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  7. Spine Sweat Experience
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  • Have a Venture Idea?

Spine Sweat Experience

Learn how to start your venture by enrolling in Indiana University’s advanced venture creation course BUS–W409: Practicum in Entrepreneurship. This course is specifically designed for students with the passion to create new entrepreneurial ventures. Nicknamed the “spine sweat experience,” this course provides a unique challenge for selected students to prepare and present a business plan with a risk vs. reward aspect. Students who take the course are given the unique opportunity to present a business plan and pitch to a panel of distinguished alumni including angel investors and venture capitalists.

#1

Entrepreneurship Course in America

INC Magazine

#1

Entrepreneurship Experience in USA

Bloomberg Businessweek

The spine sweat experience is the most realistic and engaging entrepreneurship course offered at Kelley. It requires you to look beyond a syllabus and determine what is actually critical to bring to a real panel of investors. I recommend this course to all serious aspiring entrepreneurs.

Michael WayneSpine Sweat Graduate

History

The “spine sweat experience” was created by Dr. Don Kuratko (“Dr. K”) to increase real-world entrepreneurial experiences for Kelley students. Over the years, Dr. K assembled a group of distinguished alumni (venture capitalists, angel investors, and business moguls) who serve as evaluators for the final pitch. The course was nicknamed the “spine sweat experience” because the real-world risk/reward aspects of the course will literally make your spine sweat.

A real-world accelerator

Practicum in Entrepreneurship (W 409) is Indiana University’s advanced venture creation and development course. Students develop and launch their companies by going through a 15-week customized venture acceleration course. The program provides a unique challenge to develop a business plan and present a final pitch to real angel investors and venture capitalists who come to campus from across the country to serve as a panel of judges for the final course deliverable.

The student experience

Students in this course have gone on to launch high-growth companies, raise millions of dollars in angel and venture capital, win national awards, appear on Shark Tank, and exit their firms via IPO and/or acquisition. Even students that did not start their ventures remark that the course was an incredibly valuable, practical experience that they used to jump-start their corporate careers.

Next steps and application

To learn more about the course, click here for more details or to submit your application.

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