15.389 Global Entrepreneurship Lab, Fall 2004-Spring 2005

Abstract

Enables teams of engineering, science, and management students to work with the top management of international high-tech start-ups and gain hands-on experience in starting and running a new enterprise outside the United States. Lectures expose students to the issues and policies that affect the climate for innovation and start-up success around the world. Subject begins in the second half of the fall semester. Continues for 2-3 weeks during IAP, when students spend time at company sites. Subject concludes in the first half of the spring semester. Students must complete all three components to receive credit. From the course home page: Course Description A new form of entrepreneurship is developing. Instead of focusing just on one country, today's innovative startups are increasingly looking globally for ideas, funding, people and markets. This is particularly true for new companies in Latin America, Western Europe and Asia. It is also true for many new companies in the United States. G-Lab has four goals: 1. To familiarize students with the issues and challenges facing global startups. 2. To provide students with the experience of working in a "global" startup. These companies are either based outside the US or are in the US and trying to go global at a very early stage in their development. 3. To allow students to build networks of contacts with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists around the world. We very much hope that this will lead to career opportunities in a wide range of industries and countries. We also hope your experience will help you decide whether, when and how you would like to work as a global entrepreneur. 4. To offer high quality advice for global startups. We would like MIT Sloan to become the first place that global startups look for advice and help. This is an important goal for you, the MIT Entrepreneurship Center and all future generations of MIT students.