If you’ve ever been asked to teach a non-conventional course, for example:
- Online class
- Accelerated/condensed class
- Hybrid class
You know how much work it is to tailor your course to different teaching environments.
That’s the challenge Jacquie Amacher faced and overcame using the Experiential Entrepreneurship Curriculum (ExEC). She needed to teach a semester-length entrepreneurship course in just 15 days.
By structuring each day around a key experiential module, Jacquie delivered an active, high-energy, and purpose-driven course that kept students learning by doing.
Her success shows just how flexible and powerful an experiential entrepreneurship curriculum can be, whether you’re teaching a bootcamp, summer course, or even a full semester.
Why Experiential Learning Matters in Entrepreneurship Education
Entrepreneurship can’t be taught with lectures alone.
To truly prepare students, you need to provide real-world experiences where they learn to:
- Solve meaningful problems
- Talk to customers
- Build and test products
- Reflect and iterate
That’s what makes experiential learning so effective. Research shows students retain more, stay more engaged, and gain deeper insights when they’re actively participating.
“You can’t learn entrepreneurship just by reading about it. You have to do it.”
— Most entrepreneurship educators, probably.
With ExEC, experiential learning is built in. Every activity is hands-on. Every module is practice-first.
That’s what makes it work — even in a compressed format.
Jacquie’s 15-Day Intensive Course Plan
When Jacquie was tasked with teaching a 15-day intensive at Colorado College, she needed a curriculum that could compress easily.
Without sacrificing engagement or learning outcomes.
She turned to ExEC for a flexible, modular experience that she could customize to match her unique teaching style.
Here’s a peek at how she combined ExEC with her expertise to maximize student learning gains:
Purpose Driven Start
Jacquie launched the course with Pilot Your Purpose, helping students reflect on their motivations and identify meaningful problems to solve.
“I dedicate focused exploration of ‘Pilot Your Purpose’ because it applies beyond entrepreneurship. This class isn’t just for those who want to start businesses—it’s for anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit.”
This exercise set the tone for a course grounded in purpose and relevance.
Customer Discovery in Action
Jacquie used ExEC’s customer interviewing tools to guide students through the process of testing assumptions and identifying real needs, i.e. skills they could apply immediately through interviews with her local contacts.
“Students find the customer interview module incredibly valuable. It gives them hands-on qualitative market research training and helps them dig deep with the third, fourth, and fifth ‘why.’”
By engaging real people outside the classroom, students saw how entrepreneurship is less about pitching and more about listening.
Making the Numbers Make Sense
To help students understand the financial side of entrepreneurship, Jacquie integrated ExEC’s AI-powered Financial Modeling Simulator.
“The financial projection simulator opens students’ eyes to how hard it is to build a profitable business — especially when they connect their model to their riskiest assumption.”
The Financial Modeling Simulator allows students to visual their projections and make them more approachable — and even fun — for students new to the topic.
Both the Financial Projection Simulator and the Customer Interviewing Simulator are available as part of ExEC or as stand-alone modules.
Building and Iterating
With a foundation of validated problems, students used ExEc’S MVP development tools to brainstorm, test, and iterate on solutions in a matter of days. Jacquie encouraged experimentation, often adapting exercises on the fly.
“We’re constantly experimenting and iterating in my class—I’ve never taught this class the same way twice. It’s intense, but I really enjoy it, and ExEC gives me the flexibility to adapt along the way.”
Real Results: What Students Gained
Jacquie noticed something powerful: even in a short course, students left with more than just startup ideas: they gained confidence and entrepreneurial mindsets.
Experiential learning isn’t just a teaching method, it’s a powerful tool that transforms classrooms into dynamic learning environments that boost retention and real-world application.
That’s the real goal of any experiential entrepreneurship curriculum: helping students build lasting skills.
Even in just 15 days.
Why ExEC Works for Compressed Courses
Flexibility is the key.
ExEC was designed as a 15-week curriculum, but its modular format means you can plug and play based on your time constraints.
Here’s how ExEC is built to support different teaching formats:
Whether you’re teaching undergrads, MBAs, or non-traditional students, ExEC provides structure without rigidity.
And because it includes step-by-step lesson plans, rubrics, and student-facing slides, you can spend less time preparing and more time mentoring.
Ready to Launch Your Own Engaging Course?
If you’re looking to create an engaging, hands-on, real-world entrepreneurship course, ExEC can help — whether you’ve got 15 weeks or just 15 days.
Jacquie’s experience shows that when students get to do entrepreneurship, they learn it better.
Want to preview ExEC?
Let us know if you want help adapting it for your timeline. We’re happy to share more examples and tips from instructors like Jacquie.
Want to Connect with Jacquie?
Colorado College’s flexible schedule gives Jacquie the chance to consult and teach in various entrepreneurship programs.
She is passionate about sharing her ideas on practical and engaging education.
If you want to exchange ideas or simply connect, Jacquie would be happy to hear from you on LinkedIn.
FAQ’s about Experiential Entrepreneurship Curriculum
1. What is ExEC?
A plug-and-play, research-backed curriculum that emphasizes hands-on, student-driven learning.
2. Can I teach ExEC in less than a semester?
Absolutely. Jacquie did it in 15 days. The modular structure makes it adaptable for any timeframe.
3. What’s included with ExEC?
- Full lesson plans
- Interactive student activities
- Editable slides and worksheets
- Rubrics, guides, and assessments
- Instructor support and community access
4. What if I’ve never taught this way?
No worries. ExEC is designed for first-time instructors and veterans alike. You don’t have to be an expert in lean startup or design thinking — ExEC guides you through.
5. Can I preview the curriculum?
Yes! You can request a preview of ExEC here.
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