I came in knowing next to nothing about business and now I feel that I have flourished in business. This program is very beneficial and I feel that I am ready for college.
- Nathaniel C.
Business could be a very real career choice for me! I enjoyed the class, and I think my group’s business model has a lot of potential.
- Burke P.
Overview
Students will learn firsthand from business veterans about starting and running a business. Over the course of the program, they will develop a plan for a new venture and pitch their idea to real world investors. Along the way, meet with leaders from different areas of business and finance.
Excursions at UC Berkeley – Students visit the stadium of the San Francisco Giants baseball team to learn about careers in the business of sports. In addition, students will visit another major corporation in the region. In past years, students have visited Facebook, the Better Business Bureau and other institutions.
Hands-On Learning
Students will examine best practices in Research and Development (R&D), Operations, Marketing, and Finance. Understand the mechanics of scaling a business while maintaining quality.
Students become part of a new company and configure themselves into teams working on various aspects of a business. The program culminates in a shark tank environment with professional investors.
Career Exploration
Meet with range of business people, from small business owners, mid-level managers and execs from Goldman Sachs, McKinsey consultant, and CEO.
From creative marketers to hard-nosed financial analysts, there are myriad careers you may not have heard of. Together we will discuss the career options and the academic paths to get there.
Instructor
Cathy Chang, M.A.
Cathy Chang is the Founder and Principal of Silicon Valley Institute. Prior to SV Institute, she was the Program Director for Custom Programs in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of California Berkeley Extension, a new initiative to introduce a dynamic higher education program that combines both interactive academic and experiential learning activities for a wide range of audiences from around the world. She has also served various organizations from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies in Technology, Hospitality, and PR & Advertising industries such as Microsoft and the Westin Hotel. Teaching, designing, organizing and delivering meaningful, memorable and life-changing learning content and experiences are her passion.
Note: Summer Springboard programs are not run by our campus partners. Universities and their affiliated departments are not responsible for the Summer Springboard program in any way.
