UofU’s Master of Business Creation program expands globally

The Master of Business Creation (MBC) program at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business has gone global. Following years of growth in the U.S., the program for entrepreneurs is now being offered around the world with the new MBC Global option for founders who are living in other countries. The global option enrolled its first 20 founders from Africa starting in the fall 2024 semester.

“This is a major development for the best program for entrepreneurs anywhere,” said Kurt Dirks, dean of the David Eccles School of Business. “The unique feature is that founders in the MBC program focus entirely on their business while they learn. They graduate with an accredited master’s degree and a startup ready for growth. Soon, founders everywhere will have the opportunity to participate in this amazing program.”

The MBC program was introduced in 2019 as a first-of-kind program and over 200 founders have enrolled in the program since then. It matches the features of a business accelerator with the university to provide entrepreneurs with the information and resources they need to grow and scale their companies. The program is offered in partnership with the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy and Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute at the Eccles School.

A full listing of the African founders and a description of their startups can be found at the institute’s website, lassonde.utah.edu.

“We are working quickly to expand the MBC Global option to every continent,” said Jeff Davis, director of the MBC Global program and a professor in the marketing department at the Eccles School. “We want entrepreneurs everywhere to have the opportunity to participate in this unmatched program for working entrepreneurs. Within a couple years, we expect to have founders from every corner of the world participating.”

The MBC Global program features all of the core elements of the successful U.S. program. The founders in the global program will have access to one-on-one mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs in their location, an applied and highly relevant curriculum, networking opportunities and more. They will also join a growing, international network of MBC alumni, founders, faculty and mentors. The MBC Global option is offered online and founders join a cohort with other entrepreneurs from their region.

“We offer the MBC Global program in the online, three-semester format to give the founder options that work best for them,” Davis said. “Many founders prefer the flexible online option that allows them to stay in their home country and participate at times they prefer, while working on their startup or at a different day job during business hours. We invite entrepreneurs to connect with us and learn about the MBC program. Founders will not find a more effective and rewarding program to grow their business, while also earning a U.S. accredited master’s degree. The MBC program offers a very unique opportunity by combining a premier accelerator experience with a nationally ranked university.”

Samuel Quansah is one of the first founders to enroll in the MBC Global program. He lives in Cape Coast, Ghana, and is the founder of Createch Motives Afrika. The company nurtures Africa’s next-generation problem-solvers by improving equitable access to hands-on, problem-solving education for hundreds of K-12 school children.

“By improving access to hands-on, problem-solving STEAM education for even just 10 percent of this talent, we can collectively transmute Africa’s problems into viable solutions, creating lasting social impact and upward socio-economic mobility,” Quansah said. “From Day One (in the MBC program), you are a doer — there’s a direct application of the modules to your venture,” Quansah said. “Every step, along with the faculty’s support, is personalized to challenge your thinking and question assumptions holistically and innovatively.”