By Eric Saikali – Recruitment Associate for Leadership Programmes
As a prospective student of London Business School, you may be wondering what opportunities there are for entrepreneurship within our degree portfolio. A large number of students on our Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy choose to take the Entrepreneurship Summer School (ESS) elective, which runs during the School break in July each year and is a great opportunity to further your studies throughout the School holidays.
The ESS is open to students across all programmes at LBS and is even popular among our Executive MBA students. It is ideal for students who want to gain further entrepreneurial knowledge and familiarise themselves with the entrepreneurial way of life. It is also ideal for those who wish to assess the viability of a new venture idea.
This highly experiential programme consists of one week of intensive study followed by several weeks of field research and will culminate in presentations to panels of investors and successful entrepreneurs accustomed to assessing entrepreneurial opportunities. 60 spaces are allocated to students each year and students can apply individually or in teams of two or three.
Lily, an alumna of the Sloan 2022 class, told us a bit about her experience taking the elective:
“London Business School has an outstanding reputation and implements high standards of business education worldwide. One of its most well-known elective modules is the Entrepreneurship Summer School, which welcomes both LBS students and external participants. The program challenges the conventional notion that entrepreneurs are born, not made.
Its curriculum is structured into practical and theoretical components and includes six forces: peers, mentors, faculty, customers, research, and investors. Through macro and micro-level approaches, students gain a deep understanding of industry statistics, market trends, and customer expectations. The faculty’s expertise in selecting relevant business literature ensures that participants get a holistic view of entrepreneurship. Also, the program’s experiential nature allows learners to experiment with playful activities, games, and simulations.
From my personal point of view, the Entrepreneurial Summer School provides three key outcomes: confidence, opportunity, and connections. I naturally gained confidence and self-belief through comprehensive research, feedback from peers and mentors, and the use of the right metrics. The program also offers the opportunity to meet with investors who may fund their projects. The mentors are experienced business owners and entrepreneurs who are keen on supporting new ideas. Moreover, the program builds a diverse network of participants from different industries and geographic locations, allowing students to connect with potential business partners or co-founders.
I have come to the conclusion that London Business School’s Entrepreneurship Summer School is one of the most successful entrepreneurship programmes in the UK. The elective equips participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to gain an integrated perspective of entrepreneurship.”
The course is directed in 2023 by Jeff Skinner and Rupert Merson, whose faculty profiles you can read here.