Today's rapidly changing global business environment creates demanding challenges for senior company executives. Challenges are even greater for leaders of smaller, entrepreneurial companies that are seeking to both grow and provide strong returns for their stakeholders. To succeed, leaders of smaller entrepreneurial companies require management skills which are not the same as basic "start your own business skills," nor are they the same as those needed to manage a large scale, Fortune 1000 company. Successfully managing and growing an early stage high growth firm demands specialized management skills, and these can be learned.

Mason is committed to pursuing dynamic, new executive education programs using innovative teaching approaches to address the needs of senior business executives. Consistent with this objective, The Mason Enterprise Center (MEC) is pleased to announce the launch of the new Mason MEC Step Up Program^TM now offered in the MEC at the Mason School of Public Policy starting in February 2008. The new program offers new executive management education services directly targeting senior executives of early stage "Tier 2" companies.

This dynamic, highly interactive, integrated executive educational program offers insights on 'real world' best practices. The program provides executives of early stage, high potential growth companies with new entrepreneurial management skills to address the challenges of growing an early stage business and creating value for all stakeholders.

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The Mason MEC Step Up Program^TM is a dynamic, "learn by doing," fast-paced, comprehensive, integrated course designed to assist senior executives of early stage high growth companies in addressing critical company issues, developing winning strategies and developing new senior entrepreneurial management skills.

The program is organized into three phases as shown below. Upon successful completion of each phase of the Mason MEC Step Up Program^TM, participants receive a Certificate of Completion and CEU credits. For more in-depth information on the overall program, refer to the Mason MEC Step Up Program^TM Web site (http://masonenterprisecenter.org/StepUp-Main.html).

The GMU MEC Step Up Program

The innovative new program is designed to address the needs of senior executives leading early stage, high growth companies. The new program is also designed to complement and further expand the portfolio of services provided by Mason serving emerging business enterprises in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The Mason MEC Step Up Program^TM has been specifically developed to address the needs of senior executives of "Tier 2" companies which typically meet the following criteria:

• Annual Projected Revenues: $2 to $3 million
• No. of Employees: more than 10
• Minimum three years in business
• Located in Washington, D.C., metro area
• Typically positioned for high growth

The Phase I Executive Entrepreneur Program^TM ("EEP") is a three month program with 3 sessions per month which includes classroom sessions typically every other Monday and one meeting per month with an assigned Step Up Program Executive Mentor. A maximum of 30 participants will be accepted into the EEP. The classroom sessions include lectures, case studies, guest speakers, on-line EEP Management Forums and round table discussions with successful entrepreneurs, venture capital, consultants, and financing firms.

The Phase I Executive Entrepreneur Program^TM curriculum emphasizes developing new entrepreneurial management skills and analyzing case studies that address the challenges of managing and growing early stage companies. The program covers the following eight core concepts in the nine classroom session program:

1. Entrepreneurial Management and Leadership
2. Entrepreneurial Management and Planning Skills
3. The Business Planning Process
4. Entrepreneurial Marketing and Sales
5. Alternative Growth Strategy Analysis
6. Financial Management and Analysis
7. Intellectual Property and Legal
8. International Business

The integrated, "hands on" program integrates the following six course elements to provide participants with a dynamic, highly interactive learning experience.

• Class Lectures
• Class Cohorts ('Teams')
• EEP Case Studies
• EEP Executive Mentor Program
• Guest Speakers and Executive Roundtable Sessions
• EEP Management Forums

Highlights of each of these course elements are as follows:

Class Lectures

Participants will be required to complete reading assignments prior to attending each class session. Class lectures will include a review of the subject materials and other supporting materials provided by the Instructor. To the extent possible, class presentation materials will be posted on the EEP class web site prior to each session.

Class Cohorts ("Teams")

In the initial class session, the class will be organized into six Cohorts or 'teams'. Each cohort will be assigned to present the assigned EEP Case Study on the respective due date. All Cohorts will also submit a hard copy of the Case Study Analysis on the respective due date. In Class Session seven, the Cohorts will be reorganized providing increased opportunity for all participants to work together in analyzing and presenting case studies.

EEP Case Studies

Key components of the EEP Phase I program are the EEP Case Study analyses and class discussions. Case study analysis is a highly effective teaching tool to identify critical entrepreneurial business issues and management "best practices." The assigned EEP case studies are all included in the Mason MEC Management Studies Case Pack - Volume I provided to all class participants during the first session of the program. During most sessions, two Cohorts will be scheduled to present the assigned case. All Cohorts will be required to submit a hard copy of the assigned case study on the due date. We will employ a highly structured 'executive oriented' case study analysis structure which has been effective based on experience with other programs.

Cohort case study presentations will be limited to 20 minutes with a 10 minute Q&A session. All submitted case study analyses will be limited to a maximum of four typewritten pages.

EEP Executive Mentor Program

Each participant in the Executive Entrepreneur Program^TM will be assigned a Step Up Program Executive Mentor who will meet with each participant monthly throughout the six month program. Executive Mentors will be assigned to each participants based on needs identified during the participant application process, as well as the respective specialized management skills offered by the EEP Executive Mentors

During the monthly Executive Mentor Program sessions, participants will review company issues, management concerns, identify and develop Key Performance Indicators ("KPI's") and work with the executive participant develop monthly KPI progress reporting and action plans.

For the EEP Phase I program, six EEP Executive Mentors will support the program with each EEP Mentor assigned to support five EEP participants.

On a monthly basis, the Step Up Program Director, EEP Instructor, and other selected Step Up Program committee staff will briefly meet with all EEP Mentors in the EEP Instructor/Mentor Review Session to review overall progress and issues, review feedback and recommendations to all participants, identify common areas and issues and secure new EEP Mentor resources as needed. The monthly EEP Instructor/Mentor Review Sessions provides a valuable forum to track program progress and identify possible areas of improvement.

In the final class meeting (session nine), a roundtable discussion is scheduled with all EEP Executive Mentors participating. The roundtable discussion will provide all participants with insights developed by the EEP Mentors during the program based on working on a one-to-one basis with class participants.

Guest Speakers and Executive Roundtable Sessions

Guest speakers will be invited to participate in most sessions. The guest speakers and executive roundtable participants will include legal, financial, venture capital and entrepreneurs among other highly experienced industry professionals who we expect will make a substantive contribution to the overall program

EEP Management Forums

A unique element of the Executive Entrepreneur Program^TM are the nine EEP Management Forums that are scheduled during the nine week course. The EEP Management Forums are conducted on-line via the EEP class web site. Typically class participants are provided a reading assignment and a discussion question is posted by the instructor. Each Management Forum accepts postings for a two week period. At the end of the two week period, the respective Management Forum is closed and the new Management Forum is started. Each class participant is expected to submit at least one comment and a minimum of two reply comments to other postings in each Management Forum.

The EEP Management Forums use best practices developed within the distance learning environment and provide a highly efficient and complimentary teaching tool to further reinforce key entrepreneurial management concepts. The ability to share these insights among all participants throughout the program is another key benefit of the EEP Management Forum.

Based on experience with other executive education programs, a 'team teaching' structure is utilized within the program. Two instructors will be assigned to the program and will coordinate class lectures, case studies and the Management Forum activities to optimize the learning experience for all participants.

The Step Up Program Executive Mentors include senior level experienced entrepreneurs, business consultants and investment professionals with significant experience working with early stage companies. Using an in-depth screening process developed for all Step Up Program applicants, we will ensure an optimum match between Advisors and participants.

The Mason MEC Step Up ProgramTM Director, Paul B. Silverman, has played a key role in developing and launching the new program within Mason and may also serve as guest lecturer in selected sessions as well as interact with participants within selected online Management Forums.

Classes are scheduled on Monday or Tuesday evenings and typically are scheduled bi-weekly. The Phase I and II programs are structured to be completed within about nine weeks.

Class schedule highlights for the Phase I sessions are as follows:

Session 1: Challenges of Managing High Growth Enterprises
Review Course Overview and Objectives
Organize Cohorts ("Teams"); Assign/Introduce Mentors
Lecture: Developing the Entrepreneurial Management 'Mindset': Challenges of Managing High Growth Enterprises
Review Management Forum I: Entrepreneurial Growth Management 'Best Practices'


Session 2: Identifying and Managing New Opportunities
Lecture: Identifying and Managing New Opportunities
Case Study Presentations: Cohorts A and B
Review Management Forum II: Evaluating New Business Opportunities : Challenges and Winning Strategies
Guest Speaker: TBA

Session 3: Developing New Entrepreneurial Management Skills
Lecture: Entrepreneurial Planning and Management Skills
Case Study Presentations: Cohorts C and D
Review Management Forum III: Successful Strategies for Addressing Business Planning Challenges
Guest Speaker: TBA

Session 4: Developing Entrepreneurial Marketing Plans and Strategies
Lecture: Developing Entrepreneurial Marketing Plans and Strategies
Case Study Presentations: Cohorts E and F
Review Management Forum IV: The 'Anatomy' of a Successful Early Stage Company Marketing Strategy
Guest Speaker: TBA

Session 5: Identifying and Managing Alternative Growth Strategies
Lecture: Identifying and Managing Growth Strategies
Case Study Presentations: Cohorts A and B
Review Management Forum V: Strategies for Managing New Venture Growth and Expansion Stages: Osborne vs. Compaq, Alliances, Acquisitions, Franchising, Licensing, Others
Guest Speaker: TBA

Session 6: Developing and Managing Global Growth Strategies
Lecture: Going Global: International Business Challenges and Opportunities for Early Stage High Growth Firms
Case Study Presentations: Cohorts C and D
Review Management Forum VI : The Global Management Challenge : Successes, Failures and Lessons Learned
Re-organize Class Cohorts
Guest Speaker: TBA

Session 7: Financial Management Challenges and Best Practices for Early Stage High Growth Firms
Lecture: Financial Management: The Financial Plan and Securing Capital for Growth
Case Study Presentations: Cohorts E and F
Review Management Forum VII: Successful Strategies for Addressing Business Planning Challenges
Executive Roundtable (4 Speakers) : Financial Management and Securing Capital: Guidelines for Early Stage High Growth Companies

Session 8: Legal and Intellectual Property: Challenges and Opportunities for Early Stage High Growth Firms
Lecture: Intellectual Property and Legal Issues
Case Study Presentations: Cohorts A and B
Review Management Forum IX: Understanding the Legal Challenges in Early Stage High Growth Companies
Executive Roundtable (4 Speakers): Meeting the Challenges of High Growth Companies: What We Have Learned

Session 9: Course Summary and Wrap-Up
Lecture: Course Summary and Wrap-Up: Managing High Growth Entrepreneurial Companies - Summary of "Best Practices: What We Have Learned
EEP Mentor Roundtable (6 Mentors): Managing High Growth Companies: EEP Mentor Perspectives and Recommendations
Course Evaluations
Program Wrap-Up

All textbooks will be provided for each class participant prior to start of the program.
The program materials provided to each participant are as follows:

Primary Textbook:
Entrepreneurship by Robert D. Hisrich, Michael P. Peters and Dean A. Shepherd. Seventh Edition, McGraw Hill/Irwin, 2008

References and Readings:

Selected Lecture Notes

Growing Pains: Transitioning from an Entrepreneurship to a Professionally Managed Firm by Eric G. Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle. Jossey-Bass, March 2000.

The Portable MBA in Finance and Accounting, John Leslie Livingstone. Third Edition Wiley, 2002. GMU MEC Executive Entrepreneurship Program - Management Case Studies, Volume 1, Fall 2007

All class participants are expected to attend all class sessions, participate in classroom discussions, complete the assigned case studies and provide comments within the on-line Management Forums. To gain maximum benefit from the program, participants should actively participate and complete all the assigned work.

Upon successful completion of the Phase I Executive Entrepreneur Program^TM, class participants will receive a George Mason University Certificate of Completion.

Upon completion of the Phase I Executive Entrepreneur Program^TM, up to 15 participants will be accepted into the Phase II program.

The Phase II Executive Entrepreneur Program^TM curriculum builds upon the Phase I program to assist participants in further developing new advanced entrepreneurial management skills. Through class lectures, case studies and executive roundtable sessions, the Phase II program emphasizes advanced entrepreneurial executive management skills in areas including financing, business strategy, intellectual property management and marketing. The Phase II program includes nine classroom sessions and is typically completed in three months.

Similar to the Phase I program, each participant in the Phase II program will also be assigned a Step Up Program Executive Mentor. Executive Mentor meetings will be held two times a month compared to monthly for the Phase I program thus providing Phase II participants with more in-depth business management and advisory services during the Phase II program. Executive Mentors will be assigned to each participant based on needs identified during the Phase I program as well as the respective specialized management skills offered by the EEP Executive Mentors.

Information about Phase II will be provided to program applicants.

We have received interest from a number of potential sponsors who are interested in supporting the new program and making a contribution to support early stage high growth companies in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. Discussions are in progress and we expect to announce new program sponsors in coming months.

Please contact the Mason MEC Step Up Program^TM Director, Paul B. Silverman at psilverm@gmu.edu.