Overview
Stanford University is one of the world's leading research universities. Stanford is known for its entrepreneurial character, drawn from the legacy of its founders, Jane and Leland Stanford, and its relationship to Silicon Valley. Research and teaching emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving. Areas of excellence range from the humanities to social sciences to engineering and the sciences. Stanford is located in California's Bay Area, one of the most intellectually dynamic and culturally diverse areas of the nation.
Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial spirit pervade Stanford's campus with opportunities to take courses, participate in programs and fellowships, and join student groups that actively promote entrepreneurship across Stanford's undergraduate and graduate schools. Successful entrepreneurial alumni include:
- Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google)
- Doris Fisher (Gap)
- William Hewlett and David Packard (Hewlett-Packard)
- Konstantin Guericke and Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn)
- Phil Knight (Nike)
- Scott McNealy, Vinod Khosla, and Andy Bechtolsheim (Sun Microsystems)
- Azim Premji (Wipro)
- Charles Schwab (Charles Schwab Corp.)
- Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger (Instagram)
- Peter Thiel (PayPal)
- Jerry Yang and David Filo (Yahoo)
Stanford was ranked the #1 College in the United States by Forbes in 2013, in part for its role in the development of Silicon Valley and its prominent tech companies and innovators.
Academic Programs in Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Courses:
- COMM118S Entrepreneurial Communication
- CS231B The Cutting Edge of Computer Vision
- ECON113 Economics of Innovation
- ECON225 Economics of Technology and Innovation
- EDUC224 Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation
- EDUC230X Social Enterprise
- ENGR150 Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- FINANCE373 Entrepreneurial Finance
- GSBGEN111Q Seminar in Entrepreneurial Communication
- GSBGEN313 Advanced Seminar on Social Entrepreneurship and Global Poverty
- GSBGEN314 Creating High Potential Ventures in Developing Economies
- GSBGEN528 Creativity, Problem Solving, and Innovation
- GSBGEN585 Social Innovation through Corporate Social Responsibility
- LAW401 Venture Capital II
- LAW543 Entrepreneurship, Law, and Leadership in Social Enterprises
- ME10AX Design Thinking and the Art of Innovation
- ME19 Design for Social Change
- ME29D Design for Diversity: Collaboration by Difference in the Digital Age
- ME115A Introduction to Human Values in Design
- ME313 Human Values and Innovation in Design
- ME319 Fundamentals of Design for Design Thinkers
- ME 377 Design Thinking Bootcamp: Experiences in Innovation and Design
- ME410 Foresight and Innovation
- ME421 European Entrepreneurship and Innovation Thought Leaders Seminar
- MS&E274 Dynamic Entrepreneurial Strategy
- OIT 343 Design for Service Innovation
- OB541 How to Change Things When Change is Hard
- SOC161 The Social Science of Entreprenership
- STRAMGT322 Create a New Venture: From Idea to Launch
- STRAMGT341 Achieving Social Impact
- STRAMGT353 Entrepreneurship: Formation of New Ventures
- STRAMGT354 Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital
- STRAMGT376 Entrepreneur Leader-Identity Development: A Critical-Incident Approach
- STRAMGT508 Entrepreneurship from the Perspective of Women
- STRAMGT514 The Improvisational Entrepreneur
- STRAMGT535 Entrepreneurial Approaches to Education Reform
- STRAMGT543 Entrepreneurial Acquisition
- STRAMGT554 Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital
- URBANST131 VIP: Very Impactful People - Social Innovation & the Social Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Courses from the Stanford Technology Ventures Program:
- ENGR 140A Leadership of Technology Ventures
- ENGR 140B Leadership of Technology Ventures
- ENGR 140C Leadership of Technology Ventures
- ENGR 145 Technology Entrepreneurship
- MS&E 140 Accounting for Managers and Entrepreneurs (MS&E 240)
- MS&E 175 Innovation, Creativity, and Change
- MS&E 178 The Spirit of Entrepreneurship
- MS&E 180 Organizations: Theory and Management
- ME 208 Patent Law and Strategy for Innovators and Entrepreneurs (MS&E 278)
- ENGR 245 Technology Entrepreneurship and Lean Startups
- MS&E 273 Technology Venture Formation
- MS&E 276 Entrepreneurial Management and Finance
- MS&E 277 Creativity and Innovation
- MS&E 279 The Founder's Dilemmas
- MS&E 280 Organizational Behavior: Evidence in Action
- MS&E 283 Scaling up Excellence in Organizations
- MS&E 371 Innovation and Strategic Change
- MS&E 372 Entrepreneurship Doctoral Research Seminar
- MS&E 376 Strategy Doctoral Research Seminar
- MS&E 472 Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders' Seminar
Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (d.school):
Campus Entrepreneurial Efforts
Stanford Technology Ventures Program
Stanford Entrepreneurship Network
Stanford Graduate School of Business Initiatives:
- Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
- Center for Social Innovation
StartX
Startup Weekend
Student Entrepreneurship Initiatives
Stanford Undergraduate Schools:
- BASES
- SWE
- SWIB
- Asia Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society
- Society for Entrepreneurship in Latin America
- Stanford Venture Capital Club
Stanford Graduate School of Business:
- GSB Entrepreneur Club
- Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies
- Stanford Program on Regions of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Conclusion