Entrepreneurship/Start-Up

Entrepreneurship/Start-up requires someone willing to conceive, organize, implement, and/or manage a new enterprise to meet certain goals, whether it is to develop and market an original product or service or to impact a social issue in an innovative way.  Entrepreneurs need to feel comfortable with calculated risk, ambiguity, change and the ability to face both huge upside and failure.  It requires someone who is self-motivated and organized and wants to do things differently than before or simply, independently.  Literally any major offered at Northeastern – any profession – could play out on an entrepreneurial/start-up path.

While people have started businesses without a degree, many feel academic knowledge and hands on experience is invaluable before launching their new venture.   Northeastern offers three specific tracks of study—technology entrepreneurship, family business entrepreneurship, and social entrepreneurship—leading to work in early stage firms, established companies, and family businesses where the drive to innovate is strong.  Northeastern also offers a particularly rich array of extracurricular opportunities that are sampled below.

NOTE: Almost any job function necessary in an established company might be vital in an entrepreneurial/start-up operation. In many instances, employees might be called upon to “wear multiple hats” and fulfill multiple roles. Flexibility and diverse skills are key.

Job qualifications are based not only on degree program, but on skills and experience. Students should seek out as many experiential opportunities in their fields of interest as possible, including co-op and internships and extracurricular opportunities. Students should evaluate whether the entrepreneurial/start-up environment fits with their values and personality. The Career Development Department can help students assess this.