Study capitalism from the front lines of wealth creation: entrepreneurship

Why do some entrepreneurs succeed while others fail? Resources? Mentors? Training? Focus? 

This Netflix-style, story-based digital curriculum takes you behind the scenes into a fictional robotics company’s journey, from inception to IPO to its final chapter. Along the way, you’ll learn how to recognize pitfalls and lead others through the toughest challenges every entrepreneur faces.   

Follow the story in six modules and refine your approach to leadership.   

Join venture capitalists, startup founders, and other dynamic leaders for six engaging discussions.

Gain accelerated skills training in a course uniquely designed for your personal entrepreneurial journey.   

Next six-week course starts January 7, 2025.

Digital curriculum invites students behind the scenes into a fictional robotics company’s journey, from inception to IPO to its eventual demise.

What went wrong? What went right? Why? And what lessons will you take home to your company or next venture?

What's my Return on Investment?

Whether you are an athlete or a hedge fund manager, solo self-employed, leading a team, or launching a new venture, your goal is to make the world better by doing something deeply meaningful to you. By traveling the path that challenged Common Robotics’ world-changing idea, you will:

  • Sharpen your business and people skills to sort through the good and bad advice you must confront to evaluate opportunity and risk.
  • Hone an understanding of your personal leadership through conversations with tech investors, unicorn builders, best-selling authors, and visionaries.
  • Receive a certificate of completion to show your commitment to personal enrichment and continuous self-improvement.

Who's joining the conversation?

Six live sessions that provide the keys to success. Sample guests include:

  • Jamie Siminoff

    Host of ABC’s Shark Tank | Lifelong inventor and serial entrepreneur | Founder of Ring, sold to Amazon as the company’s second largest acquisition | Founded and sold PhoneTag and Unsubscribe.com

  • Nathan Mintz

    Serial Entrepreneur focused on deep tech | CEO - CX2 | Chairman, co-founder Spartan Radar | Co-founder of leading defense tech company Epirus | Fomer Candidate for California State Assembly and founder of California Common Sense

  • Hon. Ben Kohlmann

    F-18 Pilot turned Venture Capitalist | Investment Partner and COO Cubit Capital focused on on defense, education, and workforce tech | Regent, Texas Southern University | Former CEO at Farcast & Consultant at McKinsey | Retired US Navy with 20 years of service | Stanford MBA

  • Evan Baehr

    Venture Capitalist and serial entrepreneur focused on human flourishing | Managing Partner of Learn Capital | Founder of Able Lending, Outbox | Founder and former CEO of Teneo Network | Author of bestselling “Get Backed” | Harvard MBA

  • Hon. Glenton Gilzean

    Former “Mayor of Disney World” - Administrator, Central Florida Tourism Oversight District | Former CEO of the Central Florida Urban League | Former Trustee, Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University | Extensive experience founding and leading urban entrepreneurship initiatives

  • Hon. Dr. William Keyes

    Founder & President of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship: higher rate of Black Rhodes Scholars than any organization | Board Member, Union Bank (UBNC) Trustee, University of North Carolina (former) | Senior Policy Advisor, President Ronald Reagan | National speaker on the power of capitalism

Curriculum

  1. Introduction

  2. Week 1: Launching Common Parts Robotics Corporation

  3. Week 2: Choosing the Right Leader

  4. Week 3: Identifying the Business Model and Preparing to Monetize

  5. Week 4: Accessing the Public Markets

  6. Week 5: Public Company Life

Feedback on our program

“The content is incredibly rich, offering deep insights into corporate governance and strategy, but what truly sets it apart is its use of storytelling. The curriculum weaves in the timeless elements of the hero's journey, making complex concepts relatable and anchoring them in the real-world challenges …. This approach not only engages participants but also drives home essential lessons that resonate long after the training is over. It's a masterclass in both content and delivery.”

Private Equity Executive

“Superb program…. Excellent faculty and guests provide real world stories to bring it home.”

Venture Capitalist

“The curriculum is informative and thought-provoking while being entertaining and even funny, and the group discussions are always helpful. ”

Law Professor

Meet Our Founders

Brandon L. Simmons

Brandon is the son of two public school teachers and a graduate of Stanford Law School. He helped build a startup where he became CEO and a venture capital firm where he served on eight portfolio company boards. He serves on the boards of nonprofits focused on human flourishing, including the Greater Houston Community Foundation and the Institute for Responsible Citizenship. Brandon was listed in Houston Business Journal’s "2022 Top 40 Under 40" and honored as a “Legendary Scholar” at Community of Faith Church’s 2024 Black History Month Grand Worship Celebration.

David Siminoff

Legendary investor and graduate of Stanford, Stanford Business School, and USC Film School, David helped grow a leading growth equity fund from under a billion dollars to 40+ billion dollars. An active investor in technology companies for over four decades, he played a meaningful role in the advent of “The Dot-Com Era” with early investments in Yahoo, AOL, Netflix, and PayPal. David co-created with Brandon a 100+ episode story-based business curriculum and built and created over 5,000 videos for an online educational technology publishing company that specializes in test prep and study guides.

Program Leadership

Dr. Christina Elson

Anthropologist and national voice in discussions about capitalism’s role in a free society. Dr. Elson is the John A. Allison IV Director of the Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University. She previously launched a center for enterprise and markets at Smith School of Business. Dr. Elson shares her research on the attitudes of younger generations toward work and free enterprise in editorials for Fast Company and in a Substack newsletter Free Markets and the Future. She earned an MBA from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

The Wake Forest Center for the Study of Capitalism

The Wake Forest Center for the Study of Capitalism exists to study capitalism’s dynamic role in shaping our collective future. The Center is a research and teaching center that contributes to national conversations defining capitalism for our time. The Center believes that well-functioning free markets act as a force for positive change and progress and a path for individuals to secure a good future while honoring Wake Forest's motto, Pro Humanitate (for humanity).

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