Academic Program The Wake Forest Schools of Business graduate program offers a primary and secondary concentration in entrepreneurship in the full-time MBA program. Among the 17 course offerings are: Creativity and Feasibility, Family Business Dynamics, Fast-Growth Management, Business Plan Practicum, Financing Entrepreneurial Ventures, Value Creation, and Management of Innovation. More than 90% of all full-time students take one of these entrepreneurship electives and more than 70% take two or more. Faculty who teach these courses come from a diverse group of 15 full-time, part-time and executive faculty.
Entrepreneurial Internships Internships provide students with first hand experience by allowing them to work directly with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. In 2001, the graduate program added three internships within the social entrepreneurship domain. Interns receive course credit upon completion of an original teaching case with teaching notes based on their experience — a requirement that helps students bridge the theory-to-practice gap that can exist in business programs. Funding is provided through company support and by contributions from the Price Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Angell Foundation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Program participation has grown to 16 interns and five faculty advisors.
Medical Technology Transfer This program includes summer entrepreneurial internships (11 in last three years), Wake Forest Business Solutions projects (8 in last three years) and special initiatives such as FastTrac Tech (a 12-week program for individuals who want to launch new technology-based ventures). The Angell Center's relationship with the WFU Office of Technology Asset Management is excellent, and we continue to intensify our contributions to the commercialization of their inventions.
DeacEndeavors (Entrepreneurs Club) More than one-third of the graduate program's full-time students are members of this student organization. Activities are extensive and include Entrepreneur's Roundtable, speaker series, company visits, attendance at conferences and participation in venture capital competitions. The Angell Center provides financial support from funds received through a Small Business and Technology Development grant.
Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurial Network (PTEN) The Angell Center and the Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurial Network jointly sponsor educational programs to develop an entrepreneurial culture within the North Carolina Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point). This combination of entrepreneurship driven organizations is designed to foster an entrepreneurial cultural intensity in the area.
Venture capital and angel investor projects. We provide student assistance to angel investor groups, North Carolina venture capital firms and their portfolio companies. This initiative has resulted in projects that offer great experience for students to interact with high-tech businesses and their financial backers.
National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers The Angell Center coordinated and hosted the national director's conference in September 2001. The consortium's purpose is to expand the domain of entrepreneurship through cooperation among university-based programs. www.NationalConsortium.org. The Angell Center for Entrepreneurship received the NASDAQ National Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence Award in 2001. http://www.nationalconsortium.org/awardwinners.htm
Social Entrepreneurship Initiative This innovative program partners the resources of Wake Forest University with local non-profit agencies to build social capital and bridges in the Winston-Salem and Piedmont Triad community. Social entrepreneurship programs enhance the ability of local nonprofit organizations to be innovative in serving their constituencies. Interns have been placed in a variety of nonprofit organizations beginning with three sites in 2001, four in 2002, five in 2003, three new sites in 2004, three in 2005, and the summers of 2006-2007 included the addition of five new sites.
