A block away from the entrance of MIT Building E62, home of the MIT Sloan School of Management, sits a sign that dubs Kendall Square as “the most innovative square mile on the planet.” While companies like Moderna, Pfizer, Google, and Microsoft contribute, another reason for this moniker is the presence of the Institute and its influence in entrepreneurship. Our students agree.
With the mission of MIT Sloan being, in part, “to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world,” opportunity for innovation and entrepreneurship is expected. The Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship serves as a hub for entrepreneurial resources, running initiatives like the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition. Across campus, centers like iHQ and the MIT Media Lab also provide several opportunities for cutting-edge ventures.
However, some of our students find it hard to grasp just how vast the ecosystem is—until they become part of it.
The spirit of innovation at MIT Sloan permeates into the MIT Executive MBA. The MIT EMBA is one of the only Executive MBA programs in the nation that has entrepreneurship baked into the curriculum, as the second module of the program is Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurial Advantage (IDEA). During this module, students pitch their ideas for a startup, then work in groups to start bringing them to life. This is an opportunity for students to develop an understanding of the mechanics and practices of new product innovation and entrepreneurial strategy.
The IDEA module is just the start of how entrepreneurship intersects with the curriculum. In courses like IDEA Lab, students can use assignments to further develop their entrepreneurial and innovative endeavors.
The entrepreneurial spirit of the MIT EMBA is strong within the entire community—students, staff, and faculty alike. Access to innovation across campus is unparalleled and the passion is infectious. Cofounders of Electives—who met in the program—Jason Lavendar, EMBA ’20, and Krikor Dzeronian, EMBA ’20, sum this phenomenon up best. “It’s amazing to reflect on how impactful this program was to our founder journey. The MIT Sloan mission to ‘build principled leaders who improve the world…’ lives on with us every day.”
Learn more about entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan
