Entrepreneurship Summer School Opens at London Business School: MBA News

The eight week long Entrepreneurship Summer School at London Business School opened yesterday, with 56 enrolled students bringing their business ideas to the famous school.

 

This year, attendees will be given access to over 50 mentors from the international entrepreneurial community, who will provide advice and guidance as the students work to find potential funders, customers, suppliers and stakeholders.

 

Though external entrepreneurially inclined applicants are welcome, the Entrepreneurship Summer School is an optional extra as part of the London Business School MBA program.

First launched in 2001, the Entrepreneurship Summer School has so far aided a total of 212 start-up companies, creating over 1,200 jobs. £476 million has been raised in capital by the start-ups at London Business School, with the funding coming from angel investors, venture capitalists, industry, suppliers, government, grants and other sources.

 

“This is the entrepreneurial highlight of the year for us," says Jeff Skinner, executive director of the Deloitte Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at London Business School. "The Entrepreneurial Summer School is a cauldron of entrepreneurial fervour. Students arrive hungry to build their own ventures but not knowing how to go about it. The summer school equips them with a methodology they can apply to any venture. It’s wonderful to see how they develop.”

 

Maxwell Henderson is a former student of the program, which he used to start his company, Hotpod Yoga. “London Business School’s Entrepreneurship Summer School made me think about my business idea in a practical way," he explains. "It forced me to understand every element and to be prepared for every challenge. Critically it gave me confidence and a network to help me on my way. After the final presentation to a collection of astute investors and business experts, I felt 100% confident we could make it work.”

 

London Business School's alumni who are no longer enrolled at the school are able to make use of a 50% discount on the £6,000 (roughly US$9,200) course fees for external applicants.