Reimagining Entrepreneurship Education 2026

Reimagining Entrepreneurship Education 2026

From the Plunge Decision to Soaring with the Pilots in the Plane: Teaching Effectual Entrepreneurship through Case Studies and Experiential Exercises

Join us on Friday, October 30, 2026, for a unique opportunity to explore innovative approaches to teaching entrepreneurship to improve student outcomes.

• Connect with fellow thought leaders in entrepreneurship education and share your perspectives on teaching entrepreneurship.
• Explore innovative teaching methods and gain actionable insights to elevate your classroom practices.
• Learn from one another and from Darden Professor Saras Sarasvathy, an authority on the cognitive basis for high-performance entrepreneurship and the creator of effectuation.
• Immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of historic Charlottesville, Virginia. Enjoy a complimentary dinner with Professor Sarasvathy and the successful founders she inspired.

Professor Saraswathy's decades-long study of expert entrepreneurs uncovered effectuation, the logic of entrepreneurial expertise that eschews prediction in favor of non-predictive control. Her research has provided the intellectual basis for the practice and teaching of entrepreneurship and gained her global recognition. Most recently, she won the 2022 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research from the Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum.

AGENDA

From the Plunge Decision to Soaring with the Pilots in the Plane: Teaching Effectual Entrepreneurship through Case Studies and Experiential Exercises

The day will include two case sessions and two experiential sessions, described in detail below. All sessions will incorporate the Causal, Adaptive, Visionary, and Effectual (CAVE) framework for organizing the content in your entrepreneurship curriculum. To view the detailed agenda, please click here.

This year, we will offer an Intro to Effectuation webinar one or two weeks prior to the in-person event at the Darden School of Business. The webinar will be open to all attendees; however, those new to effectuation are strongly encouraged to participate to build a foundational understanding of its principles and fully benefit from the sessions with Professor Sarasvathy.

This is an invite-only event. To learn more, contact Gosia Glinska at glinskam@darden.virginia.edu.

LOGISTICS

This event is sponsored by Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology. It is free to registered participants, including meals. However, participants are responsible for their own accommodations. Here’s a 20% off booking link at The Forum Hotel on Darden grounds, and another at the Sonesta ES Suites.

Parking will be available in the D10 lot at Darden using the link here.

https://youtu.be/WKqO3khIxc4?si=ZUYjtiqK4HhrxrhL