LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–UCLA Anderson School of Management will join a select group of business schools around the nation to offer the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), an innovative program designed to provide specialized entrepreneurship training for post-9/11 military personnel injured in the line of duty. The nine-day bootcamp, to be held at UCLA Anderson’s campus on August 2-10, 2008, is part of the EBV’s three-part training course that integrates world-class faculty, disability experts, and successful entrepreneurs to address the specific challenges and opportunities available to veterans motivated by small business ownership.
It is estimated that the number of Americans disabled as a result of supporting military operations since 9/11 has exceeded 50,000. For many of these veterans, traditional employment may represent a lifelong challenge. In response to the overwhelming need for entrepreneurial training for these vets, the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University introduced the EBV program in 2007. This year, the EBV Consortium of Schools was launched, forming a partnership with UCLA Anderson School of Management, Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, Florida State University’s College of Business, and Whitman. At all four institutions, the program’s curriculum is standardized, ensuring that participants receive a consistent, high-quality learning experience.
“We have an obligation to support the increasing number of disabled veterans who return to our communities and seek to build meaningful economic opportunities for themselves and others,” said Judy Olian, dean of UCLA Anderson School of Management. “UCLA Anderson is well positioned and eager to participate in this program. With our highly regarded entrepreneurship faculty and programs, we will be providing these veterans with the tools to advance their entrepreneurial ambitions.”
Conducted by UCLA Anderson’s Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, the EBV has two primary goals: to provide practical, high-quality training in entrepreneurship, and to establish a solid support structure for graduates. The program is outlined in three phases. The first is a self-study session, in which the veterans complete courses through online discussions moderated by university faculty. Phase II is a nine-day residency bootcamp at UCLA Anderson, where participants will learn the ‘nuts and bolts’ of business ownership through workshops and seminars. The last phase involves 12 months of ongoing support and mentorship by faculty experts.
“The EBV is one of the first significant academic partnerships aimed at this unique group of Americans,” said Alfred E. Osborne, Jr., senior associate dean of UCLA Anderson School of Management and faculty director of the Price Center. “As a public institution, UCLA will continue its legacy of service by helping these distinguished vets develop the skills they need to succeed in this next phase of their careers.”
Throughout the EBV course, students will learn to develop strategies for raising capital, attracting customers, and writing business plans that are most effective for their business model. For all participating veterans, the program is entirely free – including tuition, travel and accommodations – thanks to the generous support of private sponsors.
About the Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
The Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies is a recognized leader in entrepreneurial education. Now celebrating its 20th year, the Price Center supports teaching, research, extracurricular activities and management development programs in the areas of entrepreneurship, venture capital and social enterprise at UCLA Anderson. 90% of UCLA Anderson’s full time MBA students enroll in entrepreneurial electives while at Anderson, and more than half are active members of the student-run Entrepreneur Association. The Center is known for its extensive outreach and the impact of its management development programs, which provide entrepreneurial education to such diverse groups as directors of Head Start agencies and community health organizations; leaders of NGOs in Africa that are working on the HIV/AIDS crisis; founders and executives of entrepreneurial companies (including minority-, women- and disabled veteran-owned enterprises); directors and officers of venture-backed and public companies; and K-12 teachers working to develop entrepreneurial curricula, among others.
About UCLA Anderson School of Management
UCLA Anderson School of Management, established in 1935, is regarded among the leading business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty are advancing management thinking through innovative research and teaching. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides management education to more than 1,700 students enrolled in MBA, Executive MBA, Fully-Employed MBA and doctoral programs, and to more than 2,000 professional managers through executive education programs. Combining highly selective admissions, varied and innovative learning programs and a world-wide network of 36,000 alumni, UCLA Anderson prepares students to become future global leaders.
