Business & Technology Skills for Aspiring Leaders Certificate Program

Application Deadline

Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

Business & Technology Skills for Aspiring Leaders Application Form

Location

Bldg. 12, Max Lowenthal Hall, Room 1225 / 1235 in The Daniel D. Tessoni Business Activities Center

Dates & Times

• Wednesdays 5:30-8:00 PM ET
• February 18, February 25, March 4, March 18, March 25, April 1, and April 8.
• Light dinner will be served 5:30-6:00 PM
• Sessions begin promptly at 6:00 PM
• Final presentations on April 8 to Company Executives and Guests
• ***Must be able to attend all sessions in-person***

Develop foundational business and technology skills in a 7-week, experiential, dual-track business and technology certificate program. You will participate on multidisciplinary teams to advance your collaboration and leadership practices and set yourself up for career success. Track 1 Business Skills students will focus on utilizing business and marketing best practices, while Track 2 Technology Skills students will focus on engineering and commercialization best practices to identify value opportunities for an organization while working within a multidisciplinary team.

Students will select either the Business Skills Track or the Technology Skills Track when applying for the program.

Hosted by the Leadership Academy @ Saunders, led by Saunders Faculty Anthony Testa.

Multidisciplinary teams will select a case study company and assess opportunities to extract future value for the company by assessing their current business status and identifying new growth opportunities. Growth and expansion opportunities may include, but are not limited to, new product introductions or modifications to existing product lines.

Students will put these concepts and skills into practice through an interactive case study and workshops facilitated by Saunders faculty, alumni and industry coaches, and upper-class student leaders.

Track 1: Business Skills

Students will focus on Go-to-Market Strategies, Market Sizing, Financial Management, Organizational Functions, and Critical & Design Thinking.

Track 2: Technology Skills

Students will focus on Project Management, Ethics in Engineering, Engineering Finance, Risk Management, and Critical & Design Thinking.

Both tracks

• Students will become familiar with core business and technology concepts and terminology.
• Students will be better prepared for success in co-ops and future careers by building their knowledge in both business and technology leadership topics.
• Students will define and practice skills to both identify and extract new value opportunities for companies.
• Students will build confidence through experiential learning, working in multidisciplinary teams, and presentation skills through weekly report-outs and a final presentation.
• Students will have a greater understanding of how various business disciplines interact inside a company.