A new collaborative initiative between the Pava Marie LaPere Center for Entrepreneurship and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School is providing students with a hands-on opportunity to shape the future of startups. The Venture Strategy Program, now underway, is a 10-week-long program designed to immerse Carey students in the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Johns Hopkins while providing early-stage ventures with strategic business insights.

This inaugural program matches Carey students with startup teams affiliated with the Pava Center, where they contribute their expertise in consulting, strategy, and investment planning. Over the course of three distinct modules, students receive targeted training, engage directly with client startups, and deliver actionable business frameworks whilst networking with prominent industry leaders.

The Venture Strategy Program serves a dual purpose: it equips Carey students with practical skills relevant to the venture ecosystem and provides Pava Center startups with high-impact business support. Students gain experience in market analysis, competitive positioning, and capital strategy, while startups benefit from fresh perspectives and structured deliverables that help refine their business models.

Participants commit approximately 30 hours over the duration of the program, with weekly engagements that include training sessions, client meetings, and cohort reflections. The program also features exclusive networking opportunities with alumni and professionals from top consulting firms, successful startups, and venture capital organizations.

“We have exceptional MBA students and brilliant student founders,” said Jake Dreier, Assistant Director of the Pava Center. “Creating a way for them to work together enriches not only their experience as students, but it also strengthens the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem at Johns Hopkins.”

The program is open to Carey Business School students working towards their MBA, who apply and are selected based on their skills and interests. Once accepted, students are matched with Pava Center teams in a way that aligns their expertise with the needs of the startups. In its inaugural year, the program received 51 applicants and accepted 12 participants.

The Venture Strategy Program is structured into three progressive modules, each focusing on a core area of venture development:

Module 1: Consulting
Students learn to apply case frameworks and develop analytical skills for client engagement. Deliverables include a consulting framework that identifies startup pain points and collaboration opportunities. The module concludes with a cohort reflection and networking with a senior consultant alumnus.

Module 2: Startup Strategy
Participants learn strategies for analyzing market size, competitive landscapes, and market positioning. Each student team produces a living strategy document tailored to their client startup. Reflections focus on discovery, integration, and adaptation, with guest engagement from a successful entrepreneur.

Module 3: Investment and Funding Strategy
Students evaluate funding needs, analyze burn rates, and identify key milestones to develop a strategic funding roadmap. This module includes insights from investor-focused coursework and culminates in a networking event with venture capital industry leaders.

“Listening to speakers talk honestly about their wins, mistakes, and real startup chaos made everything feel relatable,” said Laura Gomez, first-year MBA student. “The experience helped me build stronger analytical habits, become more comfortable solving problems with limited information, and approach assumptions with a more thoughtful, research-driven mindset.”

The Venture Strategy Program exemplifies the power of cross-campus collaboration, bringing together academic rigor and entrepreneurial energy to support the next generation of business leaders and innovators. As the program continues, it promises to deepen the connection between Carey students and the vibrant startup community at Johns Hopkins.

“We are thrilled to launch the Venture Strategy Program with the Pava Center,” said Wendy Crowley, Associate Director of Student Innovations at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. “This collaboration not only allows our talented graduate students to apply their skills in a real-world setting but also fosters an environment of innovation and creativity. By working alongside emerging entrepreneurs, they gain invaluable experience that will shape their careers, while simultaneously helping to refine and elevate the strategies of early-stage ventures.”

The success of this cohort underscores JHTV’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across Johns Hopkins and beyond. Future iterations of the program will continue to build on this foundation, offering even more opportunities for founders to gain strategic insights and connect with industry leaders.