The Best Executive Education Courses for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

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Entrepreneurship is a multi-faceted concept; on the one hand, its essence is the pursuit of the unknown in order to build something entirely new. Entrepreneurs must forge into uncharted waters by their own accord. On the other hand, entrepreneurship is about minimizing the impact of challenges inevitably faced along the journey to building a company. Doing this requires a special set of skills.

Are you an aspiring entrepreneur looking to take your business idea out into the world? Although you can’t learn how to be an entrepreneur by going to school, you can, in fact, learn many of the skills that will increase your chances of success. Executive education programs for entrepreneurs are on the rise; that’s because they afford incredible benefits including skill building, learning from classmates and expanding your network.

This article presents you with some of the best executive education courses for aspiring entrepreneurs – both online and in incredible locations around the world. Our recommendations are carefully selected for key entrepreneurial skill-building areas, including but not limited to: communication, negotiation, storytelling, leadership, finance, strategy and business model innovation.

Executive education courses for aspiring entrepreneurs

From niche leadership courses to general entrepreneurship programs, our list of top executive education courses for aspiring entrepreneurs is a great place to find your ideal springboard for building a business.

Entrepreneurship Innovation (HEC Paris); Paris & Massachusetts

Looking to pull out all the stops and go full speed ahead on a business idea? This program will bring you to lively Paris and then to Massachusetts, where you will come together with the world’s ambitious minds in a module-structured program.

In Paris, you will complete the first five-day session: Fundamental Skills in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Global experts and speakers present participants with knowledge about raising venture capital, designing a business with design thinking, recognizing opportunities and building a business plan.

In Massachusetts, class resumes at Babson College for another five-day session: Innovative Management and Entrepreneurial Leadership. This module rounds out your skillset to help you navigate the challenges of scaling a global business, growing a socially responsible company and creating a business model that’s adaptive and dynamic.

INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Programme; Fontainebleau or Singapore

Many of the world’s most successful businesses are beginning to put sustainability at the heart of their everyday operations. By addressing societal problems as part of an innovative business model, entrepreneurs can bring together communities in ways never done before. INSEAD’s one-week program brings its strength in a global business education to this key topic. As an entrepreneur just starting out, you will learn the value of mission-driven companies and how to advocate for sustainable change in a practical context.

Business Programme for Design Leaders, Future London Academy; London

We’re living in a design world where creatives are now appearing in founder roles and at the C-level. Moreover, design thinking is often at the heart of the world’s most successful growing businesses. This program is tailored for creatives with 15+ years of experience who are looking to take their energy into a more business-oriented role. You would be hard-pressed to find a better program if you’re a designer or creative looking to build and scale a business model.

What makes this program unique is that it focuses not only on building a good company, but also on doing so in the greater context of humanity. A 63-day course over the span of one year, the program is a comprehensive entrepreneurial jumpstart complete with expert talks, group challenges, facilitated discussions and real case studies.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Age of Change, The London School of Economics and Political Science; London

What is at the core of entrepreneurship? In this course, world-leading experts will guide you into hands-on tutorials for building a business in the age of change. More than just a skills tutorial, however, the course approaches teaching from a holistic perspective. Its aim is to give aspiring entrepreneurs from all backgrounds the perspective necessary to seize unique opportunities for innovation.

LSE’s approach will build your entrepreneurial thinking as much as it will enhance your concrete skills. The program spans five intensive days during the vibrant London summer.

Women’s Leadership Program, Yale School of Management; New Haven, CT

Women bring essential perspective and value to executive teams, but they also face a unique set of challenges. Therefore, a program that develops women at a critical moment – when they are looking to jump into top management or move into a CEO role – provides a boost that allows them to fully exercise their entrepreneurial drive.

This five-day program intends to provide women with deep knowledge and practical experience in the following areas: executive presence, leadership perspectives, strategic thinking skills, leadership for high-performance teams, development of leadership style and leadership implementation.

New Venture Creation (Cass Business School); London or Dubai

Specifically designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, this program will teach you a proven framework for building and financing new ventures in an era of constant change. The highly experiential program – which is normally offered as part of the Executive MBA program at Cass – occurs over four consecutive days and is packed with lectures, guest speaker presentations and group discussions. Case studies and group exercises are used to engage all participants, so it is expected that you will develop a strong peer-to-peer network that provides continued support as you launch your business.

The bottom line: Executive education courses give aspiring entrepreneurs the boost they need to succeed.

As any seasoned entrepreneur will tell you, going to school won’t necessarily make you successful. It will, however, equip you with the skillset and toolkit that makes success much more likely. Aspiring entrepreneurs who attend one of the courses above will put themselves at an advantage in the rollercoaster ride that is founding and running a company.

Browse Coursalytics for more top courses in entrepreneurship.