NEW VENTURE DEVELOPMENT
Go From an Idea to a Launch-Ready Business in 9 Months
Have an idea for a business, product, app, nonprofit, or creative venture?
NVD helps you turn it into something real.
- Build a fully realized and launch-ready business in two semesters
- Get real-world advice from experienced entrepreneurs and mentors to help you succeed
- Pitch your idea in front of judges and investors to win prize money
NVD is a yearlong, hands-on business-building program where University of Arizona students turn ideas into tested ventures, work with real mentors, and build the kind of confidence and experience you cannot get from a textbook alone.
For BSBA students: NVD = A double major in Entrepreneurship!
Why Students Choose NVD
"Set me up for success"
“Joining NVD was a highlight of my senior year in Eller. Being in this program has changed my approach in my everyday life and set me up for success with an entrepreneurial mindset. Now when I am met with a challenge, I think of how I could create a product or service that would solve my problem and I could build into a sustainable brand.”
-Tenly Synhorst, Co-founder of Tabi, NVD Class of 2026
"Gives you...creative freedom"
“NVD gives you a lot of creative freedom to build whatever venture you want, which makes the experience really engaging and personal. It’s challenging, collaborative, and pushes you to think creatively while still providing structure and support. It’s a great opportunity to take an idea from scratch and actually develop it into something real while learning by doing.”
-Steven Raizer, Co-founder of Barricade Blinds, NVD Class of 2026
"Learn all the A-Z processes of starting a business!"
"I experienced more in this class than any other class of my whole college experience! NVD helped me learn about business, making new friends, finding a mentor, outside connections, and all the A-Z processes of starting a business! If you are interested in being a CEO, want to gain real business knowledge/lessons, want a business mentor and want an opportunity at starting a real business of your own: JOIN!"
-Jay Laszlo, Co-founder of Eara, NVD Class of 2026
Want to apply?
Juniors will apply to participate during their senior year (2026-2027).
Stay tuned for 2026-2027 application details
Build Something Real
If you want more than lectures, notes, and a final exam, NVD offers something different. You will build, test, pitch, and refine a venture with a team while learning directly from people who have actually done it. Whether you want to launch a business or graduate with stronger practical skills that make you more employable, NVD gives you the experience, confidence, and momentum to move forward.
PLEASE NOTE: You don’t need to have it all figured out. That’s the point of the program.
You just need curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to build something bigger than those class projects nobody wanted to work on to begin with.
What Do You Actually DO in NVD?
This is not a program where you just talk about entrepreneurship. You practice it, spending the year doing the work entrepreneurs actually do.
Through the NVD experience, you will:
Generate and evaluate ideas.
Talk to customers.
Work with a team to build and test a venture concept.
Get feedback from people with real-world experience.
Pitch your idea in front of judges, mentors, and investors as you compete for prize money and learn how to communicate your idea under pressure.
By the end, you won’t just understand entrepreneurship. You’ll have practiced it.
Program Courses
Fall | Spring | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Venture Development I | Marketing Research for Entrepreneurs | Finance for New Ventures | New Venture Development II | |
| Eller BSBA students Entrepreneurship double major | ENTR 487 4 units | MKTG 480 3 units | FIN 480 3 units | ENTR 484 4 units |
| Non-Eller BSBA students Certificate in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Development | ENTR 487 4 units | MKTG 480* 3 units | FIN 480* 3 units | ENTR 484 4 units |
*Non-BSBA students take either MKTG 480 or FIN 480.
For Eller BSBA students, NVD is part of earning a double major in Entrepreneurship.
For non-Eller BSBA students, NVD can lead to a Certificate in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Development OR these courses can count as electives toward a Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
The New Venture Development program can strengthen your degree no matter what you are already studying.
Honors note: Honors students from colleges other than Eller may take ENTR 487 and ENTR 484 for eight Honors credits. Optionally, they may also take FIN 480 and MKTG 480 for up to six more Honors credits (14 credits total). Honors students from colleges other than Eller may not complete their honors thesis through the McGuire program—theses may only be completed through your major or minor area of study. If you have additional questions, please contact your Honors advisor.
Fall Semester: New Venture Development I | Course Date/Time |
| Undergraduate Students: ENTR 487 New Venture Development and Industry Analysis | Tuesdays 3:30-6:15 p.m. / Thursdays 3:30-4:45 p.m. |
| Graduate Students: ENTR 534 Industrial Analysis and New Venture Development | Tuesdays 3:30-6:15 p.m. / Thursdays 3:30-4:45 p.m. |
Spring Semester: New Venture Development II | Course Date/Time |
| Undergraduate Students: ENTR 484 Development of New Venture Plans | Tuesdays 3:30-6:15 p.m. / Thursdays 3:30-4:45 p.m. |
| Graduate Students: MGMT 539 Planning of New Ventures | Tuesdays 3:30-6:15 p.m. / Thursdays 3:30-4:45 p.m. |
Who is NVD for?
No matter your major, entrepreneurship is for you.
Business students. Engineers. Designers. Scientists. Artists. Musicians. Writers. Health majors. Tech people. People with a notebook full of ideas and no clue what to do with them yet. That mix of backgrounds and interests is what makes our program work.
Great ventures rarely come from one person sitting alone, trying to “innovate” into the void like a sleep-deprived founder whispering “disruption” into their cold brew. In NVD, you team up with students from different majors and backgrounds so you can build stronger ideas, challenge assumptions, and learn how real ventures actually come together. Simply put, NVD is for students who are looking for more than just another class.
In NVD, you will:
Ideation
Build a venture from the ground up in one year
Collaboration
Work with students from different majors and backgrounds
Real-World Learning
Get real feedback from entrepreneurs, mentors, and advisors
Transformation
Leave with practical experience that makes you sharper, more confident, and more ready for what comes next
Learn From Experienced Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship can be lonely, but in NVD, it’s a team sport.
As a member of the NVD program, you don’t just learn from one professor. You get access to a team of mentors, advisors, and guest speakers who bring their real-world insight and experience into the classroom.
Kris Kronenberg – Instructor of Record
- PhD-trained entrepreneurship scholar.
- International university teaching experience.
- Research background in firm growth, mobility, and strategic decision-making.
Björgvin Benediktsson – Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Venture Advisor
- Audio production, content creation, and creative entrepreneurship.
- Digital products, online education, and scalable revenue models (founder of Audio Issues).
- Customer discovery, digital marketing, and early-stage venture strategy for founders.
Bob Griffin – Executive Director, Venture Advisor
- Private equity and early-stage technology investing.
- Scaling and exiting software and services companies (including sales to IBM).
- National security, public safety, and critical infrastructure technology solutions.
Mark Peterson – Guest Lecturer
Family business and multi-generational venture building.
Global and hybrid entrepreneurship, including ventures in London, Tokyo, and beyond.
Retail and online selling, with hands-on experience scaling international bakery brands.
Carlos J. Alsua – Guest Lecturer, Venture Advisor
- Cross-cultural management, global leadership, and motivation in international contexts.
- Global entrepreneurship, innovation, and ethics, with a focus on developing economies.
- Implementation of managerial practices and entrepreneurship across diverse regions and cultures.
Callie Groth – Venture Advisor
- Aerospace and defense entrepreneurship.
- Business model design and technology innovation.
- Leadership development for founders.
Matt Bogumill – Guest Lecturer
- Early-stage fintech growth and strategic partnerships (former VP, Business Development at PayPal from inception to S‑1 filing).
- Capital raising and investor relations, including participation in PayPal’s 90M Series D financing.
- Go-to-market strategy and business development for financial and technology ventures.
Robyn Tosick – Guest Lecturer
- Corporate brand and marketing leadership (Lululemon, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola).
- Socially conscious and purpose-driven entrepreneurship (founder of OKIINO and Savvyself).
- Mindfulness, coaching, and conscious business for mission-driven leaders.
Kannyn MacRae – Guest Lecturer
- Offshore manufacturing and global supply-chain strategy for consumer products.
- Product development and sourcing for Amazon and e‑commerce brands.
- International vendor management, quality control, and cost optimization in manufacturing.
What Do You Get From NVD?
Students leave NVD with more than a class on their transcript.
You’ll leave with:
Experience building something from scratch
Stronger communication and public-speaking skills
Practical teamwork experience
Confidence in solving messy, real-world problems
Deeper relationships with mentors, faculty, and peers
A clearer understanding of how businesses and ventures actually work
A stronger story to tell employers, investors, graduate schools, or future collaborators
A clearer sense of how to lead, adapt, and create value in the real world.
Whether you want to launch a venture, work inside an innovative company, or simply graduate with stronger practical skills, NVD helps you think bigger and execute better.
Why Choose NVD?
McGuire brings together academic learning and real-world venture building. You get structure, support, and experienced guidance, but you also get the chance to build something real, test your thinking, and learn from feedback.
The New Venture Development program is built around action. You’ll work with faculty, advisors, mentors, guest speakers, and entrepreneurs who help you turn ideas into something more credible, tested, and launch-ready. That means more access, more feedback, more practical learning, and more support as you turn your ideas into action.
How do I apply?
Juniors will apply to participate during their senior year (2026-2027).
There's a basic application, a short essay question, and a personal pitch to showcase your creativity, motivation, and entrepreneurial mindset.
Check back here for application dates and details for 2026-2027!
Ready to Build Something Real?
If you have questions about the NVD program, contact Dr. Kris Kronenberg.