Successful Entrepreneur to Teach New Class

Students who may have an interest in one day starting a business or nonprofit might want to consider taking a new special topics class offered in the spring semester.

The Art (and Science) of Entrepreneurial Thinking is a one-credit course offered during the first block of the semester. It will be taught by alumnus and guest instructor Doug Villhard, with the goal to teach students how to think like an entrepreneur.

Open to all majors, there are no prerequisites for the course. Students will learn to think creatively to solve significant problems, either for profit or charity.

The course meets for two hours per week during the first block of the spring semester – 8:30-10:30 a.m. A one-day field trip to St. Louis is also a component of the course. The final project will consist of a short write up and video recording of an “elevator pitch” for an original business or charitable idea.

Since graduating with a degree in journalism, Villhard has gone on to have success in a variety of fields. Among his ventures are Second Street, the St. Louis-based audience engagement software platform used by more than 3,000 media companies and marketers, and Villhard Growth Partners, which buys and invests in various enterprises, primarily those specializing in business and health care services.

For more information about the course, click here.