Curricular Requirements

Students in the Huizenga Business Innovation Academy are required to have a minor in Venture Creation.  The Venture Creation minor is a curricular and co-curricular program that is designed to provide learning experiences inside the classroom as well as outside the classroom through involvement in firsthand identifying business opportunities, gaining the necessary knowledge and skills to launch a business, starting an on-campus business with a micro-loan, and managing limited resources. The Venture Creation minor includes the Huizenga Business Innovation studio courses, summer immersive experiences, where students participate in during their first and second summers in the program. The Venture Creation minor is only available for students admitted into the Razor’s Edge Shark Cage and Huizenga Business Innovation Academy Programs.

15 total credits

Course Descriptions

ENT 2100/10    Huizenga Business Innovation Academy Studio 

Huizenga Business Innovation Academy Studio (HBIA studio) is an intensive residential immersion experience component of the Venture Creation minor. This immersion experience will provide students with hands-on training in various aspects of business and entrepreneurship. 

Part I - Two-week intensive summer experience will require students to work on team development through team-building exercises; recognize the importance of good customer service; learn how to make ethical business decisions; and, work on actual case studies of on-campus, student-run businesses. Students will utilize decision support tools to assist in evidence-based decision-making

Part II - Six-week summer immersion experience that introduces student entrepreneurs to business concepts through lecture, discussion sessions, guest speakers, field trips to area businesses, and group assignments. Student teams work on all aspects of business planning and start-up operations for their on-campus business including finalizing marketing and management plans, a SWOT analysis, and financial forecasts. Student teams will work with Student Affairs Finance to set up their student business accounts needed to operate their business and order the equipment for their respective business to ensure that they are ready to open their businesses at the beginning of the Fall semester. 

ENT 2000     Entrepreneurial Opportunities & Analysis 

This course emphasizes the important aspects of creating, starting and managing an on-campus business that engages the campus community including students, faculty and staff. Specific attention placed on why customers will buy your product/service; how you will meet customer needs; why you think there is a need for your business; and, why you think it will be profitable. 

ENT 3000     Running Your Business

This course emphasizes the important aspects of running and managing an impactful on-campus, student-run business that engages the campus community including students, faculty and staff.  Specific attention placed on equipment/inventory analysis, location analysis, credit card processing, and social media marketing plan. Issues related to running the on-campus, student-run business thoroughly discussed.

ENT 3010     Maturing Business

This course will develop the exit strategy for the on-campus business. Content areas for the course include: structuring deals, close down of business, taking business to the next level, generational transfers, and other issues related to leadership and business transitions.