Course Description: 

The two-week Business Foundations course is designed to provide you with exposure to some areas of what we call “business.” We start by discussing (and practicing) foundational concepts – in areas such as finance, accounting, and spreadsheet modeling.
From there, we embark on a public company valuation project while, in parallel, discussing and applying ideas, frameworks, and methodologies from areas such as economics, marketing, strategy, and (more) finance and accounting.
Through the valuation project, we will explore how companies think about clients and customers, how they make money and finance themselves, how they think about competition, innovation, and new projects, and how those decisions affect their value. In addition, we will examine some best practices about corporate and personal communication. The project will culminate with a presentation of project findings and analyses.
Finally, we will seek to explore how some of the concepts we cover can be applied to our daily lives and decision-making.

Learning Outcomes: 

Upon completing this course, you will:

• Have a solid grasp of concepts in areas such as accounting, finance, economics, and
  strategy.
• Be conversant in the ways businesses evaluate and make decisions about undertaking
  new projects – and how to finance them.
• Understand the effects of compounding, (financial) leverage, and risk on expected
  returns.
• Be able to apply financial analysis methodologies on issues of personal finance.
• Be able to discuss where business ideas come from, and the differences between
  breakthrough and disruptive innovation.
• Have experience practicing teamwork and collaboration on a real-life problem.
• Feel more confident about creating and delivering persuasive presentations.
• Have a view of potential career areas in business.

Course Description

In this hands-on course, students develop the entrepreneurial mindset by learning how innovators identify problems, generate creative solutions, and build ventures that create economic, social, and environmental value. Through design thinking, customer discovery, rapid prototyping, and collaborative problem-solving, participants experience the innovation process from idea generation to final pitch.

Working in teams, students explore emerging technologies, sustainability challenges, and global issues while designing solutions that address real-world needs. Along the way, they learn how entrepreneurs evaluate opportunities, test assumptions, communicate their vision, and adapt through feedback and iteration. Emphasis is placed not only on developing successful ideas but also on cultivating resilience, creativity, leadership, and ethical decision-making.

By the end of the program, students will have developed the confidence to think entrepreneurially, communicate innovative ideas effectively, and approach future academic and professional challenges with curiosity and initiative.

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Apply design thinking and entrepreneurial problem-solving frameworks to real-world challenges.
• Identify opportunities for innovation by analyzing community, market, and societal needs.
• Develop creative solutions through ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
• Collaborate effectively while demonstrating leadership, communication, and adaptability.
• Construct and deliver a persuasive venture pitch supported by evidence and strategic reasoning.
• Evaluate the broader social, environmental, and ethical implications of entrepreneurial innovation.

Course Description 

This nine-day seminar introduces high school students to the world of finance, investment, and alternative asset management, blending foundational concepts, interdisciplinary perspectives, and real-world career exposure. Students begin with the core building blocks — savings, investment, compounding, diversification, risk and return — before exploring how markets function, why they may or may not be efficient, and where opportunities arise for alternative investments such as private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds. Through case studies, interactive group exercises, and guest speakers, students will see how allocators like endowments and pensions decide where to put capital, how asset managers develop and employ their investment strategies, and how various disciplines such as economics, statistics, psychology, history, and government play an important role in markets and the day-to-day activities of those who work in the finance industry. The course will conclude with frank career reflections, preparing students to think critically about their own interests and the attractions and considerations of the various potential career paths they may choose to pursue.

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Define the core concepts of hedge funds and private equity, including their purposes, structures, and strategies.
• Differentiate between hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, and other investment vehicles.
• Explain how hedge funds and private equity influence companies, industries, and the global economy.
• Analyze simplified case studies of investment decisions and their outcomes.
• Reflect on personal interest in finance and identify pathways for pursuing business or economics in college.

Hands-On Activities 

Possible hands on activities include: 

• Case Study Discussions: Analyze famous examples (e.g., a turnaround via private equity, a hedge fund shorting a stock) through guided readings and group debate.
• Capstone Mini-Project: In small groups, design a pitch for a mock private equity or hedge fund strategy, summarizing goals, risks, and potential impacts.

Guest Speakers

Guest Speaker Q&A: Hear from Dartmouth alumni, Tuck Business School Faculty or local professionals in finance who can demystify the industry and share career pathways.

Course Description

Most entrepreneurship curricula collapse ""entrepreneur"" into a single archetype — the founder. This course pulls that apart. Students spend roughly three days inside each of three modes: Starting a company from a blank page, Building an existing venture through growth and operations, and Acquiring a small business through search-fund or ETA-style playbooks. Each mode is anchored by hands-on work (a napkin-to-pitch sprint; a growth-lever case; a small-business diligence exercise) and a conversation with a practitioner who lives that path — a founder, an operator, and a searcher.

Students leave with a much sharper sense of which entrepreneurial path fits their temperament, not just whether entrepreneurship is ""for them.""

Learning Outcomes

• Distinguish the risk, capital, and skill profiles of founding, operating, and acquiring
• Evaluate a small business as an acquisition target using basic qualitative and operational screens
• Identify personal fit across the three modes using a structured self-assessment
• Practice the core artifact of each mode: a pitch, a growth plan, and a diligence memo
• Speak fluently with industry practitioners about their day-to-day work