Business & Entrepreneurship

Major

Business & Entrepreneurship

If Lawrence is your first choice, apply by Nov. 1 to receive your admission decision by Dec. 1. Early Decision applicants also receive financial aid offers and select housing early, making senior year feel more settled.

Program Overview

The Business and Entrepreneurship (B & E) program harnesses the power of liberal arts education to prepare students for thoughtful leadership of and engagement with for-profit businesses, non-profit organizations, and start-up ventures. Students learn about the role of business in society and skills in accounting, management, marketing, and entrepreneurship. They further gain depth within a focus area, including entrepreneurship, arts entrepreneurship, business analytics, global business, and natural resource management. Students go beyond the classroom through experiential learning, either doing an internship, practicum, or class consulting project.


Program Highlights

Prepare to lead with purpose in businesses, nonprofit organizations, and entrepreneurial ventures after Lawrence.

Bring together perspectives from the arts and sciences to develop creative solutions and turn ideas into action.

Build practical experience through internships and hands-on learning that can lead to careers in marketing, sales, management, and nonprofit administration.

Strengthen your teamwork and communication skills through collaborative coursework and extracurricular experiences.


Spotlight

Alumni Perspective

“My job as a management consultant requires solving complex business problems, sometimes in areas where I know very little. Lawrence taught me how to research, learn topics quickly, and create structure around complexity which is exactly what my day to day requires.”

Dylan Geary ’17, Associate at Kearney
Economics, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Chicago, Illinois


Types of Degrees

Students earn a BA in Business & Entrepreneurship or an Interdisciplinary Area in Innovation & Entrepreneurship


Advising

At Lawrence, academic advising helps you shape an educational experience that reflects your interests, goals, and aspirations. Your faculty advisor will support you as you plan your path, connect with campus resources and communities, and make informed decisions that prepare you for a meaningful and fulfilling future.


Faculty

Engage deeply and collaboratively with professors who are experts in their field and committed to supporting your education.

Chairs

Claudena Skran (she/her)

Edwin & Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science and Professor of Government

claudena.skran@lawrence.edu

920-832-6674

Claudena Skran is Director of the Business & Entrepreneurship program and Professor of Government and the Edwin and Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science.As a the Director of…

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All Faculty

Michael Clayville (he/him)

Instructor of Music in Entrepreneurial Studies and Social Engagement

michael.clayville@lawrence.edu

920-832-6630

I am a musician, educator, and entrepreneur whose work moves between the concert hall, the classroom, and the community. As a performer, I am passionate about drawing audiences deeply into…

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David Eliot Duncombe

Lecturer of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Government

david.e.duncombe@lawrence.edu

Before starting to teach in 2017 as a professor, I had worked in business for almost 30 years.  Twenty-seven of those years were spent at Kimberly-Clark, during which I managed…

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Gustavo C. Fares

Professor of Spanish

gustavo.c.fares@lawrence.edu

920-832-6691

Fares’ topics of research include Latin American cultural studies, legal studies, visual arts, and border studies.  He is the author of five books, among them: Domingo F. Sarmiento’s Argirópolis, A Critical Translation (New…

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Adam Galambos (he/him)

Dwight and Marjorie Peterson Professor of Innovation and Associate Professor of Economics and Special Assistant to the President

adam.galambos@lawrence.edu

920-832-6667

My research experience is in microeconomic theory and game theory, and these are fields that I teach as well. I also enjoy teaching in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program. I…

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David Gerard (He, him, his)

John R. Kimberly Distinguished Professor of the American Economic System and Associate Professor of Economics

david.gerard@lawrence.edu

920-993-6035

I am the John R. Kimberly Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics.  A number of my courses are cross-listed in Environmental Studies, Government, Business, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. My…

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William Hixon

Gordon R. Clapp Chair of American Studies and Associate Professor of Government

william.hixon@lawrence.edu

920-832-7172

Bill Hixon is the Gordon R. Clapp Professor of American Studies, Associate Professor of Government, and a member of the Environmental Studies faculty at Lawrence University.  His teaching areas include…

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Van Nguyen (She/Her/Hers)

Assistant Professor of Economics

vanessa.nguyen@lawrence.edu

920-832-6688

I joined the Department of Economics at Lawrence University of Wisconsin in the fall of 2022 as an Assistant Professor. My research interests include Measurement of Money Supply, Monetary Policy,…

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Claudena Skran (she/her)

Edwin & Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science and Professor of Government

claudena.skran@lawrence.edu

920-832-6674

Claudena Skran is Director of the Business & Entrepreneurship program and Professor of Government and the Edwin and Ruth West Professor of Economics and Social Science.As a the Director of…

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Martyn Smith

Associate Professor of Religious Studies

martyn.smith@lawrence.edu

920-832-6946

Religious Studies examines how groups of people find meaning in their lives and impart value to the world around them. My own central research question revolves around the relationship of…

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Timothy X. Troy (he/him)

J. Thomas and Julie E. Hurvis Professor of Theatre and Drama and Professor of Theatre Arts

timothy.x.troy@lawrence.edu

920-832-6747

Timothy X. Troy (playwright & stage director) is the Hurvis Professor of Theatre and Drama at Lawrence University. Regular teaching areas include acting, directing, script analysis, and playwrighting.  Professor Troy’s…

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Brigid E. Vance (she, her, hers)

Associate Professor of History

brigid.e.vance@lawrence.edu

920-832-7482

Brigid E. Vance's research focuses on the intellectual and cultural history of dreams and dream divination in late Ming China. She also has research and teaching interests in early modern…

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Learning Spaces

Students have the opportunity to learn both in and outside the classroom. At the B & E Center – Fox Commons, students engage with guest speakers, participate in workshops on start-ups, or join the Business & Investment club. Student consultants help solve real problems for “customers” such as local businesses and non-profits. In the D-term, students join B & E abroad to experience business culture in another country.

Additional Resources