INSIDER INSIGHTS
When your current cohort reflects on their studies in a decade’s time, what primary capability or mindset do you hope they attribute to your school’s approach to teaching entrepreneurship? María del Pilar Lopez Gonzalez: “Technologies, industries and business models will continue to change. Entrepreneurial education, therefore, needs to develop capabilities that outlast those changes. At ITESO, we hope graduates retain one enduring capability above all: the ability to create value responsibly, with and for others. “This reflects the university’s mission to develop competent, ethical and committed professionals. Responsible value creation brings together discernment, curiosity, critical thinking and adaptability. These qualities help graduates continue learning, challenge assumptions and respond to changing environments. “A decade from now, we would hope our graduates remember that entrepreneurial success is defined not only by what they create, but by the value their decisions generate, for whom that value is created and whether it is economically viable, socially meaningful and environmentally responsible.” Jason Evans: “I hope they remember that we gave them the confidence and capability to turn ideas into action, particularly when the answer wasn’t obvious. “In an AI-enabled world, many tools and technologies we teach today will be very different very soon. What should endure is judgement: the ability to encounter something unfamiliar, ask good questions, gather evidence, challenge assumptions, bring together different perspectives and act. “If graduates look back and say Aston taught them not simply what to think, but gave them the confidence, curiosity and judgement to recognise possibilities and do something meaningful with them, I think we’ll have achieved something worthwhile.” Sherif Kamel: “In 10 years, I hope graduates credit the school with teaching them how to think: to test assumptions, seek disconfirming evidence and recognise genuine differentiation. Tools, technologies and markets will continue to evolve faster than any curriculum. What should endure is the mindset that enables entrepreneurs to learn, adapt and lead with purpose while creating value responsibly. Some graduates will found start-ups; others will drive change within organisations. “Either way, I hope they view entrepreneurship not simply as a career path, but as a way of thinking and acting. If they carry that mindset forward, our approach will have done its job.” Maija Renko: “I hope students remember that entrepreneurship is fundamentally about agency combined with learning. I do not necessarily want every MBA student to become an entrepreneur, but I would like them to leave believing that when they encounter an important problem, they do not have to wait for somebody else to solve it. I also hope they retain the humility that comes with an entrepreneurial mindset: your first idea is rarely perfect and customers almost always know something you do not.”
self-confidence become meaningful through repeated experience with uncertainty: identifying problems worth solving, testing alternatives, learning from evidence and deciding whether to persist, adapt or abandon an idea. Within ITESO’s MBA, this approach is supported through case-based learning and the research, development and innovation pathway. “Students need to experience the tension between what is possible, what is viable and what is worth pursuing. Entrepreneurial judgement extends beyond whether something can be done to understanding for whom value is created and what consequences may follow. The goal is to develop founders who can navigate uncertainty responsibly while remaining attentive to evidence and purpose.” Jason Evans: “One of the hardest things to teach is probably the belief that entrepreneurship is genuinely something you can do. That’s different from simply teaching somebody how to write a business plan or identify an opportunity. “My research looks at entrepreneurial intention and particularly how students’ university experiences can influence whether they see entrepreneurship as desirable and achievable. There’s a substantial difference between understanding entrepreneurship academically and beginning to think, ‘I could actually do this.’ “That’s why I’m particularly interested in experiential learning. Students need opportunities to make decisions, deal with uncertainty, test assumptions and sometimes discover that their initial thinking was wrong. Those experiences can influence not only what they know, but their attitudes towards entrepreneurship and confidence in their ability to act. “Entrepreneurship education shouldn’t be about persuading everybody to become a founder. It should provide meaningful experiences through which students can make an informed judgement about whether entrepreneurship is for them. Perhaps the key mindset shift is from the idea that an entrepreneur is a particular type of person to recognising that entrepreneurial capability can be developed.”
Ambition • ISSUE 5 • 2026 25
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