Founders

Entrepreneur Founders are practicing entrepreneurs who support the entrepreneurship curriculum and program at Brigham Young University. There are currently more than 140 founders with many more constantly joining.

Founders provide donations and successful entrepreneurial experience in the classroom.

Mission of the Founders

To support the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology in teaching and mentoring students, providing research opportunities and funding the center's activities, guided by the three privileges to learn, earn, return. To support this mission, the Founders:

Assist in developing teaching materials for classroom use, and research opportunities for faculty and students.
Give lectures and team teach with faculty to students and other groups.
Mentor students in starting and operating their own ventures.
Arrange internships for students in Founders' and others' businesses.
Make contributions to help build the center's endowment and fully cover its annual operating expenses and scholarship programs.
Help build entrepreneurship programs on other BYU campuses and LDS Business College.

How to Become a Founder

Careers have three phases: learn, earn, and return. The privilege to return—to help others—is the most rewarding of all. Who could be better to help teach, educate, and mentor students in entrepreneurship than real-life entrepreneurs? With this in mind, the Entrepreneur Founder group was formed to help support the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology.

The financial support of the Entrepreneur Founders is the reason this program exists. Besides funding the annual operating costs of the program, Founders have helped build an endowment, the earnings of which help fund scholarships, library holdings, curriculum developments, research support, and many other needed materials for the Center. We invite your interest in this rapidly growing nationally recognized program which supports Brigham Young University in a most satisfying way.

We invite you to become an Entrepreneur Founder and join this exciting program. The financial commitments are an initial contribution of $15,000, and an annual sustaining donation of $5,000. All contributions qualify towards membership in the President’s Club, and as a partner in the Marriott School’s Leadership Alliance.

How Do Founders Participate?

Teaching in the Classroom. As practicing entrepreneurs, some Founders choose to teach in the classroom, where they can share their experiences and insights. These outstanding business people serve as role models for students. They are people students would like to emulate. Together with a dedicated faculty, Entrepreneur Founders provide students with classroom instruction which combines theories and principles with real-life applications. Case studies based on their experiences are combined with academic studies to bring these principles to life. Presentations in the Entrepreneur Lecture Series help students understand the practical realities of becoming an entrepreneur and how it has benefited the Founders' lives. Literally hundreds of visits by Founders to campus each year bring the real world into the classroom. Their continuing evaluation of the curriculum and suggestions where it can better respond to today's needs are invaluable. The quality of learning and depth of experience increase significantly when Founders participate.

Financial Support of the Program. The Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology is unique at BYU. We support our programs entirely from the contributions of successful business persons called "Founders." This budget supports:

Teaching of over thirty classes, some of which are specifically designed for non-business majors
An intern-scholarship program where students receive tuition assistance for completing entrepreneurial internships
Scholarships to students pursuing an entrepreneurship emphasis
Awards for winners of two competitions for the best business plans and student-run businesses.
Research into principles of entrepreneurship
Funding eight professorships to attract the best faculty into our program

Founders Conference. Twice a year, the Founders and their spouses gather together on campus for educational and spiritual programs with guest speakers. Founders get the chance to network through social activities such as dinners, golf, museum tours, and football games while at the Founders Conference. . Students also get the opportunity to interact with the Founders personally, as mentors, discussing various aspects of owning and growing successful businesses. They present their business plans for feedback and evaluation from these successful entrepreneurs.