As the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities continues this week at UCLA Anderson, we speak with lecturer and faculty director of Anderson’s Strategic Management Research program George Abe, who’s been teaching in EBV since 2011, to learn more about what the program offers vets.
What classes are you teaching in this year’s EBV program?
I’m teaching an introductory lecture on entrepreneurship, giving a talk on the elements of a business plan and a final discussion about good and bad business presentations. The objective of these is to dispel some misconceptions they have about entrepreneurship, which for many of them is a big difference between the command-and-control work environment they are accustomed to.
How is instructing military veterans any different than teaching other MBA students?
These students are very mature, often with families. Therefore, the teaching approach is very similar to the Executive MBA program. These are highly interactive sessions that often touch upon their military experience. They’re highly strategic, case-based lectures that address work situations they have personally encountered. They find these discussions engaging, as do I.
What would you say to veterans considering signing up for the EBV program?
The military environment is very different from the scrappiness of entrepreneurship. Therefore, any veteran that wants a life-changing experience should consider EBV to get a preview of what to expect and the preparation necessary for life after the military. We have had a number of success stories, so we have good evidence that the teaching approach we have works. In addition, students can take advantage of the network effect of having met other veterans in the same position.
To learn more about the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities at UCLA Anderson, visit the program page.
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