Business & Entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley

From Market Research to Launch Plan

Located on the campus of UC Berkeley

Request a Catalog Full Program Schedule

Program Highlights

Understand how operations, marketing, sales, and finance come together to drive businesses

Learn how to read financial statements in order to decipher a company’s performance

Develop a sales and marketing plan and pitch your venture to investors and mentors

Hear the tales of survival of a startup business from an entrepreneurial founder

Residential:
$5,498

Extended Commuter:
$3,598

Commuter:
$2,998

Session 1:
June 19, 2022 July 1, 2022

Session 3:
July 17, 2022 July 29, 2022

University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, CA

Testimonials

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.

Course 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.

Meet your instructor

Yolanda Brandon, EMBA

Business & Entrepreneurship

Professor Brandon has over 35+ years’ experience as a Senior Business Executive primarily serving in the role of CFO/Controller. Her current roles are Adjunct Professor of Business and Accounting at Las Positas College and leading her consulting firm ,YCB Consulting, where she focuses on strategic planning and infrastructure buildout.

Learn more

Topics you'll explore

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.

SSB business students presenting their shark tank proposal

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.