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i-lab January Winter Break Trip: Entrepreneurial Ventures in Silicon Valley

January 8 - 13, 2012

Join the Harvard Innovation Lab for a faculty led trip to Silicon Valley. This field-based program will provide an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the entrepreneurial environment of Silicon Valley, with a focus on the consumer internet sector.

The program schedule is still evolving, but it is likely to include a visit to a venture capital firm’s Sandhill Road offices; a half-day workshop with IDEO design consulting firm; several trips to startups’ offices; presentations and panel discussions featuring entrepreneurs and investors; small group mentoring sessions; a visit to an incubator; and opportunities to network with recent Harvard alumni and with current Stanford students interested in entrepreneurship. Students who are working on business plans will meet with investors to solicit feedback.

TRIP SUMMARY

  • January Term travel to the San Francisco Bay Area (Jan. 8-13, 2012)
  • Pre/Post-Trip Meetings:  Two Fall term, one Winter term late-afternoon meetings at the I-Lab
  • Enrollment:  Limited to 36 students from across Harvard University
  • Led by two professors: Professor Tom Eisenmann from HBS (Howard H. Stevenson Professor of Business Administration; Chair, MBA Elective Curriculum), and Professor Fawwaz Habbal from SEAS (Executive Dean for Education and Research; Senior Lecturer on Applied Physics).

Students will have several assignments. They must submit a learning objective in advance of the trip, outlining their objectives for the program. Each student will also serve as “captain” for a company visit, with responsibility for developing a discussion guide and for briefing classmates in advance of the visit on the company’s history, product, and strategy. Finally, each student will be part of a team responsible for developing, over the course of the week, a point of view on a specific topic (e.g., what’s distinctive about Silicon Valley entrepreneurship; how the evolving funding landscape impacts entrepreneurs’ options), then presenting their perspectives to all program participants.

Please note that enrollment space will be reserved for undergraduate and graduate students from across Harvard University.  In particular, the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences and Harvard Business School are anticipated to comprise the majority of enrollment.

Fees & Financial Aid
Harvard will provide accommodations, select meals, and local transportation during the program, but Harvard undergraduate students will incur a fee of $500 to defray part of the trip costs.  In addition, students are responsible for planning and paying for their air travel to/from the Bay Area, and for transit from San Francisco’s airport to the Palo Alto hotel where the program will be based.

Financial assistance available. If you’re interested in the trip, please apply; do not let the cost dissuade you from applying.

TO APPLY:
Application Deadline:
Saturday, October 15

Submit a resume, plus in no more than one page, address the following questions:

  • What gets you excited about participating in this trip?
  • What do you expect you will contribute to the group?
  • Please share with us your thoughts about your own career. Do you intend to launch your own venture or work at a startup?
  • Are you currently working on a business plan or a new venture?  If so, please share a few sentences about your idea.

Harvard College and GSAS students: Apply online through Crimson Careers

Other non-FAS Harvard University students: Submit the answers to the questions, along with your resume, to ocsrecep@fas.harvard.edu with “iLab January Break Trek” in the subject line.