Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Every entrepreneur begins at the same starting point - the idea. In this course, students will start with an idea and build it to a potential solution. Major topics will include: identifying opportunities, creating value, identifying and connecting with the customer, understanding markets and the competition, measuring return on investment, and understanding the purpose of the venture.

A solution is only valuable if you can make it a reality. In this course, students will take a potential solution and build in the processes and structure required to define and execute it. Major topics will include: business models, feasibility analysis, forecasting demand, budgeting and financing, and organizational structure.

Success as an entrepreneur requires the ability to get people behind your idea and your organization. In this course, students will explore what leadership means, how to be a good leader, and how to inspire trust and commitment in others. Major topics will include: team dynamics, managing people, trust, leading by example, managing projects, shared goals, and setting expectations.

Many of the challenges of starting a venture come after it has begun. In this course, students will learn how to create or build a venture that is sustainable, scalable, and provides lasting value to their communities. Major topics will include: strategic analysis, venture scaling, goal-setting, measuring success, diversification and growth, and exit strategies.

Entrepreneurship is an active experience- we learn best by doing. In this course, students will focus on integrating the entrepreneurial tools they have developed in the context of a venture launch. Major topics will include: enterprise launch, legal issues, financing, investor relationships, and negotiation.

The value we create as entrepreneurs is more than economic. In this course, students will explore how to create ventures that provide lasting value to society and serve as examples of Jesuit and humanistic leadership. Major topics will include: ethical and moral development, Magis, the responsibility of leaders, and building an ethical organization.

Course content to be determined by the instructor.

This experiential course provides hands-on experience in developing ideas for new commercial and/or social enterprises. Students work on teams to develop their own or other entrepreneurs' ideas. Projects typically include feasibility analysis, market research, and business planning. Students receive one credit for each 60 hours worked in the New Venture Lab. Course requirements include keeping a journal, completing assigned project tasks, and submitting a final report detailing learning outcomes. Open to any major at the university (for Hogan Program students and those not in the Hogan Program).

An approved internship is required for completion of the concentration in entrepreneurial leadership. The ideal internship allows the student to apply concepts and analytical tools from the curriculum in an entrepreneurial context. Approved internships consist of a minimum work requirement of 180 hours and completion of a written report summarizing the learning experience. Instructor approval required.

Small and medium sized businesses play a major role in the Italian economic system. Students will Interact with the business community as they learn fundamental management and marketing principles as well as the unique organization structures, legal considerations, and operational issues associated with business enterprise in Italy. Florence only. On sufficient demand.

Prepares students with the fundamentals of idea generation, feasibility assessment, team building, and assembly of resources for the creation of a new venture. The class includes guest speakers, case studies, and a team project. Any major at the university can enroll.

This course covers the fundamentals of creating and growing new commercial or social enterprises. Course content provides an overview of the world of entrepreneurship including an introduction to economics, the role of society and government, legal and ethical issues, creating and managing new ventures, and the various functional areas of business. Students are required to complete a business plan and investor presentation for a commercial or non-profit organization as part of the course requirements. This course counts towards the integrative requirement for business majors. In addition to receiving support from Gonzaga faculty and experienced entrepreneurs, students interact with attorneys, financiers, and other professional service providers. Any major at the university can enroll.

This class develops a framework to study, analyze and understand the formation and creation of new ventures with an emphasis on organizations specializing in product innovation and technology as their main source of competitive advantage. This course introduces students with a technical background to the inherent risks, issues and hurdles faced by both independent and corporate entrepreneurs. The course objectives include: identifying and evaluating market opportunities, investigating intellectual property issues, creating a management team, funding start-ups, evaluating business models, and the growth of new ventures. Open to any major at the University.

This course provides students with an introduction to social entrepreneurs (those who create new ventures to address unmet societal needs), the ventures they create, how these ventures create social value, and to provide students with the tools they need to pursue their own social enterprises. Students will address each of the key components of this emerging field: problem identification, solution identification, concept development, venture creation, value assessment, and the communication of the idea and venture goals. Students will explore examples of current social enterprises, leading thinkers in the field of social entrepreneurship, and core entrepreneurial theory focused on social enterprises. This course counts towards the integrative requirement for business majors. Any major in the university can enroll.

This is an experiential course that provides 'hands-on' experience in developing ideas for new commercial and/or social enterprises. Students work on teams to develop their own or other entrepreneurs' ideas. Projects typically involve feasibility analysis, market research, and business planning. Students receive one credit for each 60 hours worked in the New Venture Lab. Course requirements include keeping a journal, completing assigned project tasks, and submitting a final report detailing learning outcomes. This course counts towards the experiential requirement for business majors. Open to any major in the University. Instructor approval required.

Topic to be decided by faculty.