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Learn How To Become an Innovator
Business: Strategy & Innovation
How do you develop an effective business strategy? You learn from the best. This online course focuses on wildly successful companies such as Netflix and Apple to understand how they work. High school students learn the tools of innovation, how businesses create products, and how they compete. If technology, marketing or start-ups are your passion, this course is for you. You will hear from Dr. Dan Fogel, an award-winning Wake Forest professor, and Lee Weiss, a Chief Executive, General Manager, and business expert, through video and complete interactive projects.
Find Out How The Hottest Companies Operate:
Keys to Success
Discover the core principles that drive cutting-edge companies like Netflix and Apple. Review their business strategies, and learn how they forge innovation and disrupt their industries.
What Goes Into the Business Model
Define a company’s strategy and business plan, and the thinking behind it. Explore how business analysts gather research from a company’s 10-K to conduct a performance analysis.
Innovation and Evolution
Analyze the “secret sauce” of creative companies like Apple and Netflix. Understand their methods for evaluating competitors and how they seek opportunities for their strategy to evolve.
The Customer Experience
Learn how businesses evaluate customer experience, identify the shortcomings of their strategy and create a product matrix. Explore the role of ethics in business strategy.
Strategic Effectiveness
Define an effective business strategy. What internal and external factors impact success? Discover how leadership, workplace culture, and other factors play a role in strategic effectiveness.
Make a Career of it
Explore the range of professional career options in business, corresponding college majors and how to determine those best for you. Learn what it’s like to work at innovative tech and media companies.
How You Will Benefit:
- Understand what makes cutting-edge companies tick and how to adopt their creative thinking.
- Develop a strategic mindset — apply it within your daily life.
- Develop your presentation skills and demonstrate what you’ve learned in a final Capstone project.
- Earn a Certificate of Completion from Wake Forest University.
Apply Now for the Next Available Course
Hear from Wake Forest
Hear from our students
Lauren L., business student from TN"I would recommend this course because it provided a great overview of the business concepts that students will need to know in college. It was also very easy to work into my schedule because the videos could be watched at any time and at any place."
Gabby C., business student from CA"This program really gives you an insight on what working in business is like! If you are a student like me who is still searching for their passion and major in college, this program will provide you with clarity. It is exciting and interesting and will always keep you on your toes."
3 Learning Advantages Designed for You
Final Capstone Project
The course culminates in a special Capstone project that allows you to:
- Demonstrate what you've learned in this course
- Get feedback from your mentors on your work
- Draft a memo and develop a presentation to the leadership of the company of your choice. Outline strategic threats the company currently faces and your recommendations for how to counter them.
Mentoring
Mentors provide support and answer questions to deepen your learning experience. You can expect:
- Encouragement and direction on all assignments
- Inspiration, motivation and confidence to help you succeed
- Brainstorming and ideation help as you prepare for your final Capstone project
Flexible Learning
- 100% online, works with your schedule
- You’ll learn through engaging video— tune in anytime that works for you
- 30 hours of total instruction and course work, including engaging multimedia simulations and curated assignments for which you will receive guidance and support
- Engage with fellow students around the world any time, any place
Meet Your Online Immersion Faculty Members
Dr. Dan Fogel, CEO, Founder SP3, Founder and Former Director: Graduate Programs in Sustainability, Wake Forest University
Dr. Fogel specializes in strategic management, especially innovation processes in firms, including those located in emerging and transition industries. His publications include six books and several research articles on organizational topics. He has worked as a consultant with such organizations as General Electric, Motorola (Brazil), Lockheed Martin, Lucent (Brazil), TESS (Brazil), AT&T and Bank of America. His awards include research grants and several Teacher of the Year awards, a Fulbright Scholarship to Brazil, the 1988 Yoder-Heneman Award, and several times the Distinguished Professor Award.
Lee Weiss, CCO and General Manager of Higher Education at Kaplan, and Pre-College Programs Lecturer for Wake Forest University
Lee Weiss is the Chief Commercial Officer and General Manager of Higher Education at Kaplan, the global education company, and a Lecturer in the Pre-College Online Immersion Program for Wake Forest University. He has run numerous businesses, acquired multiple businesses, worked on new businesses across four continents, conceived, created and scaled multiple start-ups, and been a teacher and tutor for over 20 years. He loves teaching business strategy and entrepreneurship to the next generation. He is a graduate of Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Meet the Mentors
Zarriea
Undergraduate at Wake Forest University majoring in Finance with a minor in Politics & International Affairs. She has completed internships at Bank of America, AT&T, and South State Bank. Zarriea aspires to become the Chief Financial Officer of a Fortune 500 company.
Mariza
MA, Fashion Studies, Researcher and communicator with a global perspective in fashion, emerging technologies, and material innovation. Executive Committee Officer and Communications Representative at the Association of Dress Historians, London.
How to Apply:
It’s easy. No transcripts or letters of recommendation are required. Just provide some basic information and tell us why you wish to take this program.
NOTE: please submit all application materials in English.
Begin the guided process. It should take only a few minutes of your time to answer the questions.
Begin the guided processWant to know more?
Sign up for more information and we’ll be in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will you be graded? What are assignments like? How much time do you get to turn around a project? When do you find out if you’re accepted?
Answers to your questions hereScholarships
We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition.
- If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.
- If you’ve already applied to the program, sign in to your profile to check your scholarship status. If we don’t have a scholarship request on file, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” to request a scholarship.
The University reserves the right to modify the course as may become necessary.