Level Up as a Growth-Oriented Investment Manager
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December 14, 2023
9 to 12 Months
Online and In Person
The Venture Capital Private Equity Program from Columbia Business School Executive Education will prepare you to succeed in a dynamically transforming investment arena. In this comprehensive 9- to 12-month program, you will learn how to identify and evaluate what makes a good investment, develop valuation frameworks, structure term sheets, manage portfolios, and learn soft skills such as pitching deals, storytelling with data, and networking. In addition to the core modules and electives, you will engage in a specialized elective that delves into either venture capital (VC) or private equity (PE) as per your career goals.
Columbia Business School alumni have added valuable contributions to the venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) sectors, and the school’s location in New York City—the financial hub of the world—provides a close-up demonstrative understanding of the industry. Through this immersive program, taught by Columbia faculty, you will learn to leverage challenges and turn them into positive outcomes.
Core Curriculum
Kick-start your program journey with 12 weeks of online learning, imparting essential skills for investment management
Weekly Live Sessions
Experience live online sessions with success coaches as well as periodic guest lectures from faculty, industry leaders, and career advisors
World-Renowned Faculty
Learn from Columbia faculty, thought leaders, and industry experts
Specialized Electives
Take a deep dive into understanding leveraged buyouts (LBOs) or VC decision making, depending on your industry or future goals
Capstone Project
Work on a capstone project where you apply program learnings to a real-world case
Peer Learning
Interact with and learn from high-achieving peers from around the globe and build your network
Choice of Electives
Select from topical electives to gain relevant skill sets specific to your role
Success Coach
Craft your learning journey in line with your career goals with a success coach assigned to your cohort
Practitioner Insights
Learn from faculty and industry experts during the program to gain actionable insights and implement learning into practice
Flexible Learning Journey
Customize your program experience by selecting from a range of topical electives and gain skill sets specific to your career goals
Networking Event
Interact with faculty, peers, and global industry leaders at an optional two-day on-campus networking event
Select Alumni Benefits
Receive select Columbia Business School alumni benefits upon completion of the program and become part of a distinguished global community
What Is Venture Capital?
What Makes a Good VC Investment?
What Matters in a Term Sheet?
How Do You Value a Startup?
How Do You Manage a Portfolio?
Lessons Learned from 15,000 Pitches
Private Equity Foundations
What Makes a Good PE Investment?
How Do You Put the Deal Together?
How Do You Create Value in PE?
What Does Success Look Like?
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
After completing the foundational models in VC and PE, you can choose between two comprehensive specialized electives, each meticulously crafted for VC and PE, respectively. These electives delve deeper, presenting you with critical insights that go beyond the basics.
● VC Decision Making: This elective will help you learn how to create a successful investment strategy to improve venture fund performance. You will establish your individual investment criteria and intelligently diversify your portfolio.
or
● Leveraged Buyouts: This elective will help you build a comprehensive understanding of leveraged buyouts (LBO) and the process of completing them. You will learn how to evaluate a potential LBO opportunity in PE and effectively execute the deal.
A relevant choice of online electives will enhance your learning journey and assist in gaining knowledge and skills essential for your career growth. In these two six-week electives, you will dive deep into content that will expand your horizon, provide a global perspective, and sharpen your investment skills. These electives will help channel new growth areas for you to rise up the ladder or pivot your career. The choice of electives includes:
Note: Electives are subject to change.
A choice of one in-person open-enrollment elective will enable you to focus on a specialization of your interest and help unravel the intricacies of your selected topic. Designed to enhance your understanding of the VC and PE sectors, it will help position you as a serious investment strategist aiming to take your organization to newer heights. A list of select current availabilities is below:
Note: While Columbia Business School Executive Education will attempt to accommodate participant preference selections, we cannot guarantee that all preferences will be granted due to the high demand for our open-enrollment programs. Electives are subject to change.
*Meet your cohort peers and faculty in person on the Columbia Business School campus in New York City during an optional two-day recognition ceremony and networking event. This event provides you an opportunity to network with your peers as well as professionals from other cohorts to create a lifelong community of global executives.
Note: Session topics and networking event duration are subject to change.
Donna M. Hitscherich
Donna M. Hitscherich currently serves as a senior lecturer of finance, co-director of the Private Equity Program, and a Bernstein Faculty Leader at the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. Hitscherich's topics include corporate finance, business law, M&A, and advanced corporate finance.
Prior to her present position as a senior lecturer at Columbia, Professor Hitscherich had a career in investment banking, holding positions at CS First Boston, J.P. Morgan & Co., and Banc of America Securities. At J.P. Morgan, she helped found the takeover defense team and served as a senior member of the advisory review committee, which was responsible for all of the M&A fairness opinions issued by the company. As a managing director in the mergers and acquisitions group of Banc of America Securities, she was secretary of the firm’s fairness-opinion review committee and a major contributor to the firm’s training programs for managing directors and associates.
Angela Lee
Angela Lee is a professor of practice at Columbia Business School, where she teaches venture capital and leadership programs. Lee started her career in product management and moved to consulting at McKinsey. She has launched four startups and is also the founder of 37 Angels — an investing network that has evaluated over 15,000 startups, invested in 70+ startups, and activates new investors through a startup investment boot camp. She also serves as a venture partner at Fresco Capital, an early-stage venture fund that focuses on the future of work, digital health, and sustainable loops.
Lee has spoken at the White House and NASA and is an expert in online teaching and making learning scalable. She is a sought-after expert on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, MSNBC, and Fox Business. She was recognized by Inc. as one of 17 Inspiring Women to Watch in 2017, Six Innovative Women to Watch in 2015 by Entrepreneur, and Notable Women in Tech in 2019 by Crain’s. In 2020, she was recognized with the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence at Columbia Business School.
Upon completion of the Venture Capital Private Equity Program, participants are awarded the Certificate in Business Excellence from Columbia Business School Executive Education. The certificate is a recognition of their achievement and the investment they and their organization have made in their education and development.
Download BrochurePlease note that participants must complete all modules of the program (online, in person or live online, inter-module) to receive the Certificate in Business Excellence.
Ideal candidates for the Venture Capital Private Equity Program are professionals who have recently embarked on their journey in private investing and are eager to take significant strides in the VC and PE sectors. The program is beneficial for executives in investment banking, finance, private equity, venture capital, financial consulting, risk advisory, etc., who aim to gain a holistic understanding of sourcing, managing, and structuring deals. You will emerge with the knowledge and practical experience needed to elevate your career and accelerate your firm’s impact.
Participants should have:
— Michael Cheng, Startup CEO and Fund Manager
Round 1
Deadline: October 5, 2023
Application fee: US$300
Round 2
Deadline: November 2, 2023
Application fee: US$300
Round 3
Deadline: November 30, 2023
Application fee: US$300
The program fee covers teaching fees, all academic material, and access to online coursework. The fee does not include accommodations for the two-day annual in-person reunion and networking event, travel expenses (domestic, international, visa fee, and more), and other expenses not specifically mentioned in the program fee.
Flexible payment options available.