This course counts toward the following majors: Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Management & Strategy

This new version of 462 will focus on the initial stages of idea generation, team formation and testing key assumptions of a business idea. Through this ‘launchpad’ course students will determine if their ideas are unique, relevant, profitable, and sustainable. At the end of the course, If students have a credible business concept they will be encouraged to enroll in the NUvention courses or Kellogg mentorship programs in subsequent quarters. Students enrolling in 462 do not need a team or a fully developed business idea. Grading will be on an individual basis. Content of the course will focus on the ‘discovery’ process, often referred to as Stage Zero in the innovation process. This is perhaps the most important moment in the life of a business. Get the idea right and your primary challenge will be how to scale your business. Get the idea wrong and scaling your business will be the least of your worries. This course is designed to help you identify opportunities and then improve the quality of your ideas. You will learn how to identify problems worth solving, test your assumptions about possible solutions, adjust your initial hypothesis based on market feedback, and ultimately accelerate the time between inspiration, execution, operations, and growth.

Commercialization Lab (formerly FINC-911-0) (ENTR-911-0)
This new course offers students an experiential learning opportunity to work directly in the commercialization process for innovative technologies. Students will be placed on a four- or five-member team based on their skills, experience and interests. Each team will function as consultants to a Northwestern University research adviser who has invented a new technology with strong commercial potential. The faculty adviser will collaborate with the Technology Transfer Program to select appropriate technologies for the course and match these with student teams. Once matched, the research adviser and the student team will form a “new enterprise” for commercial development. The insights from this hands-on course will be most beneficial to students with an interest in entrepreneurship, product design, intellectual property, and market research. Note: This course may not be dropped after the first week of the quarter.

Venture Capital and Private Equity - The Human Element (ENTR-926-0)

This course counts toward the following majors: Entrepreneurship & Innovation

This advanced course in private equity focuses on the many interpersonal issues facing the professional investor. Individual psychology and group behavior play a critical role in determining the ultimate success or failure of an investment, yet the human element is often mismanaged or overlooked in favor of financial analysis and market studies. A major portion of this course covers the relationship between the investor and the entrepreneur after the initial financing - motivation and compensation, the role of the board of directors, performance evaluation and accountability. Additional topics include fund-raising, deal negotiation and due diligence investigation. This course is designed for students who are seriously considering a career in the private equity business or who desire a deeper understanding of the investor/entrepreneur relationship. The course builds on the fundamental skills of deal analysis, valuation and negotiation, which are taught with a quantitative emphasis in other private equity or venture capital courses offered at the Kellogg School.

Global Governance of Private Companies (ENTR-965-0)

This course counts toward the following majors: Entrepreneurship & Innovation, International Business

Governance issues must be addressed by the power centers of all organizations, ranging from startups to mid-market and other non-public companies. Almost all Kellogg graduates will serve as an officer, director and/or an advisor for one of these U.S. or foreign organizations. The aim of this interdisciplinary course is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to handle controversial governance issues which often fall in the intersection of business, law and ethics. Concepts will cover key governance challenges facing private equity, consulting, investment banking and closely held firms, both in the United States and abroad. We will debate current issues and proposed regulations that affect directors in the U.S. and internationally to help executives and their advisors do the right thing and avoid liabilities. Guests will include the heads of private equity, consulting and investment banking firms.

NUvention: Medical Innovation I (formerly BIOT-915-0) (HEMA-915-0)

This course counts toward the following majors: Biotechnology Management, Health Enterprise Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Medical Innovation is a two-quarter sequence focused on the creation of innovations for the health industry. Students, guided by faculty and physicians from Kellogg and the Northwestern law, medical and engineering schools work in teams to develop medical products. Students experience the entire innovation life cycle from ideation to prototyping, legal protection, market sizing and business plan development. At the end of the course, the teams present their business plans to a panel of venture capitalists with the goal of securing funding and possible formation of a start-up. Key deliverables in this class include: “elevator pitch” to request prototype/pilot funding, prototype development, provisional patent application, FDA 510/K application and business plan presentation to venture capitalists. To enroll in this course, permission from the instructor is required before registration. Students must take both the fall (I) and winter (II) quarter courses, in sequence, and will earn 2.0 credits after successfully completing both courses.

NUvention: Medical Innovation II (formerly BIOT-916-0) (HEMA-916-0)

This course counts toward the following majors: Biotechnology Management, Health Enterprise Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Medical Innovation is a two-quarter sequence focused on the creation of innovations for the health industry. Students, guided by faculty and physicians from Kellogg and the Northwestern law, medical and engineering schools work in teams to develop medical products. Students experience the entire innovation life cycle from ideation to prototyping, legal protection, market sizing and business plan development. At the end of the course, the teams present their business plans to a panel of venture capitalists with the goal of securing funding and possible formation of a start-up. Key deliverables in this class include: “elevator pitch” to request prototype/pilot funding, prototype development, provisional patent application, FDA 510/K application and business plan presentation to venture capitalists. To enroll in this course, permission from the instructor is required before registration. Students must take both the fall and winter quarter courses, in sequence, and will earn 2.0 credits after successfully completing both courses. Note: This course may not be dropped after the first week of the quarter.

Global Governance of Private Companies (KIEI-965-0)