Bootcamp delegates are eligible for 3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from Oklahoma State University, and will receive a certificate upon completion of the program.

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The OSU Cowboys Bootcamp is a pragmatic program for Oklahomans seriously interested in launching their own ventures and those in the early stages of start-up. The program occurs over six consecutive Saturday mornings. It features award-winning faculty, highly successful entrepreneurs, and a number of subject matter experts. We offer versions in Tulsa each Fall and in Oklahoma each Spring. Our goal is to share the key elements that go into the creation of a profitable and sustainable new venture.

Why Is It Called a Bootcamp?

As with the general concept of a bootcamp, the program is intense, focused, and hands-on. We cover significant territory, with a focus on applying concepts and ideas to the ventures being started by those in attendance. Delegates are encouraged to bring their ideas, passion, enthusiasm, and questions

What Do We Cover?

Building on the leading edge entrepreneurship curriculum at Oklahoma State University, the Bootcamp concentrates on the key tools, perspectives, and approaches that go into creating a viable business. Sample topics covered over the six weeks of the program include:

• Why it is important to approach venture creation as a process
• The different types of ventures one can create
• How to discover entrepreneurial opportunity
• What makes for a great business concept and a cool business model
  The real role a business plan plays and why you need to write it yourself
• What you really need to know about bookkeeping and accounting, and how to use the numbers to make smarter decisions
• How entrepreneurial finance works---figuring out what you need and how to get it
• The critical importance of leveraging resources and how this can be done
• What it means to think and act like a ‘guerrilla’ when it comes to marketing
• How to think about, mitigate and manage risk
• What role the internet should play in your business
• What you might (or might not) need a lawyer for
• What you may not know about how day-to-day operations should be organized
• Issues in hiring people and outsourcing
• The characteristics of great entrepreneurs
• Trademarks and Intellectual Property
• And much more!

Who Should Attend?

We will accept 55 delegates to the program, on a first-come, first-served basis. The Bootcamp is intended for three key audiences:

1. People who have thought about starting their own ventures, but may still be looking for the right idea, or have hesitated to take the leap
2. Aspiring entrepreneurs who have an idea for a new venture, and are getting ready to start, but need some help either in refining their concept or in putting things together to increase the likelihood of success
3. Entrepreneurs who have started a venture and are still in the early stages, and find themselves struggling with aspects of the business or in finding a sustainable business model

Special Tracks will be offered for technology-based and growth-oriented businesses.

The Presenting Faculty and Entrepreneurs

The Department of Entrepreneurship at OSU is one of the few such academic departments at a major college or university. We are proud to have one of the most extensive and qualified teams of entrepreneurship faculty in the United States. We also work with hundreds of amazing entrepreneurs each year. It is the best of both our faculty and the entrepreneurial community that come together to put on the Cowboy Entrepreneurs Bootcamp each year.

Who Should I Contact if I Have Questions?

For assistance please call Joanne Ainsworth at (405) 744-7552 or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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