Mason
Enterprise Center Launches Entrepreneurial
"Step-Up" Program;
Silverman Appointed Program Director
The
Mason Enterprise Center (MEC) in the
School of Public Policy has launched
the Entrepreneurial Step-Up Program,
an innovative two-track executive education
program offering entrepreneurial management
education services to spur growth of
regionally targeted Tier 2 companies.
Tier 2 companies typically have minimum
projected revenues of $2 million and
a minimum of 10 employees; they have
been in business for at least 3 years.
The
program provides senior entrepreneurial
executives with critically needed management
skills to help grow their businesses.
Two six-month Executive Entrepreneur
Program (EEP) sessions provide a comprehensive,
structured, in-depth curriculum addressing
essential entrepreneurial management
skills and tools.
In
addition, a highly experienced EEP
Business Mentor is assigned to each
Step-Up Program participant. The mentor
assists in developing critical issues
and Key Performance Indicators. Business
progress is tracked in monthly mentor
meetings during the 12-month EEP.
Paul
Silverman has been appointed director
of the program. He has extensive corporate
management, management consulting,
and entrepreneurial management experience.
Silverman currently serves as CEO of
Strategic Defense Alliance Corp., a
public homeland security firm; chairman
of Global Defense Corp., a privately
held technology firm; and chairman
of the Management Advisory Board for
MobilePro Corp (OTC/BB: MOBL). He also
is an adjunct professor in George Mason’s
School of Management and in American
University’s Kogod School of
Business.
“Helping
high potential regional companies achieve
major growth is a winning strategy
for all—we create new jobs and
regional economic benefits, and further
reinforce Virginia’s position
as the ‘Best State for Business’ according
to the August 2006 Forbes.com,” said
Silverman.
The
fully integrated two-track approach
provides several unique benefits, such
as integrating executive education
with focused mentor services to improve
directly a company’s business
performance; refocusing the EEP curriculum
during the session to address areas
of particular concern to participants
based on EEP Business Mentor feedback;
and ensuring an effective balance between
executive management training theory
and practice, while working directly
with an executive’s respective
company.
The
initial six-month Phase I Executive
Entrepreneur Program session, scheduled
to start in fall 2007, will be limited
to 30 senior executives of regional
Tier 2 companies. The curriculum includes
classroom lectures complemented by
guest speakers, roundtable discussions,
and comprehensive case studies. Upon
completion of the six-month Phase I
Program, up to 10 companies will be
accepted into the more in-depth six-month
Phase II EEP Program.
The
new program will be under the overall
direction of Roger Stough, who serves
as director of the Mason Enterprise
Center and associate dean of the School
of Public Policy. Stough promoted the
vision for the Step-Up Program several
years ago.
“George
Mason’s MEC offers a broad, expanding
range of services to support start-up
and early-stage companies,” said
Stough. “The new MEC Entrepreneurial
Step-Up Program fills an important
unmet need in our ‘portfolio’—helping
high potential regional Tier 2 firms
achieve significant growth and value
creation. We have been encouraged by
progress to date and appreciate Paul
Silverman’s support for the new
program.”
To
learn more about the MEC and its services,
visit http://www.masonenterprisecenter.org/
|
