Entrepreneurship
The Entrepreneurship Course blends the essentials of starting, scaling, and funding a venture — giving athletes a complete playbook from idea to investor.
Participants learn to validate and build a business, structure a team and financial model, and execute a capital raising strategy that stands up to scrutiny.
Whether you are in the early stages of launching or preparing to raise your first round, this program builds the skills, frameworks, and confidence to move with clarity. Each week stacks on the last, so by Demo Day you are not just pitching — you are backed by the infrastructure behind it.
Through expert instruction, weekly hands-on exercises, and real-world case studies, participants will:
Outcomes and Values
By the end of the course, participants will:
- Present a polished pitch deck and business plan to an expert panel
- Compete for a $10,000 investment prize
- Leave with a complete toolkit: financial model, data room checklist, investor profiles, and outreach strategy
- Gain a network of founders, mentors, investors, and entrepreneurial peers
- Possess the confidence to launch, scale, or raise capital — strategically and on their own terms
Program Structure
Format: 6 weeks | Weekly live sessions with hands-on exercises
Delivery: Live online with access to recordings for review
Certificate Received: Entrepreneurship Certificate of Completion
Cost: $5,000*
*Tuition reimbursement is available for those who qualify
Program Pillars
Hands-On Learning
Weekly deliverables, exercises, and peer feedback transform theory into execution.
Expert Instruction
Guidance from seasoned founders, investors, and University of Miami Herbert faculty.
Real-World Application
Case studies, investor psychology, pitch deck design, and startup operating systems prepare participants to execute immediately.
Capstone Presentations
Final week Demo Day gives participants the chance to pitch live to investors, founders, and PAC leadership—competing for a $10,000 prize.
Meet Your Faculty
Alex McElfish
Weekly Themes
- Entrepreneurial mindset: ownership, risk, resilience, and thinking like a builder
- Startup vs. small business: what makes a venture scalable
- Problem discovery, market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM), and competition mapping
- Idea validation: interviews, surveys, pre-sales, and early market tests
- The Business Model Canvas: understanding your value proposition, customer
segments, channels, and revenue model - Unit economics, revenue model vs. cost basis, and demonstrating a viable path to
profitability - Forming your business with investment in mind: C-Corps, S-Corps, and LLCs — and
why structure matters early
Build the Team and the Infrastructure Investors Expect
- Co-founder dynamics, early team structure, and founder role clarity
- Defining roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority in writing
- Equity distribution and allocation: time value, cash investment, and fairness
frameworks - Vesting schedules and why they matter — to you and to investors● Operating agreements and founder agreements: conflict resolution and governance
- Identifying team gaps and how to fill them: hires, advisors, and consultants
- IP and information protection: patents, trademarks, NDAs, and IP assignment
agreements - Building the data room: cap table, ownership documentation, and what investors will
ask for
- Why the pro forma matters and what investors actually look for in your numbers
- Building the financial model: assumptions, revenue projections, expense buckets,
and hiring schedule - Making assumptions defensible: CAC, LTV, churn, and benchmarking against
industry data - Use of proceeds: connecting capital deployment to specific milestones
- Defining your MVP using MoSCoW prioritization and lean testing principles
- No-code tools and prototyping frameworks for fast, low-cost validation
- Go-to-market strategy: organic vs. paid, referral loops, and early traction channels
- Identifying your first acquisition channels and the KPIs that tell you if they are
working
Craft a Story That Gets Funded
- Slide-by-slide breakdown of a compelling pitch deck
- Investor psychology: how they assess risk, opportunity, and the founding team
- Telling your story: aligning your narrative with KPIs, traction, and financial projections
- Non-dilutive funding: grants, how to pursue them, and when they make sense
- Dilutive funding: SAFEs, convertible notes, and equity — mechanics, advantages,
and tradeoffs - Milestones and value inflection points: how to time your raise to maximize valuation
- Why staged raises beat one large round: risk, dilution, and building investor
confidence over time - How much to raise, how to justify it, and how to connect it to your use of proceeds
- The investor landscape: friends and family, angel groups, family offices, and venture
capital industry focus meeting handle valuation - Investor profiling: researching investment thesis, check size, stage preference, and
- Planning outreach: warm introductions, targeting strategy, and how to get the first
- Conducting an effective first investor meeting: what to cover, what to ask, and how to
- Post-pitch best practices: follow-up, addressing concerns, and keeping momentum
through the process - Understanding term sheets: liquidation preference, anti-dilution, participation rights,
and board seats - Common shares vs. preferred shares: why investors want preferred and what that
means for founders - Closing the round, deploying capital responsibly, and managing investor relationships
post-close
Demo Day & Launch Readiness
- Live pitches to investors, founders, and PAC leadership
- Compete for a $10,000 investment prize
- Receive real-time feedback and guidance
Key Features
- University of Miami Herbert Business School Executive Education Certificate
- Hands-on projects, deliverables, and investor-ready pitch deck development
- Direct feedback from founders, mentors, and investors
- Final pitch competition with a $10,000 investment prize
- Peer accountability and community learning environment
