FAQs

The mission of The Entrepreneurship Program is to instill entrepreneurial thinking in all Columbia Business School students and to create a community of business practitioners with a lifelong commitment to achieving social and economic progress through entrepreneurship.

You do not need to apply to our Program. The Entrepreneurship Program is available to all admitted MBA students.   To learn more about applying to Columbia Business School and concentrating in entrepreneurship visit: MBA Program - Apply

All Columbia Business School students are invited to take advantage of the Program’s events and services from the start of their academic careers. Becoming involved from the beginning allows students to get to know our staff and benefit from our events and services. The Program offers students resources on developing their business plan and knowledge of potential funding opportunities.

To concentrate in entrepreneurship, you must take at least three classes.  The three classes we recommend are Launching New Ventures, Intro to Venturing and Entrepreneurial Finance.

For more information, visit the Lang Center office in Uris Hall room 317.

We invite seasoned professionals, investors, alumni and faculty members interested in mentoring students to contact the Lang Center office. Please fill out the online “Become a Mentor” form and e-mail us a brief bio. Our office will contact you with further details.

You may post a job announcement online at www.gsb.columbia.edu/jobpost. This service is free, and no password is required. You may designate your job posting for current students, alumni or both. For additional information on recruiting Columbia MBAs, visit the Recruiters Web site at www.gsb.columbia.edu/recruiters or contact the Office of MBA Career Services at 212-854-5471.

The Small Business Consulting Group is a student organization that provides pro bono consulting services to small businesses and nonprofit organizations. For more information, go to www.gsb.columbia.edu/students/organizations/sbcp/.

A small library of business plans, reference materials and articles are available for review for current MBA students at the Lang Center office in 317 Uris Hall.  Links to additional resources can be found on our website.

Columbia MBA students in their second year are eligible to apply to the Lang Fund. Venture teams must include at least one second-year MBA student enrolled in Columbia Business School, and the students must be committed entrepreneurs ready to launch their ventures upon graduation.

Alumni play an important role in guiding current students and their business ventures. As an alumnus/a, you may choose to become involved with the Program through the Partnership Program and/or serve as a mentor, judge, Entrepreneurial Sounding Board counselor or class guest speaker. Please contact the Lang Center office for further details.

The Greenhouse Program [Master Class] is open to all MBA students in their second year who are serious about launching a company upon graduation. Note: This company must be the student’s own; it may not be sponsored by another individual or company.

About the Greenhouse Program

The Entrepreneurial Greenhouse Program is a spring-term Master Class that prepares participants to launch a company upon graduation. Limited funding is provided for approved start-up expenses, such as legal fees, attending tradeshows, etc. To apply to the Greenhouse Program, students must submit a business plan and make a formal presentation to the Greenhouse selection committee in early December. Admission is competitive; approximately 15-20 students are accepted each year.

The Global Social Venture Competition [GSVC] is an innovative partnership between Columbia Business School, the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, London Business School, Yale School of Management and the Indian School of Business. The competition aims to foster a new generation of business leaders that values the social as well as the profit potential of business. It achieves this goal by catalyzing and promoting for-profit and not-for-profit ventures that create and measure both social and financial returns.

For specific dates and rules, visit www.gsvc.org.