Richard C. Dorf
Professor Emeritus of Management and Electrical and Computer Engineering
Research Expertise: Entrepreneurship, innovation, nonprofits, new ventures, technology management, venture capital
Professor Emeritus Richard Dorf researches and has taught entrepreneurship, innovation management, management of nonprofits, new venture management, venture capital management, and technology policy and technology management. He is a consultant in engineering project development, commercialization, innovation, management and new business ventures. He has taught courses in New and Small Business Ventures, and Sustainable and Responsible Business.
Dorf has authored more than 30 books, including Technology Ventures: From Ideas to Enterprise (McGraw-Hill, second edition, 2006), co-authored with Professor Thomas Byers of Stanford University. The textbook, which is used in the Graduate School of Management’s New Business Ventures course, is the first to thoroughly examine the global phenomenon known as “technology entrepreneurship.” The book integrates the most valuable entrepreneurship and technology management theories from some of the world’s leading scholars and educators with current examples of new technologies and an extensive suite of media resources. Dorf and Byers’ comprehensive collection of action-oriented concepts and applications provides both students and professionals with the tools necessary for success in starting and growing a technology enterprise.
Room 3411
244 New and Small Business Ventures
Emphasizes starting a new business venture or managing a small business during its formative stages. Topics include entrepreneurship, legal issues, financing the business, marketing research and the management team. Small teams of students develop a detailed business plan for a potential new venture.
Information for Companies
Our MBA Consulting Center brings together companies and highly qualified UC Davis MBA students. Companies are invited to propose a field study project. Once approved by the Consulting Center’s faculty director, the project is assigned to a team of MBA students whose strengths and interests match the company’s specific needs. The team then assists the company by defining and solving strategic problems, enhancing the organization’s effectiveness or exploring business opportunities.
The company partner is expected to commit the necessary time and resources to the project. Companies are responsible for expenses incurred on their behalf, including, but not limited to, postage, printing and travel. The project helps students turn theory into practice while bringing their skills to bear on an important problem to be solved.
The typical field study last one academic quarter (10 weeks). The team meets regularly with the company partner and is aided by the guidance of a field study advisor. A written interim report is provided after five weeks; a final report and oral presentation responding to the project are presented in week 10 or 11.
Confidential information can be protected by a nondisclosure agreement if necessary. Please contact us for further information.
Make Your Project a Reality:
Project proposal deadlines
Companies are asked to submit project proposals before the following dates to be considered for each academic quarter:
Quarter
Project Deadline
A Blueprint for Entrepreneurial Success
High-tech start-ups, especially those in the energy sector and clean tech—and researchers who want to get their ideas out of the lab and into the market—have a valuable new resource for turning their entrepreneurial ideas into profitable realities.
Insuring the Medical Pot Industry
Despite continued political conflict over its regulation, the medical marijuana business is gradually becoming normal in California. Professor Emeritus Richard Dorf offers his perspective.
A Road Map to Finding the Right College
Every fall and winter college campuses are visited by high school juniors and seniors and their travel-weary parents in search of the best college fit. Students and parents spend a great deal of time and money making these treks, which can often lead to disappointment if there is not a perfect match.
Version 2.0: Best-Selling Technology Ventures Book Updated
Technology entrepreneurship involves identifying high-potential, technology-intensive opportunities; gathering talent, capital and other resources; and managing rapid growth and significant risks. The best-selling Technology Ventures: From Idea to Enterprise, co-authored by Professor Richard C. Dorf and Stanford University’s Thomas H. Byers, was the first book to examine this global phenomenon. The recently released second edition (McGraw-Hill, 2006) integrates the most valuable entrepreneurship and technology management theories from the world’s leading scholars and educators.