US West

University of Colorado Denver

The Richard H. and Pamela S. Bard Center for Entrepreneurship

University of Colorado Denver Business School

Catherine Kunst, MBA, PhD, Executive Director

http://www.cudenver.edu/bard

(303)620-4050

Overview

The Richard H. and Pamela S. Bard Center for Entrepreneurship was established in 1996 as a vehicle to help foster economic opportunities in the Denver metropolitan area. Richard Bard's dream was to create a program that would prepare future entrepreneurs for successful ventures, as well as to promote entrepreneurial spirit in the corporate environment. Richard and Pamela Bard's generous endowment turned this dream into a reality.

As part of the Business School at the University of Colorado Denver—the largest business school in the state—the Bard Center fosters and promotes new business opportunities, advancing the teaching, study and practice of entrepreneurship and new venture creation. The Bard Center provides students with opportunities to create partnerships with the business community through academics, mentoring, and a variety of programs designed to drive entrepreneurial development.

The Bard Center offers graduate-level courses taught by the best Business School faculty and by outside professionals working in a wide range of entrepreneurial areas. Through its entrepreneurship curriculum, internships, mentoring, incubation, and funding of new ventures, the Bard Center contributes to Colorado's economy by providing an environment and resources that enable people to create new businesses or lead corporate innovation initiatives.

Synergy 

The Bard Center for Entrepreneurship is an accredited graduate-level academic program for individuals who seek entrepreneurial guidance and hands-on instruction.

Education:  Over 400 graduate students each year participate in numerous field study projects, internships, guest speaker lectures and Entrepreneur Education Seminars.

Experience: Internship positions with local companies offer students hands-on experience while pursuing their degree.

Incubation:  Bard Center companies are hosted in the on-site incubator. New entrepreneurs are mentored by seasoned entrepreneurs from the Denver business  community.

Investment:  The Bard Center manages the Rutt Bridges Venture Capital Fund as well as connections to other funding sources including the Small Business Association, Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists, and Foundations.

Networking:  The Bard Center Advisory Council provides opportunities that support student professional growth and  development.  The Bard Center Alumni Association brings people together through classroom sponsored lectures, meetings to exchange ideas and solutions, and events.

Business Plan Competition

The Bard Center Business Plan Competition is the premier  competition in Denver. The competition has historically been open to all  entrepreneurs in Colorado. For 2009 we will be expanding to all entrepreneurs in the Rocky Mountain Region. The goals of the Business Plan Competition are (1) to  promote the development of high-caliber business plans and (2) foster the creation of new businesses in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. The Business Plan Competition supports the most outstanding business plans with over $100,000 in cash and in-kind awards from area businesses.  

Special cash awards are presented to the best business plans in bioscience, international and nonprofit business areas in order to encourage the development of companies in these important business segments.

Students & Curriculum

Bard Center students come from different academic and professional backgrounds from across the country and around the globe. Some are serial entrepreneurs and some are considering entrepreneurship for the first time. This diversity is one of the greatest advantages to students in Bard Center classes as students have the opportunity to learn from each other as well as from the faculty and curriculum.  

The Bard Center's distinguished faculty includes the best professors from the University of Colorado Denver Business School and renowned experts and entrepreneurs from the business community.

Outstanding Entrepreneurship Curriculum

The Bard Center offers a variety of courses each year on a range of topics for new as well as seasoned entrepreneurs.

The topics include:

• Innovation & New Concept Development
• Business Planning & Strategy
• International Entrepreneurial Ventures
• Managing Entrepreneurial Organizations, including in-depth courses on Marketing, Finance, Law, Operations and Leadership
• Special sector topics, including:
  • Life Science & Biotechnology
  • Social Sector Innovation & Non-Profits
  • Real Estate

Advisory Council

More than 30 leading entrepreneurs and business professionals provide the Bard Center with direction and support as members of the Advisory Council.

In addition to mentoring students, members of the Advisory Council  provide and identify financial resources for the Bard Center, advise incubator companies, make investment decisions regarding the Rutt Bridges Venture Capital Fund, participate in classroom speaking engagements,  act as ambassadors and advocates for the Bard Center, and offer advice on the curriculum.

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Contact Us:

Catherine Kunst, Executive Director, (303)620-4046, catherine.kunst@ucdenver.edu

Beth Polizzotto, Program Coordinator, (303)620-4050, bard.center@ucdenver.edu

http://www.cudenver.edu/bard