EPS7200 Entrepreneurship & Opportunity

2 CreditsEntrepreneurship & Opportunity (E&O) - This course provides an overview of the entrepreneurship method that will enable you to create, identify, assess, shape, and act on opportunities in a variety of contexts and organizations. The method, called Entrepreneurial Thought & Action (ETA), is teachable and learnable, but is not predictable. This is a results-oriented course that emphasizes early action in order to test and refine new venture concepts.

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Course Number: EPS7200
  • Number of Credits: 2

EPS6300 Entrepreneurship, Analytics, and Strategy of the Firm
3 Blended Credits
This course provides an overview of the entrepreneurship method that will enable students to create, identify, assess, shape, and act on opportunities in a variety of contexts and organizations, while also introducing students to the use of analytics throughout the lifecycle of business applications. The method, called Entrepreneurial Thought and Action (ET&A), is teachable and learnable, but is not predictable. This is a results-oriented course that emphasizes early action in order to test and refine new venture concepts. Topics will include: innovation uncertainty in the corporate environment, Design Thinking, Shareholder Value and EVA//Multi Business Strategy in Large Corporations, Industry Analysis, Ecosystems and Competitive Positioning and How Big Companies Make Decisions.

Prerequisites: Admission in to the MSBA program. CAM students should contact Graduate Academic Services to pursue enrollment in this course.

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: MSBA Core (Grad)
  • Course Number: EPS6300
  • Number of Credits: 3

EPS9553 Family Business to Next Stage of Growth

1.5 CreditsMeeting Dates TBD

Drop Deadline TBD

Growth is the necessary condition for a trans-generational enterprising family. This course will explore the challenges and complexity of growth in the generational context of the family. The inflection point question, _How do we take the family business to the next stage of growth?_ requires that families discover the _power of f_ in wealth creation. The question of growth raises additional questions for reflection and conversation:

o Do you have a compelling multi-generational vision for growth?
o What is the difference between an enterprising family and traditional family business?
o What are the constraints to growth in your family business?
o How does the family context create a unique _entrepreneurship to the power of f_?
o What is your _power of f_ familiness advance performance model?
o How does your governance support or constrain growth?
o How do your planning capabilities support growth?
o How do you align the family risk profile for growth?
o What do you do if family shareholders don't want to grow (but don't know it)?
o How do you establish an ownership strategic options continuum to support growth?

The Inflection Point Question Course is a Friday/Saturday _family retreat_ format that provides personalized coaching to participants based upon their individual family cases - family members are welcome to join students. The Goal is to stimulate deeper personal and professional Reflection…facilitate peer collegial Conversation…set participants up for Collaborative decision making in the family…and lead to an action plan for Execution by the students on their goals.

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
  • Course Number: EPS9553
  • Number of Credits: 1.5

EPS7510 Financing Your Entrepreneurial Business
(Formerly Entrepreneurial Finance)

3 CreditsFocuses on raising seed and growth capital from venture capital, business angels, investment banking, and commercial banking sources; and financial problems unique to the small- and medium-sized firm undergoing rapid growth. Examines actual proposals made to venture capital firms, particularly in terms of their financial viability. Course also examines financial management for entrepreneurs over the life of a business project. Includes financing start-ups, financial planning for the nonpublic smaller enterprise, going public, selling out, bankruptcy, sources of capital, and other related topics.


Prerequisites: None

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
  • Course Number: EPS7510
  • Number of Credits: 3

EPS9507 Food Entrepreneurship
3 Elective Credits

There is disruption everywhere in food! With challenges due to COVID, there are global food shortages, supply chain interruptions, and innovations in food science that affect how food entrepreneurs identify or create opportunities, launch and grow ventures. Once alternative foods are now mainstream, large food companies are struggling to reinvent themselves and consumers are driving significant change. There is a proliferation of start-ups, food science and technology innovations as well as rising awareness for food priorities, nutrition, education and health.

This experiential elective focuses on the food entrepreneur's journey from idea to launch. We begin with an exploration of your personal passions in the food industry, then examine global megatrends in food where needs, gaps and opportunities are identified. In teams, students will design a new initiative to meet this need/opportunity. Students will engage with food industry experts, consumers and other stakeholders to develop and explore their new initiative as a solution to a food related problem or opportunity. Students will obtain feedback on these initiatives, develop a prototype and experiment with the business model. Resource acquisition strategies and metrics for these new initiatives' food will be developed and investigated. New initiatives may be a program, non-profit, corporate venture or new venture, and can be in any sector related to food- including the following:

  • growing (e.g. agriculture, production, nutrition)

  • making (e.g. producing food in restaurants, beverages, consumer packaged goods)

  • moving (e.g. food services, distribution, shipping, packaging, delivery)

  • selling (e.g. wholesaling, marketing, retailing, ecommerce)

  • serving (e.g. staffing, feeding, food health)

  • disposing (e.g. food waste, packaging, composting)

In addition to working on your own initiatives, students will also co-create solutions to a real-world business problem facing food entrepreneurs who will visit the class. Further, using Babson's Entrepreneurial Thought & Action (ET&A) method, each student will consider the dynamics and interconnectedness of the food industry through a series of individual activities in each of the six food sectors, sharing their experiences and reflections. Be prepared to share family recipes, participate in a "chopped challenge" and measure your food waste. Bring your appetite for learning and food!

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
  • Course Number: EPS9507
  • Number of Credits: 3

EPS7556 Foundations of Family Entrepreneurship

3 CreditsThis course provided a broad overview of topics that are relevant to understanding the nature and dynamics of entrepreneurial families. The course will cover such topics as; defining family entrepreneurship versus family business, identifying the pervasiveness of family entrepreneurship and its economic and social contributions, governance and succession in entrepreneurial families, the management of change and transgenerational value creation, conflict management, and the development and allocation of financial and human assets.

For more information please view this video.

Prerequisites: None

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
  • Course Number: EPS7556
  • Number of Credits: 3

EPS7534 Franchising, Licensing & Distributorship Collaborative Business Models
1.5 Elective Credits
If you have taken and passed EPS7571, you cannot register for EPS7534, as these two courses are equivalent

This course focuses on the process, challenges and opportunities in franchising, which is a $2T part of the U.S. economy and a multi-trillion dollar market worldwide. _Franchising_ is a very specific term referring to a business that licenses its brand, operating model and provides support to franchisees who pay a number of fees and then invest their own capital to build the corporate brand. The course is practical in approach and touches on a large number of issues in seven weeks. Previous exposure to franchising, M&A or small business is not assumed.

For more information: https://babson.webex.com/webappng/sites/babson/recording/ac84a20eebe8103abbfa005056812cb9/playback


Prerequisites: EPS7200 or EPS7800

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
  • Course Number: EPS7534
  • Number of Credits: 1.5

EPS7539 Future Trends in Entrepreneurial Ventures
3 Credits
Changing industry and market forces create scalable, emergent markets for new ventures. Entrepreneurs and Corporate Innovators who can grasp future trends have a distinct advantage in being able to focus their efforts where opportunities and markets converge. In this course, we will scan the future in Three Areas (Business and Economic, Technology, and Organization) that are further expanded into twelve dimensions. The goal of this course is to create an understanding of how to develop entrepreneurial and innovative vision and action in order to scan, identify, and test future customer needs; design products and services to meet those needs; and build support from the entrepreneurial eco-system including investors and business partners. Students will develop an understanding of the future that applies to her/his own innovation leadership vision; identify Key Future Factors that allow innovative leaders to address customer needs currently unmet; and develop an action approach to scale an opportunity with an assessment of future trends and markets.

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
  • Course Number: EPS7539
  • Number of Credits: 3

EPS7504 Global Entrepreneurship

(Previously titled International Entrepreneurship)
3 Elective Credits

Generating economic growth, fueling social development, and increasing individual wealth in developed and emerging economies around the world, entrepreneurship has drawn the attention of a wide range of stakeholders (e.g., government, academic, corporations, non-profits, etc.). International entrepreneurial opportunities abound as a result of technological advances, environmental challenges, and increased market access. International Entrepreneurship explores and analyzes these opportunities and challenges of launching and leading ventures in an international context. To accomplish this, the course uses a variety of frameworks, analytical models, and decision-making tools to better understand the entrepreneurial process and leadership in the context of cultures, economies, governments, and legal systems, primarily outside the United States. The primary assignment is an international venture plan completed by teams.

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Graduate Elective (Grad)
  • Course Number: EPS7504
  • Number of Credits: 3

MSM6110 Global Entrepreneurship Experience

3 CreditsAt Babson, we consider a global mindset necessary for the 21st century. In addition to learning from the diversity of students in the program, in this course students will explore entrepreneurial ecosystems in a context different than the one in which they grew up. Groups of approximately 25 students will travel with instructors to other regions of the world to engage with locals on topics of entrepreneurial concern. Travel for this course occurs for 8-12 days during winter term and the course includes pre-departure preparation sessions, as well as post-return reflection exercises.

  • Program: Graduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Course Number: MSM6110
  • Number of Credits: 3