ONLINE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM:

SCALING YOUR BUSINESS
DURATION: 3 MONTHS | PROGRAM FEES: $1,950
 Overview

You have an idea. You’re passionate about it. You want to tell the whole world about it. It needs to get out
there. But how do you get from here to there? That's where the Wharton Entrepreneurship Acceleration
Program comes in.

Coming up with the idea was the easy part. Now you need the tools to build a team, choose the right legal
structure, generate demand, and finance growth. Leveraging Wharton’s strength in data-driven outcomes,
we deliver proven techniques for scaling your business.

Does passion matter? Sure, it can pull you through some late nights and big disappointments. But being
successful in venture creation means owning a mix of skills that increases the likelihood of success. It’s
more than passion. Our faculty bring cross-disciplinary backgrounds to this program, pulling from social
psychology, organizational behavior, information technology, finance, and marketing.

Through a mix of live and recorded faculty video sessions, assignments, knowledge checks, and interactive
discussion moderated by teaching assistants, your learning journey culminates in a pitch to the Wharton
team and renowned venture capital firms such as Sequoia Capital and Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA. The
winner and runner-up of this pitch competition will be awarded investments of $10,000 and $5,000,
respectively.

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© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 High-Impact Online Learning Experience

Entrepreneurship Is About Creating Value. How That’s Defined Is Up to You.

Being an entrepreneur is about taking initiative and starting something new, regardless of its structure or
profit orientation. The Wharton difference lies in our ability to help people scale their ideas. We take a
data-driven approach, drawing from research on how entrepreneurs grow and scale to reach their goals
—whatever those might be.

During this program, you will:

• Learn how to analyze the options for financing your startup

• Discover how to ramp up sales and scale your business

• Perform a needs assessment for building the right team

• Choose the best pricing and distribution strategies for your business

• Assess what "financial sustainability" means for you

• Master the pitch to prospective investors, advisors, and mentors

YOUR BUSINESS REAL-WORLD DISCUSSION SEED MONEY FOR

OR IDEA EXAMPLES BOARDS PITCH WINNERS
Regardless of stage Delivered through a mix Moderated Awarded to top two
of maturity of recorded and live by subject-matter pitches, and
online lectures with experts everyone improves
faculty and guests in the process

Note: Wharton Executive Education reserves the right to change the curriculum and delivery of the program to improve the
participant experience.

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 Who Is This Program For?

There is no industry that is immune from new, disruptive ideas. Whether you are conjuring up new ideas
from within an established company or forging into new territory, Wharton wants to remove unnecessary
risk on your journey by giving you an evidence-based plan for success. Entrepreneurs can come from any
functional role or industry.

Some representative titles of past participants include:

• CEO/Founder • Medical Practitioner: Doctor/Dentist/ Chief Medical Officer

• Director of Sales/Business Development • Operations Director
• Entrepreneur • Private Banker
• General Council • Process Engineer
• General Manager • Product Manager
• Head of Analytics • Senior Consultant/Partner
• Head of Innovation • Software Development Manager
• Managing Director • VP Risk
• Marketing Manager

Industries Represented by Past Participants include:

• Automotive • Gaming/Entertainment
• Aviation/Aerospace • Government
• Beauty & Cosmetics • Health & Fitness
• Biotechnology • Healthcare/Medical Products & Services
• Chemicals/Oil & Gas • Legal
• Construction • Manufacturing
• Environmental-Sustainability • Nonprofit
• Finance/Venture Capital/Private Equity • Technology/SaaS
• Food & Beverage • Wholesale/Retail/eCommerce

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 Program Topics
This online program is designed for entrepreneurs who are ready to take their business to the next level. It
covers all aspects of accelerating the business, from building a team to finding advisors to exploring
financing options. The program culminates with a pitch competition where participants can compete for
seed funding to help accelerate their success. Not everyone makes the final pitch, but everyone gets
better in the process.

Module 1 Module 2
Evidence-Based Entrepreneurship Building the Right Team
Learn how to apply the "lean approach": transform a Learn how to select founding members, employees,
good idea into a successful business venture while managers, and other key players on your team. Discover:
minimizing risk. Determine: • How your founding team members determine success
• What you need to achieve financial stability or failure
• Why the quality of your idea does not necessarily • The three Rs of founding teams:
predict the likelihood of your success • Relationships
• What types of opportunities you should pursue • Roles
• Minimum viable product—and what qualifies as • Rewards
"minimum" • How to structure the roles of early hires
• Questions to ask yourself when choosing a founding team
• How to write a founders’ agreement and other technical
resources

Module 3 Module 4

Lawyers, Advisors, and Mentors Business Models and Customer Lifetime Value
Learn how to use innovation and networking to drive Learn how to choose the right business model for your
your enterprise forward. Master: venture. Understand:

• How to assess and maximize your own network
• Roles that mentors and advisors play in a growing
enterprise
• How to form an advisory board
• How to evaluate lawyers and accountants
• How to think about your intellectual property
• Advantages of different legal structures for entities
• What a sustainable business model is
• How to determine the amount of capital you need
• How to estimate when you will reach a positive cash
flow or run out of funds
• Available sources of capital
• Financial analysis for fundraising
• How to extend the financial value of your business
after initial success

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 Module 5
Customer Acquisition and Demand Generation
Learn how to find markets and create demand for your
product. Explore:
• How to measure customer value over time (customer
lifetime value)
• How to determine customer acquisition costs
• Five principles of acquisition targeting
• The benefits of two-sided markets
• Diffusion and adoption—what determines the
adoption of a product
• How to forecast demand
• How to determine the relative advantage of a product
or service over the status quo
Module 7
Gearing Up for Scale
Learn to recruit people who will build your company’s
culture and use it to scale up your venture. Discover:
• Hiring techniques for key team members
• How to build a culture that will help your venture
succeed
• Challenges presented by different phases of growth
and how to overcome them
• How and whether to consider vertical and horizontal
expansion
© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School
Module 6
Pricing and Distribution Strategies
Learn how to apply cost structures and pricing
mechanisms to your business and use performance
measurement tools effectively. Determine:
• How to achieve financial sustainability
• How to price a product or service
• What data to report to investors
• How to assess sales partnerships
• Make-buy decisions in operations
Module 8
Financing: Funding and Valuation
Learn the various sources of financing available for your
business. Explore:
• Financial pathways, including bootstrapping, loans,
crowdfunding, angel investors, venture capital, private
equity, and IPOs
• Equity financing valuation
• Terms and term sheets, including defining the key
terms in these documents
• Why the conditions around which you take money and
give equity are important
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)
 Module 9
Financing: Venture Capital vs. Alternative
Funding Channels
Learn how to make a wise decision about venture capital
or alternative funding and how to estimate a breakeven
point. Understand:
• How to navigate the venture capital fundraising
process
• Crowdfunding as a source of financing
• When to pursue debt financing
• Calculating burn rate and breakeven
Module 10
Elements of the Pitch
Create executive summaries and pitch decks for your
business and understand how the exit of founding
shareholders affects liquidity. Learn:
• How to create the executive summary and pitch deck
• Key elements
• Questions to answer
• What to include in the executive summary
• How to create pro forma financial statements and
scenarios
• Exits and liquidity events

Module 11

Business Plan Competition

Participate in a business plan competition with your peers, in which you will create a pitch for your own venture. The winner
of the competition and the runner-up will win cash prize to use for seed funding (rules and restrictions apply).

The judging criteria are focused on the Customer Value Proposition which includes size of market, competitive
landscape, and clear differentiation; economic model of the venture; go-to-market plan; and the capabilities and background
of the team.

Members of the Wharton Entrepreneurship Community, with support from Program Leaders, will review the plans
submitted for consideration and will select the top seven business plans as semi-finalists.

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 Competition Winners and Runners-Up
2018

AtYourGate (winner): A market-making in-airport personal shopping service pursuing the in-airport gate delivery
market opportunity

Happi Nurse Uniform (runner-up): The best-value medical-uniform apparel supplier for out-of-city nurses in Malaysia

GlamTech (winner): Provides computer vision, machine learning, and augmented-reality enterprise-software
technology solutions to skincare beauty companies and retailers

Fit for Life (runner-up): Doctor-certified prenatal fitness videos in a subscription streaming app, empowering
expectant mothers to exercise in their own homes, on their own time

2019

SecureStream Technologies (winner): Security for Internet of Things with an eye towards privacy and compliance

VerdiLife (runner-up): Using wood vinegar from waste to replace agrochemicals for more sustainable and productive
agriculture

Balde-K (winner): Fintech-oriented startup to provide financing to higher education students in Peru

Beyond Beer (runner-up): Natural wellness beverage startup

2020

SafETiK (winner): A patented system that allows drivers and law enforcement officers to communicate with each other
during a traffic stop via a mobile application

Say Cheese (runner-up): A women-happiness platform that provides holistic and personalized solutions to real
challenges women face in a trusted environment

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

Competition Winner and Runner-Up Testimonials

More than two years after winning the Wharton EAP pitch contest,
AtYourGate is the industry leader in mobile ordering and delivery inside
airports. As COVID-19 affected travel so dramatically, we pivoted from
convenience to safety — and are launching in 16 new airports in Q2 of
2021. This program exceeded my expectations.

PJ MASTRACCHIO
Founder and CEO, AtYourGate
Business Plan Competition Winner (2018)

When I joined Wharton’s EAP, my initial research had been done and
my company was in motion. This program gave me the confidence to
scale the venture and validated my concept by virtue of being
runner-up in the pitch competition. They ran a rehearsal pitch with
me, offered insights on structuring equity offers, and much more.
I highly recommend Wharton’s EAP program for anyone
serious about scaling their own venture.

RAJPREET KAUR
Founder of SayCheese.life
Former VP at HSBC Bank and Head of Derivates at Bharti Airtel Limited, India
Business Plan Competition 1st Runner-Up (2020)

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 Participant Testimonials

What was the best part of the program for you?

“…the level of rigor.” — Eloy G.

“...organizing my business plan.” — Cristiano C.

“…the peer reviews were really helpful.” — Fallon T.

“…learning about CAC (custom acquisition costs).” — Jose B.

“…the session on financial statements and exit strategies.” — Raf H.

“…seeing examples and tools used by international companies.” — Luiz E.

“…the real-time examples and insights by the professors in webinars.” — Mohammad S.

“…the business plan contest, forcing me to apply everything I’ve learned.” — Elissavet F.

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 Program Benefits

What’s unique about this program?

• A data-driven approach to how to scale and grow a business or entity
• A strong focus on startup financing options, a foundational strength at Wharton
• Live interactive faculty webinars with Q&A
• A 10-point proven framework for creating a compelling pitch deck
• Seed funding of $10,000 and $5,000 awarded to the pitch winner and runner-up, respectively, in collaboration
with renowned venture capital firms such as:

Note: Seed funding cannot be used for personal expenses. It must be used to develop the business cited in the final pitch.
The seed funding will not dilute equity positions.

BUSINESS ANALYTICS
© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)
PROGRAM
 Interviews and Industry Examples

The Wharton Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program features in-depth interviews with company founders and
representatives from startups and established venture capitalist firms.

• Greylock Partners

The online program also features examples of startups and established companies that were once startups. It will cover
multiple industries, including consumer packaged goods, ecommerce, internet, media and entertainment, and technology.

• Adobe • IBM • Silicon Valley Bank

• Bandar Foods • Intel • The Walt Disney Company

• Belle-V Kitchen • Jet.com • Wholly Moly

• Dollar Shave Club • Kickstarter • Xiaomi

Note: All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply
any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 Faculty

David Hsu
Academic Director
Richard A. Sapp Professor; Professor of Management

Ethan Mollick
Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar;
Associate Professor of Management;
Academic Director, Wharton Interactive

Kartik Hosanagar
John C. Hower Professor; Professor of Operations,
Information and Decisions

Lori Rosenkopf
Simon and Midge Palley Professor;
Professor of Management

Karl Ulrich
CIBC Endowed Professor; Professor of Operations, Information
and Decisions; Professor of Management; and Vice Dean of
Entrepreneurship and Innovation

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 Certificate

Earn a digital Wharton certificate upon successful completion of the online program.

Joseph Wharton
ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM:
SCALING YOUR BUSINESS
ONLINE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Date

Note: After successful completion of the online program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when
registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of the
Wharton School.
This online certificate program does not grant academic credit or a degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

© University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATION PROGRAM (ONLINE)

 About

THE WHARTON SCHOOL

Founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is
recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business
education. With a broad global community and one of the most published business school faculties, Wharton creates
economic and social value around the world. The School has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral
students; more than 13,000 participants in executive education programs annually; and a powerful alumni network of
98,000 graduates. With more than 50 online courses from which to choose, more than 3 million learners worldwide
have accessed Wharton Online programming taught by Wharton’s world-class faculty.

Emeritus INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

Wharton Executive Education is collaborating with online education provider Emeritus to offer a portfolio of high-impact
programs for working professionals. Through this collaboration, we are able to offer broad access to the world-class
knowledge for which the Wharton School is known, in an engaging and interactive digital environment.

BUSINESS ANALYTICS
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 The Learning Experience

Our programs are designed to meet the needs of individual learning styles, while also leveraging the power of peer
learning. This is achieved through a user-friendly learning platform that enables participants to easily navigate the program
content to achieve learning objectives.

KEEPING IT REAL
Our pedagogical approach is designed to bring
concepts to life, including:
• Byte-sized learning techniques
• Real-world application
• Peer learning discussions
• Live, interactive teaching

BUSINESS ANALYTICS
PROGRAM
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 KEEPING IT CONVENIENT

Access to program content is flexible and available through multiple devices, allowing working professionals to easily
manage schedules and learn remotely—anytime, anywhere. Participants enrolled in the program obtain access to
learning materials in a modular approach, with new content released weekly. Program modules include a variety of
teaching instruments, such as:

• Video lectures
• Discussions
• Class materials: articles, cases
• Quizzes
• Surveys
• Assignments

To further personalize the program modules, live teaching sessions are scheduled during the program, often with Q&A.
For participants who are unable to attend these sessions live, a recording is made available so nothing is missed. Our
industry-leading learning platform allows participants to create a profile, connect and collaborate with peers, and
interact with academic/industry experts such as program leaders, coaches, and teaching assistants. Assignments are
often linked to participants' real-world situations, making concepts inherently practical.

KEEPING IT INTERESTING

Our globally connected classrooms enable participants to seamlessly interact with their peers to complete group
assignments and stay on track toward program completion—having culturally enriching encounters along the way.

Program Requirements
To access our programs, participants will need the following:

• Valid email address

• Computing device connected to the internet: PC/laptop, tablet, or smartphone
• The latest version of their preferred browser to access our learning platform
• Microsoft Office and PDF viewer to access content such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF
files, and transcripts

Other Requirements
Programs may necessitate the usage of various software, tools, and applications. Participants will be informed about
these additional requirements at the registration stage or when the program begins. Our program advisors are also
available to respond to any queries about these requirements.

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 Program Information

DURATION
3 months, online | 3–4 hours per week
Easily schedule a call with a program advisor to learn more

SCHEDULE CALL

PROGRAM FEES
$1,950
Flexible payment options available for this program.
You can apply for the program here

APPLY

Email: wharton@emeritus.org
Phone (worldwide): +1 215-999-8689

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