Yale SOM, Sequoia Capital China Team Up

Yale School of Management

Yale School of Management

The Yale School of Management and Sequoia Capital China, a VC/PE firm, are hoping to groom the next generation of global business leaders.

This month they launched a new leadership program for entrepreneurs in China. The one-year program, called the Yale SOM Sequoia Capital China Leadership Program, will aim to provide insights into both Chinese and Western entrepreneurship and business practices.

“With the backdrop of an increasingly complex global environment, it is now more important than ever to develop a generation of business leaders in China who can adapt to the new dynamics of the market,” says Edward Snyder, dean of Yale SOM.

FOUNDERS, CEOS AMONG INAUGURAL CLASS

The inaugural class of 43 participants was selected from the founders, CEOs, and top executives of Sequoia Capital China’s portfolio companies. After completing the program, they’ll receive a certification of completion from Yale SOM.

Neil Shen, founding and managing partner at Sequoia Capital China, and a Yale alumnus, says he hopes the program will offer the entrepreneurs the tools, skills, and support they need to meet the challenges of the global marketplace.

“Sequoia Capital China, as a long-term value-oriented investor, is highly committed to investing in the growth and success of our portfolio companies. In recent years, we are seeing a burgeoning demand among Chinese entrepreneurs to advance their knowledge and leadership skills,” Shen says.

BEIJING ‘INTELLECTUAL HUB’ TO HOST COURSES

Courses will be taught by Yale SOM faculty, among them Professor Zhiwu Chen, who will teach the first module on the logic of business and finance. The courses will take place at the Yale Center Beijing, which opened two years ago. At the time, Sequoia Capital China also supported the building of the Center, according to the Financial Times.

“We have long admired Neil Shen’s strategic vision and are grateful for his support in funding the Yale Center Beijing,” says Carol Li Rafferty, managing director of the Yale Center Beijing. “The program serves as an example of how the center has become an intellectual hub for developing future leaders.”

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