Brandeis International Business School

The Asper Center for Global Entrepreneurship

The Asper Center for Global Entrepreneurship serves as Brandeis International Business School's platform to examine and understand the key trends affecting entrepreneurship across cultures and borders.

The Asper Center for Global Entrepreneurship provides a diverse range of learning experiences through courses, seminars and conferences, internships, business plan competitions, field visits and meetings with global entrepreneurs.

The center was established by Leonard J. Asper '86, B.A., L.L.B., L.L.D, president, CEO and majority shareholder of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp., a media company that owns and operates content platforms targeting distinct communities in areas including music, combat sports, sports gaming, e-sports and hunting and fishing.

Mr. Asper is vice co-chair of Brandeis International Business School's Board of Advisors. In 2004, he led efforts to create the Asper Forum and the Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship, presented to an entrepreneur who achieves outstanding success in the global marketplace through creative marketing and business strategies.

Redesigning Fashion

Asper Center Pitch Summit

February 9-10, 2024

Even the greatest business idea requires a compelling pitch to stand out. The Pitch Summit shows you how it is done. This workshop and prize competition will give you all the tools you need to creatively and persuasively craft your idea into a compelling, five-minute story and present it to an audience. Meet other entrepreneurially and environmentally minded students and enjoy free food and drinks along the way. Attendance is limited.

Faculty Director: Philippe Wells

 Philippe Wells

Philippe Wells is a seasoned entrepreneur in the health and wellness industry. Previously he worked in structured finance at Bain Capital and in strategy consulting at the Boston Consulting Group. Since 2019, Philippe has taught and developed courses at Brandeis International Business School in entrepreneurship, social impact investing, business fundamentals and data analytics for business.

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Advisor: Mitch Tyson

Mitch Tyson, Principal at Tyson Associates, is an experienced high tech executive, entrepreneur, angel investor, and lecturer. He serves on multiple corporate, non-profit, governmental boards and advises early stage companies.

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Brandeis International Business School Innovation

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The next big thing

Brandeis Magazine

Campus Resources for Entrepreneurial Endeavors

Innovation at Brandeis

Brandeis Innovation offers training, mentorship, pitch competitions, and commercialization assistance to the entire Brandeis community of students, faculty and staff. 

The Office of Technology Licensing provides support and infrastructure to Brandeis investigators for technology development, commercialization and the development of products. The department offers two grant programs, such as the SPARK and SPROUT Programs, which are are seed funding opportunities designed to "step-up" selected Brandeis technologies and make them more attractive for licensing and commercial development.

Brandeis MakerLab

Supporting educational, social and technological innovation, the Brandeis MakerLab is oriented around a vision of social justice designed to support makers who mend. They collaborate on computing projects to develop new forms of culture and craft in a community-centered setting.

MassChallenge

MassChallenge strengthens the global innovation ecosystem by accelerating high-potential startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world for zero-equity taken.

The Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship

The Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship is given to a person that best exemplifies the Asper Center's values of entrepreneurial spirit and independent thinking at Brandeis International Business School.

Previous Recipients

Mark Ain

2024
Mark Ain
Founder of Kronos

Robert Herjavec

2023
Robert Herjavec
Entrepreneur, CEO, Shark Tank Star

Stephanie Tilenius ’89, MA’90

2022
Stephanie Tilenius ’89, MA’90
Founder and CEO of Vida Health

Deval Patrick

2021
Deval L. Patrick
Governor of Massachusetts, 2007-2015

Roberta Lipson '76

2019
Roberta Lipson '76
CEO of United Family Healthcare

2018
Udi Mokady and Lior Div
CEO of CyberArk and CEO of Cybereason

2015
John Harthorne and Akhil Nigam
Co-founders, MassChallenge

2014
Diane Hessan
Chairman, Communispace

2013
Brian Lash '78
Founder, Target Companies

2011
Helen Greiner
Co-Founder of iRobot, Founder/CEO of CyPhyWorks

2010
Shai Agassi and Michael Granoff
Better Place

2009
Linda Rottenberg
CEO and Co-Founder, Endeavor Global

2008
Jon L. Luther
Chairman and CEO, Dunkin' Brands

2006
Jeffrey Briggs, Sid Meier and Jonathan Plutzik '76
Firaxis Games

2004
FUBU

The Brandeis Alumni Entrepreneurship Award

The Alumni Entrepreneurship Award is given to a Brandeis graduate that best exemplifies the Asper Center's values of entrepreneurial spirit and independent thinking.
Peter Agaba MA’20

2024
Peter Agaba MA’20
Co-Founder and Director of Bwoga Elementary Library Initiative

Božanka Vitanova MA’16

2023
Božanka Vitanova '16
CEO and Founder of TeamLift

Michael Burtov '02

2020
Michael Burtov '02
Founder and CEO, GeoOrbital

Ohad Elhelo receiving the award from Kathryn Graddy

2019
Ohad Elhelo '16, MA'17
Founder, Our Generation Speaks

2015
Sam Sisakhti, MA'07
Founder and CEO of UsTrendy

2014
Paul Walborsky BA/MA'89
CEO, GigaOM

2013
Zenobia Moochhala, MA'98
Co-Founder and Vice President of Marketing, Care.com