Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs
Learn the ins and outs of starting or growing your business.
Whether you want to start a business or grow an existing venture, the Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs can help. Led by LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business faculty and featuring insights from local business leaders, this program covers the fundamentals most closely linked to startup success.
The program is open to all adult entrepreneurs in the Baton Rouge area, from visionaries with ideas to early-stage ventures and growing businesses. Sessions will be held on sequential Saturdays from July 11 to August 15.
Presented by the Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute.
About the Program
The Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs consists of six consecutive five-hour sessions, held on Saturdays in the summer. The program offers intensive, hands-on exposure to the fundamentals of launching and growing a successful venture, with instruction from Ourso College faculty, subject-matter experts, and successful local entrepreneurs.
Topics address all facets of a successful venture, ranging from developing a viable business concept and understanding target markets to designing a profit model, setting up operations properly, marketing your venture, and understanding fundamental financial analysis. The underlying focus is thinking and acting in entrepreneurial ways, including doing more with less and growing a business with minimal resources. The approach is interactive, and entrepreneurs are encouraged to bring business ideas and challenges into the class discussions.
Get Started
Registration for this summer is now open! The cost to attend the 2026 Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs is $399.
Registration closes on July 6.
SIGN UP FOR THE 2026 BOOTCAMP FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Schedule & Format
| Date | Session Topic |
|---|---|
| July 11 | Session 1: The Entrepreneurial Dream |
| July 18 | Session 2: What You Need to Know About the Numbers |
| July 25 | Session 3: Planning, Thinking Strategically, and Managing Your Risk |
| August 1 | Session 4: Getting Resources (Including Money) When You Do Not Have Any |
| August 8 | Session 5: Customers Drive the Business (Marketing) |
| August 15 | Session 6: Operations and Other Fundamentals that Matter |
Session Format
Bootcamp sessions run from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. each day. A typical session consists of:
- 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. – Check-in and networking
- 8:30 - 11:00 a.m. – Instruction and training
- 11:00 a.m. - Noon – Guest speaker
- Noon - 1:00 p.m. – Subject matter expert session
Program Benefits
- Results-oriented sessions led by business faculty
- Advice from successful small business owners
- Instructional materials, including a binder with session presentations and 80 Steps to Sustainable Success: The UPBI Handbook on Building a Business by Michael Morris
- Graduation ceremony and certificate of completion
- Program shirts
- Refreshments each Saturday during the program
Program Partners
- City of Baton Rouge
- Southern University Law Center
- Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership
- Nexus Louisiana
- Louisiana Economic Development
- LSBDC
"This was a very educational six weeks. I highly recommend this bootcamp if you are considering starting a business or already have one. There’s always room for growth."
Valencia DeCuir Anderson, Co-owner, Crafted Nibbles
2023 Bootcamp for Entrepreneurship Graduate
Create & Innovate with Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs
Contact Us
Fahimeh Abbasi
Director, Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute
2230 Business Education Complex South
fahimabbasi@lsu.edu