Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship Programs
Life-Changing Business Education for Entrepreneurs
Since 1980, Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship Programs have empowered more than 9,000 small business owners and underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Our uniquely constructed programs offer participants exactly what they need at different points in their ownership journey. These programs have transformed businesses by supercharging participants with the capabilities and networks they need to accelerate their growth and success. Emerging entrepreneurs learn the fundamentals of business and what it takes to succeed, while established business owners and their top team members gain the deeper knowledge they need to accelerate their growth and success.
Tuck profoundly understands the needs of our participant population. Our world-class faculty know the challenges that entrepreneurs face, and combine deep academic knowledge with extensive real-world experience to offer practical, actionable insights. Faculty equip entrepreneurs with the tools and support to strengthen their leadership and drive success in both the marketplace and their communities.
Explore Our Programs
Growing an Established Business
Learn to overcome the challenges that business owners often see after several years of successful growth, and gain the frameworks you need to expand your scale and scope.
Next Program: Jun 21-26, 2026
Program Fee: $7,000
Location: Hanover, NH
Building a Successful Business
Build a strong foundation of business knowledge as an entrepreneur and learn how to be a better supplier to corporations.
Next Program: Dec 6-11, 2026
Program Fee: $7,000
Location: Hanover, NH
Our Mission
Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship Programs build on the top faculty and superb education for which Tuck is famous, customizing our executive programs to meet the needs of all small business owners, with recognition of the unique needs of underrepresented entrepreneurs, including business owners who are people of color, veterans, women, disabled, and/or LGBTQI+.
Participant Stories Read More Alumni Stories
I'm a Tuckie for life! Thank you for reminding me that it's not just about me and my company, but about my community and my legacy.
Johanna Suarez
CEO of Reliable Restorations and Snacket
The decisions we make today have a lasting impact on the future. It is humbling to recognize that Tuck has been helping businesses like mine make more effective decisions for nearly 50 years.
Ira Jackson
President of Perfect Image
Learn More About Ira's Experience
Three things have had the greatest impact on my life: the birth of my daughter, marrying my husband, and attending Tuck.
Farida Gibbs
CEO of Gibbs Consulting IT Services and Solutions
I had no clue that the program would ultimately lead to me actually supplying Macy’s. That was completely unexpected, but I think that when you take a courageous bet on yourself, opportunities tend to present themselves where you couldn’t have found them prior.
B. Marcel Benson
Founder of the Benson Watch Company
Learn More About Marcel's Experience
We've been in business for 17 years and we have never worked with a CPA who provided the type of insight that Tuck did. For me, the classes on accounting had such a great, immediate impact that will continue for years to come.
Ethel Torres
CEO at National Drug Source
Tuck's one-week strategic retreat was of immeasurable value. The lessons that we learned in their financial analysis session put us on track to expansion just weeks after completing the program.
Charlotte Jones-Burton
Co-Owner of CycleBar Franchising
Sponsorships
The impact of our programs is meaningful and vast: as we support the growth of our participants and their companies, they in turn create jobs and opportunity in their communities. Many participants go on to mentor other entrepreneurs, which only contributes to the broader prosperity our programs can bring.
For sponsoring corporations, the impact is equally significant. Because Tuck understands the very real needs of corporations, our programs focus on helping participants realize the full potential of their value to the supply chain. Many sponsors find that their participants are able to make immediate improvements to their business that help optimize sponsor’s business supply chain objectives.
The full price of a one-week Tuck Executive Education program is $14,000. For the Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship Programs, half of this cost is charitably underwritten by Tuck. The participant fee covers the balance of tuition and materials. We do everything we can to keep this participant fee low, in order to make our programs accessible to the widest audience possible.
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Sponsoring Participants
We appreciate support at any level, including individual gifts.
The full price of a one-week Tuck Executive Education program is $14,000. For the Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship Programs, this price is charitably underwritten by Tuck, so sponsorships begin at $7,000 for one participant. Corporate partners have the ability to select the participant they sponsor. To learn more about corporate sponsorships, please download our sponsorship brochure.
Corporate partners may also be interested in learning more about our custom programs for organizations. Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth works closely with corporations and non-profit organizations to create personalized learning solutions for their constituents. We have a special expertise in entrepreneurial success, supply chain innovation, and other topics of keen interest to corporations devoted to helping their suppliers succeed.
To learn more about partnering with us as a sponsor, please contact us directly at Advancing.Entrepreneurship@tuck.dartmouth.edu or 603-646-3710.
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Finding a Sponsor
Many participants receive sponsorships from the corporations that they supply or the non-profits through which they are certified. We recommend leveraging your professional network to seek funding from sources that are invested in your business’s success. To help you find outside support, we have put together a funding guide with scholarship opportunities, ways to seek outside sponsorship, and a template for approaching your network for support.
You may also wish to complete our sponsorship matching form with as much information about yourself and your business as possible. Though there is no guarantee of being matched, we are sometimes asked to provide sponsors with qualified candidates for our programs and do so from our list of entrepreneurs who have completed that form. Please note that in general, participants are required to cover the cost of travel to Hanover, even with a corporate sponsorship.
If you are unable to find a sponsorship through your network, you may choose to cover the participant fee through your business's professional development budget. Payment is due in full two weeks after you register for the program.
The Tuck Experience
A setting unlike any other.
Tuck is located in the heart of New England, in the quintessential college town of Hanover, New Hampshire. Our immersive environment offers rich opportunities to refresh yourself mentally and physically as you're learning transformative new skills.
For decades, our faculty and staff have offered participants the personal, connected, and transformative experience for which Tuck is renowned. Executives return to work ready to apply their new frameworks.
Our History
45 years of developing business owners
Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship Programs are renowned for their ability to genuinely change lives: participants who attend say they are able to make real, vital changes that improve their bottom line immediately after returning home. Perhaps most importantly, these successful participants go on to become pillars in the community, creating jobs for local employees and providing mentorship to other entrepreneurs. In 2025, our 45th year, we look forward to celebrating this legacy of impact while eagerly looking ahead to the future.
In 1980, Tuck’s visionary leaders saw an unmet need. In an era of increased outsourcing, corporate success depended on supplier excellence, but no other business school was focusing on developing the business acumen of the rapidly growing minority business sector. Determined to meet this need, Tuck worked with the US Small Business Administration to launch what was then called the Minority Business Executive Program in the summer of 1980. Twenty-six participants attended the inaugural session, laying the foundation for an alumni network that has grown to include more than 9,000 entrepreneurs, executives, and supply chain leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship?
The Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship Programs are an initiative from Tuck Executive Education designed to support entrepreneurs and leaders driving new ventures and innovation. It brings together programs, perspectives, and a global network to help participants grow and scale their ideas.
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Who is Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship designed for?
This initiative is designed for entrepreneurs, founders, small business owners, and leaders seeking to launch, grow, or scale ventures.
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What types of programs are included?
Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship includes a portfolio of learning experiences focused on innovation, venture growth, and entrepreneurial leadership.
Building a Successful Business is a one-week program delivered on campus at Dartmouth is designed for emerging entrepreneurs who want to strengthen their business skills, accelerate growth, and better serve their customers.
Growing an Established Business is the next step for entrepreneurs who are ready to expand. As a follow-up to the strong foundation from Building a Successful Business, it helps experienced business owners and their senior team members explore new paths to growth—including strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and exit strategies. -
What will I gain from participating?
Participants gain practical tools, frameworks, and perspectives to help navigate uncertainty, identify opportunities, and drive growth. The experience also provides access to a network of peers, faculty, and practitioners.
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How is this different from traditional entrepreneurship programs?
Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship emphasizes real-world application and leadership development, not just venture creation. It focuses on how to think and act entrepreneurially across a range of contexts, from startups to established organizations.
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Are the programs online or in person?
Tuck Advancing Entrepreneurship programs are taught live in-person on the Dartmouth College campus, allowing for real-time interaction and discussion.
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Do participants receive a certificate?
Yes. Participants receive a Tuck Executive Education certificate upon successful completion of individual programs.
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How do I choose the right program within this initiative?
We recommend almost all participants begin with Building a Successful Business, and enroll in Growing an Established Business a year or more later.
If you think your business is a better fit for Growing an Established Business and you have not taken Building a Successful Business, the Tuck Executive Education team can help guide you to the best fit.
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Can organizations participate or send teams?
Yes. Founders are encouraged to enroll two or three of their key employees in the program so the whole team can learn together.
If you are looking for a program for a wider group, Tuck also offers custom programs tailored to specific organizational needs.
