Entrepreneurship is more than a class at Rice Business — it’s a way of thinking that is central to all our teaching. Whether you’re starting a new enterprise or making something happen at the company where you work, the entrepreneurial mindset is a crucial part of your tool kit. We’ll help you sharpen it.
Launch Pad
Looking to turn your big idea into a successful business? Rice Business is one of the only MBA programs in the country with an entrepreneurship concentration. We’ll give you the guidance and support you need to launch your business and get it growing.
Startups aren’t the only path to entrepreneurship. The Rice Entrepreneurship Acquisitions Lab gives you the opportunity to assess existing business ventures, explore financing options and develop plans to scale the venture once you’re at the helm. By connecting you with mentors, investors and a sounding board of peers, the lab will help you jump-start the process while you’re enrolled and support you through acquisition and beyond.
As a two-time entrepreneur, I went back to get my MBA to learn investing strategies and how to scale companies — massively. Rice Business provided me the framework to intellectually keep up in the fast-paced world of venture capital. The small program lends itself perfectly to the network-driven entrepreneur and student.
Samantha Lewis,
Full-Time MBA '17
Shark Tank — Rice Style
More than 40 teams compete for $1.5 million in prizes every year in the Rice Business Plan Competition, the world’s largest and richest student startup competition. Competitors receive mentoring from investors and established entrepreneurs, along with hands-on experience in what it takes to successfully launch a new business.
Houston — where 400 of every 100,000 residents start a business every month — is a hotbed of innovation. And Rice Business played a key role in the creation of Houston’s Innovation District. That collaboration, along with the development of The Ion, our midtown innovation hub, gave the entrepreneurial community a boost of rocket fuel to drive its growth.
A flexible, modern learning center and workspace, the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) is Rice’s on-campus hub where Rice Business students prepare to become innovators in whatever industry they choose.
The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is a catalyst for building successful tech ventures, linking the Rice Business community to Houston’s vibrant startup scene. Over the past 20 years, more than 2,500 companies have participated in over 220 Rice Alliance programs, raising more than $8.1 billion in early-stage capital.
