Program Format
The program runs for one year. All participants visit campus on three occasions for one-week over the course of the year: at the commencement, mid-point, and end. The remaining weeks consist of online classes and topical deep dives, as well as work on the two capstone projects of the program on process improvement and growth. Entrepreneurs can expect to devote 5 hours a week to the academic work and project implementation and analysis when not on campus.
Curriculum and Projects
In addition to classes covering business and strategy with Columbia Business School’s world-class professors, all entrepreneurs will undertake two capstone projects that are conceived, implemented, and quantified under the guidance of faculty. The first project, a Process Improvement Project, challenges companies to identify inefficient internal processes. Working on these projects exposes leaders to the measurable impact of process improvement methodologies and helps to embed a company culture of continuous improvement. This is followed by a Growth and Strategy Project in which companies follow a framework to conquer their core businesses and develop strategic plans for growth and expansion.
Advising and Mentorship
In addition to one-on-one faculty advising, entrepreneurs will benefit from mentorship with senior executives in industry. Each company will be paired with a mentor to provide guidance on overarching strategic planning, expanding their business network.
Additionally, a core component of the EC-America program is the creation of a robust personal and professional network of Hispanic-led firms and other industry contacts. The class is carefully designed to foster both community and camaraderie among the participating entrepreneurs.
Program Model
The EC-America program is based on Columbia’s impactful ECLA Program (Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Latin America), which has run since 2010 with more than 200 graduates from 96 companies in 12 different countries across 40+ industries. The program has helped these Latin American entrepreneurs realize significant business growth:
- More than 9,100 new jobs created
- 38% average annual growth rate per company
- 77% of companies get the return on their investment in the program within one year of graduating
Is EC-America right for your company?
Visit our FAQs to learn more about the participant and company profile, the curriculum, capstone projects and more.