Acton School of Business
Encyclopedia
The Acton School of Business is a private, one-year MBA in Entrepreneurship
program in Austin, Texas
, taught by successful, practicing entrepreneurs. Offering only a full-time program, the school is based on experiential learning. Students analyze over 300 business case studies
and participate in simulations, such as building real assembly lines and selling products door to door. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS) and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
(ACBSP) through Hardin-Simmons University
.
Acton has recently moved into a new 10000 sq ft (929 m²). campus on the shores of Lady Bird Lake.
. In 2002, Sandefer and fellow teachers, Phil Siegel, Vaughn Brock and Jack Long left the University of Texas and founded The Acton School of Business. Acton graduated its first class in 2004. The school derives its name from Lord Acton, a 19th century scholar and originator of the famous quote “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Acton MBA's website lists some principals among these e-teachers:
Jeff Sandefer runs an energy investment firm, Sandefer Capital Partners, that holds over a billion dollars in assets. For the last sixteen years, Mr. Sandefer has also taught entrepreneurship at the graduate level. While at the University of Texas, Mr. Sandefer was voted by the students as UT’s Outstanding Teacher five separate times and was named by BusinessWeek as one of the top entrepreneurship professors in the United States. He has served for over a decade on Harvard University
’s visiting committee and as chair of the university’s academic research committee. He is a director of National Review
magazine, formerly served as chairman of the Acton Institute of Religion and Liberty and was a member of Texas Governor Rick Perry
’s 21st Century Commission on Higher Education.
Before his current work, Steven Tomlinson was a professor of finance and economics at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business
for 15 years. He graduated with highest honors from the University of Oklahoma
and earned a Ph.D. in economics at Stanford University
. Tomlinson's academic awards include the prestigious Texas Excellence Teaching Award given by the University of Texas Alumni Association and being named "Outstanding Core Faculty in the MBA Program" several times. He has developed several instructional guides and computerized educational programs for economics. Tomlinson is also an accomplished theater artist, with more than half a dozen award-winning solo performances to his credit. His most recent play, American Fiesta, won the American Theatre Critics Association's Osborn Award for Best New Play by an Emerging Playwright.
In 1990, Jack Long launched Lone Star Overnight, an overnight package delivery business dedicated to serving the state of Texas that was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in America. Six years later, Jack sold the business for enough money to retire. But with entrepreneurship in his blood, retirement was short lived. Today he runs PeopleAdmin, a successful software company that he co-founded in 2001 and has also been named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in America.
Phil Siegel began his career at the Boston Consulting Group
where he repaired one company after another, learning crucial lessons about how business really works. In 1998, Phil joined Austin Ventures
, one of the largest venture capital firms in Texas. Since joining Austin Ventures, he has started four companies, three of which are thriving, each forecast to earn over $50 million in revenue.
Jeff Serra is the founder of ReNEW Energy and Eyes of Texas Partners as well as the former chairman, president and CEO of Phibro Energy, one of America’s largest energy refining and marketing companies. With Warren Buffett
as a board member when Serra was CEO of Phibro, he learned from one of the best.
Ed Perry started his first company, Singapore-based engineering-consulting company MEPL, almost 25 years ago. Since then, he has been the founder, CEO, president or managing director of eight successful companies in the areas of engineering, consulting, enterprise software and venture capital. He has also led as a lead partner of Koch Ventures, a well-known venture capital firm.
Jeff Connally worked for twenty years as a top sales and marketing executive in software, hardware and information service companies, including Stratfor/Infraworks, ReCompute, Globalsoft and IBM
. He founded the Uplink Corporation, co-founded Gener8Biz and is currently the President and CEO of CMIT Solutions, Inc., a leader in innovative IT support to the small and medium sized business market.
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
program in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, taught by successful, practicing entrepreneurs. Offering only a full-time program, the school is based on experiential learning. Students analyze over 300 business case studies
Case study
A case study is an intensive analysis of an individual unit stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find...
and participate in simulations, such as building real assembly lines and selling products door to door. The school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
(SACS) and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs , formerly the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, is a U.S. organization offering accreditation services to business programs focused on teaching and learning....
(ACBSP) through Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas, United States.-History:Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher...
.
Acton has recently moved into a new 10000 sq ft (929 m²). campus on the shores of Lady Bird Lake.
History
Acton grew out of the curriculum developed by the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence (AFEE). Founded by Jeff Sandefer, an entrepreneur and teacher at the University of Texas, AFEE was created to publish entrepreneurship cases and notes and spread entrepreneurship curriculum to schools across the United States. While at UT, Sandefer was ranked one of the top ten entrepreneurship professors in the country by BusinessWeekBusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
. In 2002, Sandefer and fellow teachers, Phil Siegel, Vaughn Brock and Jack Long left the University of Texas and founded The Acton School of Business. Acton graduated its first class in 2004. The school derives its name from Lord Acton, a 19th century scholar and originator of the famous quote “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
E-Teachers
Acton's methodology employs E-Teachers, or "Enterpreneur Teachers," meaning that their faculty consists of proven entrepreneurs.Acton MBA's website lists some principals among these e-teachers:
Jeff Sandefer runs an energy investment firm, Sandefer Capital Partners, that holds over a billion dollars in assets. For the last sixteen years, Mr. Sandefer has also taught entrepreneurship at the graduate level. While at the University of Texas, Mr. Sandefer was voted by the students as UT’s Outstanding Teacher five separate times and was named by BusinessWeek as one of the top entrepreneurship professors in the United States. He has served for over a decade on Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
’s visiting committee and as chair of the university’s academic research committee. He is a director of National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
magazine, formerly served as chairman of the Acton Institute of Religion and Liberty and was a member of Texas Governor Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
’s 21st Century Commission on Higher Education.
Before his current work, Steven Tomlinson was a professor of finance and economics at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business
McCombs School of Business
The McCombs School of Business, also referred to as the McCombs School or simply McCombs, is a business school at The University of Texas at Austin. In addition to the main Austin campus, McCombs offers classes outside Central Texas in Dallas, Houston and internationally in Mexico City...
for 15 years. He graduated with highest honors from the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
and earned a Ph.D. in economics at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. Tomlinson's academic awards include the prestigious Texas Excellence Teaching Award given by the University of Texas Alumni Association and being named "Outstanding Core Faculty in the MBA Program" several times. He has developed several instructional guides and computerized educational programs for economics. Tomlinson is also an accomplished theater artist, with more than half a dozen award-winning solo performances to his credit. His most recent play, American Fiesta, won the American Theatre Critics Association's Osborn Award for Best New Play by an Emerging Playwright.
Phil Siegel began his career at the Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group
The Boston Consulting Group is a global management consulting firm with offices in 42 countries. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious management consulting firms in the world. It is one of only three companies to appear in the top 15 of Fortunes "Best Companies to Work For" report for...
where he repaired one company after another, learning crucial lessons about how business really works. In 1998, Phil joined Austin Ventures
Austin Ventures
Austin Ventures is a private equity firm focused on venture capital and growth equity investments in business services and supply chain, financial services, new media, Internet, and information services companies nationally with a focus on Texas. The firm, which is based in Austin, Texas, was...
, one of the largest venture capital firms in Texas. Since joining Austin Ventures, he has started four companies, three of which are thriving, each forecast to earn over $50 million in revenue.
Jeff Serra is the founder of ReNEW Energy and Eyes of Texas Partners as well as the former chairman, president and CEO of Phibro Energy, one of America’s largest energy refining and marketing companies. With Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...
as a board member when Serra was CEO of Phibro, he learned from one of the best.
Ed Perry started his first company, Singapore-based engineering-consulting company MEPL, almost 25 years ago. Since then, he has been the founder, CEO, president or managing director of eight successful companies in the areas of engineering, consulting, enterprise software and venture capital. He has also led as a lead partner of Koch Ventures, a well-known venture capital firm.
Jeff Connally worked for twenty years as a top sales and marketing executive in software, hardware and information service companies, including Stratfor/Infraworks, ReCompute, Globalsoft and IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
. He founded the Uplink Corporation, co-founded Gener8Biz and is currently the President and CEO of CMIT Solutions, Inc., a leader in innovative IT support to the small and medium sized business market.