Global Entrepreurship Lab (GEL)

Applications open on October 24th. Applications can be accessed here once open on Oct 24th.
COVID vaccination required. This program is open to Evening, Weekend and Charlotte students only.

The 2024 GEL Program will travel to Luxembourg! Throughout the week, we will also take day-trips to Trier, Germany; Metz, France; and Bastogne, Belgium. Cultural highlights include:

• e-bike tour of Luxembourg
• wine tasting tour in Trier, Germany
• Visit to the Karl Marx Museum
• Light hiking in the village of Schengen, Luxembourg
• Visit to Metz, France
• Visit to the Bastogne War Museum in Belgium
• Participate in National Day activities in Luxembourg

Global Entrepreneurship Lab (GEL) is a 4-credit hour course designed to expose participants to global venturing as an integral part of an international entrepreneurial venture. The course is made up of 4 pre-departure classes, and a 1 week long in-country Immersion which requires travel. Students will experience an in-depth engagement with an emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem and work with the major stakeholders building a dynamic entrepreneurial economy outside the U.S. This course is led by Professor Ted Zoller.

What will I do during the course? You will serve on a team (with your classmates) as a consultant to a funded high-growth start-up venture forming in a non-national market. You will serve as an instrumental part of the management team of the venture, working directly with the founder and their team in a global context. Your team will work with the global venture to provide analysis and strategy on the issues central to the growth and scale of the venture. Topics you advise on may include:

• Go to Market Strategy and Market Expansion
• Global Market Entry
• Capitalization Strategy
• Exit Modeling and Strategy
• New Market Penetration
• Platform Development

You will meet with your team and the venture several times in the spring (via zoom), before traveling to the GEL destination country to meet with your founder/venture in-person. When in country, you will present your final recommendations and findings.

When: Arrive in country on June 16; depart June 23, 2024. Pre-classes will be held on the following evenings. In-person classes algin with weekends in which you would already be in Chapel Hill:

Cost: $5,300

What does the course fee cover?

• All group related ground transportation (bus, train, etc.) for scheduled activities while in-country
• Single occupancy at INNSiDE Hotel
• Breakfast daily
• Welcome Dinner
• Farewell dinner
• Some lunches
• Full-time guides
• Travelers health insurance (covering you for the duration of the travel)
• Entry to all site visits, excursions, and cultural activities, unless stated as optional

What do the course fees NOT cover?
You will be expected to cover some costs on your own.

• International airfare (you must book on your own in advance according to the specific day/time/location; specifics will be provided)
• Any lunch/dinner not stated specifically as included on the itinerary
• Loss of personal property
• Souvenirs or personal spending
• Other incidentals (laundry, international phone plan, internet, etc.)
• Optional activities or extensions
• Visa, if needed

How to apply: The GEL program is application based. Applications will open on October 24, 2023 and close on November 7. Admission decisions will be announced no later than November 17, and you must commit by November 22. Applications can be accessed here once open on Oct 24th.

Questions? Email Kaitlyn Murphy, Associate Director, MBA Global Programs: kmurphy@unc.edu

Faculty Lead: Professor Ted Zoller, bio

Staff Lead: Kaitlyn Murphy, bio