
Developing High-Potential Ventures With Skills – Not Venture Capital
Building a venture from startup to “unicorn” – a company worth $1 billion or more - may seem as fantastical as the mythical creature itself. But the entrepreneurs behind companies like Facebook, Amazon, Wayfair and Apple made it happen. So what’s the secret to their success? Research by Dileep Rao, an FIU Business clinical professor of entrepreneurship who studies unicorn entrepreneurs, reveals that just over 6% of unicorn entrepreneurs launched their ventures with venture capital; the remaining 94% developed their product and strategy and launched their company without venture capital.

This program will change the way we think about entrepreneurship and radically shift the startup culture in South Florida and beyond. When the focus shifts from the idea to the entrepreneur, the path to success opens to all entrepreneurs—even those without funding or networks.

Developing High-Potential Ventures is a new program for entrepreneurs, technologists, students and anyone who wants to grow and scale a business. The first-of-its kind program includes an all-day workshop on Friday, November 9, 2019, followed by eight 3-hour Wednesday evening skill-training seminars held once per month through June 2020. The seminars cover the finance-smart skills, opportunity secrets and strategies of billion-dollar entrepreneurs to help program participants develop the right opportunity and strategy, find the right financing, launch a venture and take off without venture capital. Rao teaches the program along with leading South Florida experts who have launched, advised, financed or built unicorns or mini-unicorns. All sessions are offered both on FIU’s main campus and online.
From bootstrap operations to financial analysis to leadership, the program will teach the skills that unicorn entrepreneurs have used to launch and grow their billion-dollar companies. Participants will learn how America’s unicorn-entrepreneurs and mini-unicorn-entrepreneurs were able to:
- Develop a growth opportunity
- Sell without money or history
- Make customers happier without venture capital
- Launch your business without venture capital
- Monitor in real time to grow with control
- Build organizations for growth and domination
- Grow from entrepreneur to unicorn entrepreneur

The reality is, business unicorns aren’t that rare—according to CB Insights, there are 360 private companies around the world valued at $1 billion +. Last year, 119 new companies joined the global unicorn club — a 67% increase from the 71 new unicorns in 2017.
--CBINSIGHTS

Dileep Rao
Dileep Rao teaches high-performance entrepreneurship and venture financing at Florida International University. Previously, he financed about 450 ventures using equity, debt, and leases, and managed five turnaround companies. He speaks and consults with corporations and governments in finance-smart business development to grow high-potential ventures with less capital and lower risk.
Rao writes a blog on high-performance entrepreneurship for Forbes.com in addition to blogging for the London School of Economics. He is the author of Nothing Ventured, Everything Gained, which shatters the dominant myth that entrepreneurs need early-stage venture-capital to build giant businesses. He holds two engineering degrees and a doctorate in business administration.
Program Schedule
SEMINARS
Wednesday, November 20, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Missionary-Sales Skills: How Unicorn Entrepreneurs Sell Without Money or History |
Wednesday, December 18, 2019 6:00 p.m – 9:00 p.m. Bootstrap Operations Skills: How Unicorn Entrepreneurs Make Customers Happier without VC |
Wednesday, January 15, 2020 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Financial Analysis Skills: Knowing Financial Statements and using them to take off |
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m Financing Skills: How Unicorn Entrepreneurs Finance Businesses to Grow with Control |
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Launching Skills: Unicorn Entrepreneurial Strategies to take off without VC |
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Controlling Skills: How Unicorn Entrepreneurs Monitor in Real Time to Grow with Control |
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Organizing Skills: How Unicorn Entrepreneurs Build Organizations for Growth and Domination |
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Leadership Skills: Growing from Entrepreneur to Unicorn Entrepreneur FIU College of Business CBC Room 155 Modesto A. Maidique Campus 11200 SW 8th St. Miami, Florida 33199 |
WORKSHOP
Friday, November 8, 2019 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. FIU College of Business CBC 155 Modesto A. Maidique Campus 11200 SW 8th St. Miami, Florida 33199 |
Registration
|
General Public |
FIU alumni, faculty, staff and college students |
Workshop and All Seminars* |
$250 |
$125 |
Workshop Only |
$150 |
$75 |
*Includes exclusive access to online videos of workshop and all seminars through June 2021
General Public in South Florida RegistrationFIU alumni, faculty, staff and college students in South Florida

Student Scholarships
There are 50 full-fee scholarships available to FIU and other current South Florida university students. To apply, please submit answers to the following questions (350 words or less in TOTAL). Please be specific in your answers; tell us who you are and what you plan to do.
Enter the FIU
Unicorn-Entrepreneurship
Business Skills Competition
Contact Us
305.348.2791
IBDepartment@fiu.edu