Leavey School of Business Accepting Applications for Third Annual California Program for Entrepreneurship
Deborah Lohse
Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship program aims to help California businesses launch, grow, and bring jobs to communities
SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 17, 2012 – Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business is accepting applications for the third cohort of students for the California Program for Entrepreneurship (CAPE), a six-month program for emerging entrepreneurs that begins in June.
Up to 36 California-based companies will be selected by June 1 to participate in a series of classes, workshops, mentorships, and networking led by Santa Clara University faculty and augmented by the school’s Silicon Valley connections. The cost of the subsidized program is $5,000 per participant, with reduced fees for multiple applicants from the same venture. SCU alumni and current students are eligible for a $2,000 fellowship from the business school.
Applications will be accepted through May 1, and details can be found at www.scu.edu/business/cie/CAPE.cfm.
Selection will be based on the quality of the business concept, the opportunity for growth and scalability, and the potential to make an economic impact on the community. More than 40 entrepreneurs, most with ongoing ventures, participated in the first two CAPE programs.
Those selected will complete virtual exercises, work with faculty coaches and mentors, and join colleagues in two weekend onsite sessions. In September, the cohort will come to the Santa Clara campus for an intensive, week-long workshop, after which they will prepare a business ‘pitch’ under the guidance of Silicon Valley executive mentors. Two post-workshop weekend sessions will prepare group members to compete in a $5,000 business plan contest in November for the final onsite session and certificate ceremony.
“CAPE has proved to be a valuable training ground for businesses that need an extra edge for marketing, strategizing, focusing their business plan, or discovering finance options,” said Daniel Aguiar, executive director of the business school’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and a former entrepreneur. “Our goal is to turn promising businesses into prosperous employers for communities around California.”
Emerging entrepreneurs are invited to apply for admission to the program by May 1 through www.scu.edu/business/cie/CAPE-Application.cfm.
About the Santa Clara University School of Business
The Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University began in 1923, and was one of the first business schools in the country to receive national accreditation. Its undergraduate business, MBA, and Executive MBA programs are consistently ranked among the top in the nation by BusinessWeek, U.S. News, Princeton Review, and others. The curriculum at all levels emphasizes the leadership role of business in creating prosperity within an ethical framework, as well as business responsibilities for social justice and sustainability in the global marketplace. The School opened its $49 million building for undergraduate, graduate, and professional business education in Fall 2008. For more information, see www.scu.edu/business/
Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Relations | 408-554-5121 | dlohse@scu.edu