Attorney-Educator Leads Entrepreneurship Education for All This Fall

Andrew J. Sherman, instructor of ground-breaking "shared course", Entrepreneurship & New Venture Creation. Learn more and register.

“You don’t need to be a business student to be interested in entrepreneurship,” said Andrew J. Sherman energetically, reflecting on his 25-plus years of experience in entrepreneurship education with the R.H. Smith School of Business. “We cannot assume that only business students need to understand new venture creation, best practices, and how to develop a business plan.”

And beginning in Fall 2012, he and USG will set out to prove just that.

The Universities at Shady Grove’s Committee on Collaboration, Interprofessional and Interdisciplinary Education Strategies (CIPES) have teamed up with veteran instructor and full-time corporate attorney, Andrew J. Sherman, to offer an innovative “shared course” dedicated to helping students from all majors gain the skills necessary to launch and manage their own business.

By December 2012, students enrolled in the first-ever Entrepreneurship & New Venture Creation course open to all undergraduate students at USG will have what it takes to write a business plan, be privy to the winning strategies of successful companies, and possess a solid understanding of the entrepreneurial process.

Expert Strategist, Exceptional Educator

A corporate and transactional lawyer by day, Andrew J. Sherman, is an attorney at Washington D.C. firm, Jones Day Partners, and is the author of 17 business strategy books. He has served as a guest commentator on leading media networks CNN, NPR, and CBS News Radio and is no stranger to the business section of the most respected newspapers in the United States. He spends most of his hours advising executives from early stage, emerging growth ventures to Dow 30 companies, and holds a true passion for education.

“When I am helping people learn is when I am most content,” Sherman said of his decades with the Smith school, 12 years at USG, and guest lecture appearances across fifty countries in the last 20 years. “I am truly excited to launch this course, create an original, effective learning environment, and have a lot of fun doing it.”

Andrew J. Sherman discusses course material during his Entrepreneurial Finance class, Spring 2012.

One of the first instructors to step foot on the USG campus, Sherman has seen the campus grow from 14 to 76 degree programs, two to three buildings, and a quiet learning center to a vibrant campus community. He is determined to see USG continue to evolve and expand its offerings. He believes in the campus’ power to contribute to the region’s economic growth and is sold on its innovative “2+2” model of undergraduate degree completion.

“Students here, whether they have come from Montgomery College or another institution, are bright, hard-working, and very capable. I’ve seen great determination and camaraderie here and look forward to seeing even more education offered full-time, part-time, and to the local business community.”

Entrepreneurship is the Key

According to several recent trends, this new course offering is right on time. Entrepreneurship education is in high-demand and students that enroll in Entrepreneurship & New Venture Creation at USG will be part of a growing movement with sizable economic implications.

“With advancements in web technology and social media, there has never been a better time to start an enterprise, said Sherman. “Many graduates are discovering that continuing to develop a business idea they had as a student, or trying their hand in a new venture, is a viable means of income – and one that can be achieved a lower cost than ever before”.

Sherman is quick to point out that most MBA students arrive in their programs from tremendously varied backgrounds. Entrepreneurship & New Venture Creation is a course that will give those considering graduate business education an excellent preview – not to mention those in line to take over their share of the estimated $30 trillion dollars in family-owned business across the United States.

“When it comes to the entrepreneurship ecosystem, we are still number one. Not even other rising economies have been able to match our abilities with respect to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education,” said Sherman. “It is the key – a key driver in the economy, a key force behind innovation, and the key to job growth.”

Whether it is a social work student looking to begin their own practice, or a biological sciences student interested in venturing into the region’s booming biotech industry, students of all disciplines can benefit from learning effective strategy – and, with unmatched experience and enthusiasm, Andrew J. Sherman will make it his business to see that they have the skills to get started.