Special Initiatives

Entrepreneurship Initiative

The Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative inspires Georgetown University students to be entrepreneurial, teaches them the entrepreneurial lessons learned by others, connects them to useful resources, and helps them pursue their own unique entrepreneurial interests.  The initiative manages an array of courses and extracurricular programs to serve the Georgetown University entrepreneurial community, both within and without the McDonough School of Business, and fosters strong connections to the vibrant Washington DC entrepreneurial community.  Signature programs include the Hoya Challenge Business Pitch Competition, the MSB Entrepreneurial Fellowship, the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance, the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Faculty Exchange, Entrepreneurs in Residence, and events such as Georgetown Entrepreneurship Day, the Venture Capital Investment Competition, and DC Entrepreneurship Week.

The Entrepreneurship Track offers four core courses:  Understanding Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Business Planning, Advanced Business Planning, and Implementing the Plan. Additional courses related to entrepreneurship include Internet Advertising and Marketing, Law for Managers, Management Communications, Market Research, Negotiations, New Product Development, Small Business Clinic, and Venture Capital.

Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business offers a variety of opportunities to explore entrepreneurship outside of the classroom. Student clubs that foster one’s entrepreneurial spirit include the Georgetown MBA Entrepreneurship Club, MSB Energy & Cleantech Club, and Net Impact. The school hosts speaker series events with entrepreneurs, most recently featuring Muhammad Yunus, T. Boone Pickens, Chris Sacca, Terry Semel, Ted Leonsis, Shelia Johnson, David McCourt, Samer Hamadeh, Fred Wilson, and Richard Branson. Students also participate in the annual Georgetown Entrepreneurship Summit, the Venture Capital Investment Competition (winning first place at the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition), entrepreneurial internships, and networking and consulting opportunities within the Washington, D.C., entrepreneurial community.

Global Social Enterprise Initiative

Social enterprise – the leadership and management of social-purpose undertakings in corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government, as well as across these sectors – creates the social value needed for large-scale, sustainable social change.

Spearheaded by Distinguished Professor of the Practice Bill Novelli, former CEO of AARP and co-founder and former president of Porter Novelli, the Global Social Enterprise Initiative at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business is developing strategies that will involve students, faculty, and alumni, as well as community and international partners in Social Enterprise.

Our university’s tradition of service to others, along with its global orientation and location in the nation’s capital, provides an excellent base for this initiative.

We aim to infuse social enterprise throughout the school’s curriculum; encompass research, teaching, education, outreach, and service; and develop and disseminate best practices in the leadership and management of social ventures. The goal is to prepare business students to become leaders who understand the importance of social enterprise and who are well equipped to make responsible management decisions that emphasize long-term economic and social value creation.

Courses related to social enterprise at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business include Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Enterprise, Social Marketing, Investing in Africa, Leadership and Management of Nonprofit Organizations, and Community Development, Finance, and Strategy.

Real Estate Finance Initiative

The Real Estate Finance Initiative seeks to dramatically elevate the role of real estate in the life of the business school through enhancing faculty, curriculum, and experiential learning for both undergraduate and graduate students; building a community of interest through a series of events with leading real estate professionals and organizations; and expanding professional opportunities for students interested in real estate. The school also launched the Real Estate Luminaries Series, which has featured such distinguished guests as Sam Zell, Robert Steers, Steven Wechsler, and other CEOs.

This program supports students targeting real estate-specific roles in such careers as investment banking, commercial lending, private equity, investment management, and real estate investment trusts. The McDonough School of Business has launched MBA courses in Real Estate Finance and Real Estate Finance and Development, with additional courses being planned. Additionally, the school’s MBA curriculum already offers a variety of courses that are directly applicable to a career in real estate finance, including Corporate Finance, Strategy, Measuring and Creating Value, and Mergers and Acquisitions.

The school hosts numerous activities for students interested in real estate. The Georgetown Real Estate Organization is a student-run club that hosts a variety of events, including Real Estate Day and the week-long Real Estate Trek in New York City to visit with industry leaders. The club also offers happy hours with industry professionals, national case competition sponsorship, and attendance at industry conferences.