Entrepreneurship and Venture Initiation

This final Course in the Leading and Managing the Startup Certificate addresses growth as seen through a financial lens. Professor Geis’s topics include analyzing a business opportunity via a pro forma, including Internal Rate of Return and Net Present Value. Next are investigations of cash-flow management, accounts receivable, and using trade credit, followed by examples showing various approaches to expansion, both organic and inorganic.

Private

Faculty

Prof. George Geis

Prof. George Geis

Professor

George T. Geis, Ph.D., is an adjunct professor of Information Systems at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Geis teaches at UCLA Anderson in the areas of mergers & acquisitions, financial modeling, entrepreneurship, and accounting.  He has been voted Outstanding Teacher of the Year at UCLA Anderson four times and has received a number of other teaching awards. Geis has also served as Associate Dean and Faculty Director of UCLA Anderson’s Executive MBA program. He is currently Faculty Director of Anderson’s Mergers and Acquisitions Executive program. Geis has also taught mergers and acquisitions at the Haas School, UC Berkeley and has been a visiting professor at Bocconi University (Milan) and at Darden School of Business (University of Virginia).

Dr. Geis is an expert on M&A activity in technology, communications and media markets. His most recent book, Digital Deals, provides a blueprint for planning and executing sound corporate business development strategies. Geis’ research interests include market modeling for M&A-related strategies as well as venture initiation and growth processes.

A National Science Foundation and Woodrow Wilson Honorary Fellow, Dr. Geis has extensive consulting experience and has published dozens of professional articles and six books. He is the recipient of the Financial Executives Institute Award for outstanding achievement in finance.

Dr. Geis taught in the LEAD Summer Institute for minority youth for more than 10 years. He has provided management education for directors of Head Start programs nationwide as well as for Iraq veterans in UCLA’s Entrepreneurs’ Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. His 16- tape lecture series on “Statistical Analysis in Business” appeared as part of the Teaching Company’s Super Star Teacher series.

Geis is editor of a web site that provides a visual analysis of M&A deals in technology, media and communications markets at http://www.trivergence.com . Geis also writes an M&A blog at http://maprofessor.blogspot.com .

Geis received a B.S. “summa cum laude” and with “honors in mathematics” from Purdue University , an M.B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. from University of Southern California.

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Analyze your areas of strength and weakness relative to the core issues of entrepreneurship.
  • Use the definitions of entrepreneurship – “The relentless pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources you currently control” – and opportunity – “A desired future state that is different from the present and the belief that achievement of that state is possible” – to identify at least five entrepreneurial ideas you could explore as potential ventures in your own future.
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Syllabus

Module Components:

Video Lectures

  • Entrepreneurship – Bringing It All Together
  • Entrepreneurship – Breaking the Myths

Readings:

  • Self-Awareness: The Secret Ingredient for Success
  • Generating Initial Ideas for New Venture Opportunities

Case-Study:

  • ARTificial Plants (Continued-Part 3)

Quiz:

  • Entrepreneurship and Venture Initiation

Support

Please email [email protected] for any support required with respect to the program, course or platform.