While the startup community has moved beyond looking for talent from a small circle of exclusive Ivy League schools, the weight of a degree or certification from one of those institutions can still be transformational for a career.
Scaling Up DFW, the local chapter of the national organization of coaches aimed at helping entrepreneurs grow their business is teaming up with Harvard University to offer a 10-day master’s certificate program.
“This enables Scaling Up DFW to add even more value to scale-ups by bringing a forum-type learning experience, in partnership with Harvard University, that leverages the best of both worlds,” Mark Fenner, a certified coach and strategist at Scaling Up DFW, said via email.
A few of the courses offered through the program are for CEOs only, focusing on things like industry analysis, organizational structure and target setting. Others are for the entire startup’s team and look at personal efficiency, cashflow management and customer service.
Five of the six sessions will be hosted locally at the Park City Club, with the final session hosted at Harvard, where CEOs will reflect and share lessons learned throughout the program. After completion, they will receive a master’s certificate from the university.
“The Scaling Up Platform is a proven platform, peer accountability is the best motivation, and the master’s certificate from Harvard University is the cherry on top,” Fenner said.
For its first cohort, Scaling Up DFW is looking for about six CEOs to join. It’s also looking for companies in the $5M-$100M revenue range and employees numbers from 25 to 500.
Fenner also said the companies should be looking to double their growth over the next three to five years.
Fenner said the goal is to equip entrepreneurs with the tools to create leadership habits, better understand their industry and find ways to differentiate their businesses. He added that the timing was critical as startups are one of the drivers of new job creation.
“Startups that become scale-ups bend the curve in their communities in terms of job creation, wealth creation, and the leaders developed, who make a difference through volunteering, mentorship and philanthropy,” Fenner said.
Fenner launched the DFW arm of Scaling Up in 2017. Like other chapters, it is based on the principles of well-known entrepreneur Verne Harnish, who launched the company in 1996, and his numerous books carry the same title as the organization. Harnish is also a founder of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Organization, now called Entrepreneurs’ Organization.
Scaling Up has nearly 200 coaches like Fenner across the globe. According to its website, Scaling Up has helped more than 70,000 businesses.
“The Scaling Up platform, combined with an environment rich with mentors, experts, business leaders from diverse industries, all come together for this exciting opportunity,” Fenner said.
