Entrepreneurship Course Instructor
The course is being led by Mike Doyle. Mike was the CEO of Rent Like A Champion, a sports-focused vacation rental platform, from 2012 – 2019, before selling the company to a partner. During that time, Mike helped grow the business to nearly $5m in annual revenue, partnered with major sporting events around the country, and raised outside funding from prominent investors Mark Cuban and Chris Sacca.
Watch Mike's pitch on Shark Tank here -
Mike is also a partner in a real estate firm that owns 20 student housing properties in South Bend, IN and serves as an informal advisor to startups around the city. Mike has worked closely with young people since 2013, when he started mentoring with Horizons for Youth (a Chicago nonprofit).
Like many people, Mike’s plans for the future were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike was in the midst of launching a new travel company when the crisis hit, and he put those plans on pause. With the extra time, Mike turned to this course, an idea he has been thinking about for years.
Entrepreneurship Course Costs
For a private, 1-1 experience with Mike, which would include the 10 hour course plus substantial email support during and after the course, we'd charge $975.00. If you'd like to take the course in a small group with up to 6 other students, we'd charge $300.
About Our 10 Week Entrepreneurship Course
This 10-week course will consist of weekly one-on-one sessions. The course will be a mix of the theory of starting a business (how to test ideas, fund a business, market a new enterprise, create budgets, and more) and the real-world experience of launching a new company. By the end of the 10-week course, each student’s goal should be to have launched a revenue-generating business.
Sessions will look different depending on the student, the type of business they are starting, and their progress. The goal is to identify a business idea that the student is uniquely suited to pursue, and one where revenue within a 10-week period is achievable. We imagine localized service businesses – babysitting, dog-walking, landscaping, grocery pickup, and more.
Each module will include concept overviews, supplemental and required reading, and exploration of specific tools and technology. Modules will include:
- Course intro: learn about the course, instructor, and the student's objectives
- Idea generation strategies
- What is a lean start up and why is it important to understand?
- Basic finance and accounting
- Defining your basic technology stack
- Getting your first customers
- Providing the right type of customers service
- Growing your customer base
- Legal issues
What to Expect from this Real-World Entrepreneurship Experience
Students participating in this course should expect to work hard, be prepared to think outside the box, and take on more responsibility than they may be accustomed to. While we hope that each student continues to pursue their business once the course is concluded, we realize that may not be feasible for everyone. At a minimum, each student should walk away with a multitude of experiences to draw on later in life, an appreciation and affinity for entrepreneurship, and immense personal growth from the new responsibilities they have taken on.
