Introducing the RA Session II School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 

UNC Charlotte has established the RA Session II School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Belk College of Business. An investment by alumnus and serial biotech entrepreneur RA Session II ’02 made the school possible.

Session earned his finance degree from the Belk College. He was also a standout goalkeeper for Charlotte’s nationally ranked men’s soccer team. He created the school with a belief that aspiring entrepreneurs learn by doing.

Laura J. Stanley, professor of management, leads the school. It brings together CO-LAB and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Through the school, students and community entrepreneurs will connect with mentors, investors and the University’s research and innovation resources.

Session is also investing in the University’s bioinformatics program. The Bioinformatics Building will be renamed Session Family Hall.

The new Master of Science in Entrepreneurship is at the center of the school’s academic offerings. It is the only program of its kind at a public university in North Carolina. The one-year program pairs coursework with mentoring and incubator space at CO-LAB at UNC Charlotte Center City.

The school also offers an undergraduate certificate in entrepreneurship, a graduate certificate in corporate venturing and the Doctor of Business Administration program.

“Starting a venture means making decisions without having every answer,” said Richard Buttimer, dean of the Belk College of Business. “This school will give students opportunities to gain that experience while connecting them with people who can help them build businesses and contribute to the region’s success.”