The 2024-2025 Weatherhead School of Management academic year marks a pivotal time for the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) student group.
ETA is an alternative to startups for aspiring entrepreneurs, where the entrepreneur seeks the support of investors to find, acquire, operate, grow and potentially sell a small company, typically $5M-$15M in revenue at time of acquisition. The entrepreneur attracts investors, runs the search process and typically leads the acquired company as CEO.
The group is expanding to include Case Western Reserve University undergraduate students with Jack FitzGerald, a part-time MBA student and graduate president of the group, and newly-appointed university undergraduate president, Alex Warner, leading the charge.
The pair’s collaboration is taking the club to even new heights after its successful first year in 2023, increasing student participation, and setting the stage for its continued success.
“With many baby boomers retiring, there’s a significant market opportunity that ETA can help address,” said FitzGerald, senior administrator at the Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS Healthcare. “By introducing ETA to undergraduates, Weatherhead is not only exposing students to a proven career path early on, but also positioning itself as a leader in preparing the next generation of business owners.”
Dean Andrew Medvedev announced that seven pitch teams have signed up for the Third Annual Richard L. Osborne ETA Symposium, taking place October 23, from 8-4:30 p.m. at the Tinkham Veale University Center, which marks a new record for the organization.
“This is a critical move as we take another step in bringing together our undergraduate and graduate student communities within our One Weatherhead vision,” said Medvedev. "Different programs may have different curricular experiences, customized to the needs of particular students – yet they all root in the single Weatherhead ecosystem. I am thrilled to see our undergraduates share in the dream of business ownership through acquisition, pioneered right here at Weatherhead.”
FitzGerald and Warner first crossed paths at the 2023 Richard L. Osborne ETA Symposium. FitzGerald, then a first-year MBA student at Weatherhead, had participated on a pitch team at the symposium, while Warner was one of only four undergraduate students in attendance. Their shared exposure to the world of ETA sparked the idea of expanding the club to include undergraduate students and was championed by Scot Lowry (MBA ’01), the Richard L. Osborne professor of entrepreneurship and professor of department of design and innovation.
Lowry and FitzGerald began working together in May, believing that expanding the club to include undergraduate students would create a stronger pipeline of entrepreneurial talent at Weatherhead.
FitzGerald began searching for the right undergraduate partner to help lead the charge. He looked back at last year’s attendee list and immediately thought of Warner, whose entrepreneurial drive was apparent.
The two teamed up to grow the group and promote the opportunities available to Weatherhead students. Their efforts have already achieved notable results with a record of seventy students attending the kickoff meeting on September 11.
“Jack and Alex, both emerging ETA entrepreneurs, have demonstrated one of the key competencies of successful business owners, that is making big things happen by dramatically increasing awareness with students. The future of ETA is bright with leaders like this,” said Lowry.
Four graduate school teams and three undergraduate teams will meet over the next four weeks to practice their pitches with the ETA student group coach Kevin Shaw. Shaw is an ETA entrepreneur who has completed over 60 acquisitions and has invested with many Weatherhead alumni who have gone on to become ETA entrepreneurs, including Professor Lowry.
Only five of the seven teams will be selected to pitch. The teams with the best pitches at the end of the four weeks will earn a spot in the competition. There is a $2000 prize for first place, $1000 for second, and $500 for third.
Tickets for the Osborne ETA Symposium are available here.
The pitch teams are scheduled to take the stage at 2:40 p.m.
In addition to the symposium, the Weatherhead ETA certificate program provides accelerated training for employees interested in owning their own business.
Click here for more information about the certificate program.