Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management will begin hosting its 13th annual, six-week long Syracuse Entrepreneurship Bootcamp on Saturday.

Instructors for the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship will teach current and aspiring entrepreneurs a series of modules that are designed to help them develop skills necessary to create a successful business, said Lindsay Wickham, events and communications manager at Whitman.

The intensive boot camp will be held on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for six weeks at a cost of $675. These dates include Oct. 17, Oct. 31, Nov. 7, Nov. 14 and Nov. 21. The program is open to the Syracuse community. Each year, a select number of students are also chosen to participate for free.

The boot camp will host 40 participants and cover a wide variety of topics, including innovative marketing, business models, sustainability and digital technology, Wickham said.

“The course covers many topics related to new venture creation and is great for people who are new to entrepreneurship, business ownership or who have been in business for a while but are looking to plan for growth,” Wickham said.

Boot camp instructors include award-winning faculty members such as Terry Brown, Alex McKelvie, John Torrens, Todd Moss, Ken Walsleben, Elizabeth Wimer and Ray Wimer. These faculty members will work alongside entrepreneurs to host the education sessions. There will also be consultants at the boot camp who will provide one-on-one assistance to attendees.

Diane Boland, a graduate student and vice president of external affairs for the Whitman Consulting Club, will be directing a “boot camp team” this fall. Last year, she was on the “marketing team” of consultants with other graduate students and attended the boot camp classes with the entrepreneurs.

“I can’t stress enough how much I have loved working with entrepreneurs from the local Syracuse community,” Boland said. “There are so many excited, driven and professional people right in our backyard, and I love learning from them.”

Boland said she is eager to help entrepreneurs enjoy the program just as much as she did.

“I can’t wait to see this year’s consultants experience the local business community and develop a passion for getting involved with initiatives that extend beyond our campus boundaries,” she added.

Although the event is primarily focused on offering an immersive program to aspiring entrepreneurs, it also has a big mission for the community.

“Entrepreneurship is a key element in the development of a strong local economy,” Wickham said. “By offering programs that support and train new business owners, we hope to strengthen the local economy.”

Todd Moss, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship in Whitman, will be teaching a class on environmental sustainability during the boot camp. After participating in the program last year, Moss said he wants to ensure students are gaining a hands-on, worthwhile experience.

Upon completing the boot camp, all participants will receive certificates to confirm their readiness to build successful businesses. Although boot camp participants all have big goals in mind, the program has just one.

“We’re here to help others,” Wickham said. “That’s our mission and what we love to do.”

Published on October 14, 2015 at 7:38 pm

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