to create, innovate and take on leadership positions in international business. Through the ETP, we are reinforcing our commitment to training the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

For further information on the program or application procedures, please contact
Marie-Laurence Lemaire, lemaireml@hec.fr.