LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UCLA Anderson School of Management is offering its fifth annual Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) from June 16 to June 24, 2012. The program, which currently enrolls 24 students, is designed to assist veterans who have endured a service-related disability with a foundation in entrepreneurship and the steps necessary to create and sustain a business.
Since the inception of EBV at UCLA Anderson there have been 77 graduates who have taken the fundamental tools procured during the program and applied it to a myriad of business ventures and opportunities in industries that range from mechanical services and public relations to hospitality.
“We are proud to see the success our EBV graduates have achieved and it attests to the value of this unique program,” said Alfred E. Osborne, Jr., Senior Associate Dean of UCLA Anderson School of Management. “Returning to civilian life can be challenging. EBV provides veterans with the necessary skills and mentorship to thrive in business.”
The program is divided into three phases: a self-study segment facilitated through an online learning platform during which students develop their business ideas; a nine day residency at one of the universities where they are trained on the process of business ownership through workshops and lectures from top entrepreneurial faculty; and twelve months of continuing consulting and mentorship from EBV faculty experts.
“EBV synthesizes everything you learn in an MBA program into a three month process, providing a comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurial principles from business planning and marketing to technology and operations management,” said Joel Mjolsness, a retired army colonel and 2010 EBV graduate, who currently serves as regional sales director for northern California commercial business at Dell Inc. “I have always worked in the technology sector and UCLA EBV gave me the tools to continue to grow and succeed in the industry.”
The program was founded at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and developed to form a national consortium of schools throughout the country, including UCLA Anderson, Florida State University College of Business, Mays Business School at Texas A&M, Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, University of Connecticut School of Business and E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University.
Each year, several EBV students return to serve as course alumni to provide guidance and support to their fellow veterans.
“Attending EBV taught me critical skills in business acumen, such as forecasting and business planning, that really helped take my company to the next level,” said Amy Sufak, 2009 UCLA EBV graduate and president of Colorado-based Red Energy Public Relations. “My successful EBV experience motivates me to ‘pay it forward’ and return each year to teach, mentor and inspire my fellow veterans.”
Through the generous support of its sponsors, EBV is a free program to veterans.
For additional information on EBV, please visit: http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x20079.xml
About UCLA Anderson School of Management
UCLA Anderson School of Management is among the leading business schools in the world. UCLA Anderson faculty members are globally renowned for their teaching excellence and research in advancing management thinking. Each year, UCLA Anderson provides a distinctive approach to management education to more than 1,800 students enrolled in its MBA, Fully-Employed MBA, Executive MBA, Global Executive MBA for Asia Pacific, Global Executive MBA for the Americas, Master of Financial Engineering, doctoral and executive education programs. Combining selective admissions, varied and innovative learning programs, and a world-wide network of 37,000 alumni, UCLA Anderson develops and prepares global leaders.
Follow UCLA Anderson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/UCLAAnderson, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/uclaanderson
About the Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
The Harold and Pauline Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at UCLA Anderson School of Management is an internationally recognized leader in entrepreneurial education and research. With a distinguished faculty as its cornerstone, the Center oversees activities that advance the theory and practice of entrepreneurship as well as the related fields of technology and innovation, venture capital and private equity, and social enterprise. Well known for the impact of its outreach programs, the Price Center fosters a spirit of innovation in individuals, enhances the managerial capacity of organizations, and prepares entrepreneurial leaders who will provide significant, sustainable and economic value to society.