ETA Certificate Program

This certification program provides accelerated access to how to go from employee to business owner using Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA). ETA is a lower risk alternative to startups for aspiring entrepreneurs. ETA is a strategy to become a business owner, where the entrepreneur typically seeks the support of investors to find, acquire, operate, grow and potentially sell a company, typically $5M-$15M in revenue at time of acquisition. The entrepreneur attracts investors, runs the search process and usually leads the acquired company as CEO.

The ETA Certificate is ideal for people seeking to jumpstart their ETA journey. The program consists of three ETA courses typically completed over two semesters in less than one year (typically September-May) during evening and online class sessions. However, courses can be taken in any order and over whatever time frame best suits the student. 

Weatherhead’s ETA faculty are active ETA entrepreneurs and investors who bring real world experience, practical/experiential learning and guests who are ETA investors, entrepreneurs and advisors.

ETA Certificate Program Highlights

• The certificate program is open to non-degree students, that is people who are not enrolled as full-time or part-time Weatherhead MBA candidates.  
• Program led by the ETA faculty, Reid Tileston, Scot Lowry and GJ King, who are current ETA entrepreneurs and investors who have collectively owned, operated and invested in over 100 companies.   
• ETA certificate participants gain access to the Weatherhead MBA program ETA Courses (see below for course schedule). 
• Certificate participants take all three ETA courses in any order based on when they enroll.
• Certificate courses covers strategies from self-funded to investor supported acquisition strategies.  
• Participants are also given access to the Promise Partners ETA Accelerator, allowing them to attend Promise Partner’s events while enrolled in the certificate program as special guests.  
• Upon completion of the certificate program, participants are offered full membership in the Promise Partners ETA Accelerator with a recommendation from the ETA certificate faculty.
• Courses emphasize experiential learning with dozens of class guests who are ETA entrepreneurs, investors and advisors providing relatable ETA case studies, including examples from the 67+ Promise Partners ETA Accelerator members (including 44 Weatherhead alumni) and others who have become business owners using ETA strategies. 
• Certificate participants create a comprehensive ETA plan designed to guide their journey from employee to owner pursuing their personalized ETA strategy designed with the support of the ETA faculty as part of their certificate coursework.

Who Should Attend

Professionals who are interested in owning their own business when the time is right in their life.

Coursework for the Certificate

The Certificate is awarded after completion of three MBA Elective ETA courses. 

**The Three-Day ETA for Executives Course offered by Weatherhead Executive Education in January annually over one weekend can be substituted for any of the three MBA Elective courses (ETA I, II, III) to complete the certificate.  Click HERE to learn more about this course. 

All courses emphasize experiential learning components with class guests who are primarily ETA entrepreneurs and relatable ETA case studies, including examples from 67+ Promise Partners ETA Accelerator members (including 44 Weatherhead alumni) and others who have become business owners using ETA strategies. 

Students that complete three ETA courses will receive an ETA Certificate and be exposed to a wide diversity of case studies, guests and small business leadership scenarios/role plays across all stages of the ETA journey. 

These courses are also valuable to professional managers interested in using the strategies and practices of entrepreneurial leaders in larger company settings to excel as “intrapreneurs,” a leadership approach that is of high value to employers. 

Dates

• ETA I with Reid Tileston: Online, Tuesday 7 pm - 8:30, August 26 to October 7th, 2025 
• ETA II with GJ King: Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m., Jan. 16 to February 25th, 2025
• ETA III with Scot Lowry: Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m., March 4th to April 22nd, 2025 (no class 3/11/25)

Future sessions will be during similar dates annually. Courses can be taken in any order. ETA I is offered online, via live classes on Zoom.  ETA II and III will be in person at the Peter B. Lewis Building on the Case Western Reserve University campus in Cleveland, OH.

Cost

The following is the cost for non-degree students who want to enroll in all (three) MBA ETA Elective courses and receive the ETA Certificate.

• Individual Participants $7,245
• Nonprofit and CWRU Alumni Participants $5,411

*Price will vary if the January 3-day ETA For Executives course is substituted for ETA I, II or III.

Receipt of Certificate

Participants will receive their ETA certificate at the conclusion of all three courses.

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