TLDR: The Yale School of Management (SOM) is intensifying its focus on the convergence of generative AI and entrepreneurship, highlighted by the return of its MGT 899: Generative AI & Entrepreneurship course in Spring 2025. This seven-week program, led by Anand Ranganathan of Bridgewater Associates, offers students a unique blend of technical AI skills and strategic entrepreneurial insights, culminating in the development of a new Gen AI venture.
New Haven, CT – The Yale School of Management (SOM) is placing a significant emphasis on the burgeoning intersection of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and entrepreneurship, preparing its students to lead in an rapidly evolving technological landscape. This strategic focus is underscored by the reintroduction of the highly anticipated MGT 899: Generative AI & Entrepreneurship course in Spring 2025, a program designed to equip future leaders with both the technical prowess and business acumen necessary to innovate with AI.
The seven-week course, held on Mondays from 6-9 PM, is taught by Anand Ranganathan, an Engineering Manager at Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s most influential investment management firms. Ranganathan, who leads various aspects of AI, data, and analytics research platform development at Bridgewater—a firm managing approximately $120 billion in global investments—brings unparalleled industry insight to the classroom. His background also includes co-founding OneByZero, a consulting startup specializing in AI solutions, providing students with a deep understanding of both the entrepreneurial journey and the technical foundations of artificial intelligence.
“Generative AI and Entrepreneurship was a great resource for me at SOM,” says alum Rudy Cordero (MMS-TM ’25), now an American Technology Fellow at Palantir Technologies. “It bridged technical innovation with real-world application, helping me see how emerging AI tools can drive creativity, efficiency, and entirely new business models.”
The curriculum is meticulously crafted to offer a rare blend of hands-on development experience and market analysis. Each week, students delve into critical AI components, including prompt engineering, working with large language models, developing agentic AI systems and multi-agent workflows, multimodal search and generation, and chatbot development. Concurrently, the business strategy side of the class covers essential topics such as identifying AI-driven entrepreneurial opportunities, understanding the competitive landscape of Gen AI startups, market analysis, customer acquisition strategies, and navigating regulatory and ethical considerations.
Further enriching the learning experience, the course features an impressive lineup of guest speakers from leading companies and organizations, including representatives from Connecticut Innovations, Galileo, IBM, Syneos Health, Menyala, Johnson & Johnson, and Kroger. These sessions provide students with diverse perspectives on how generative AI is being deployed across various sectors, including healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and technology.
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The centerpiece of the course is a team project where students develop a complete pitch deck and a working demo for a new Generative AI venture. This practical application ensures that students not only grasp theoretical concepts but also gain tangible experience in bringing AI-driven ideas to fruition. With generative AI fundamentally reshaping industries, the Yale School of Management recognizes that the window of opportunity for entrepreneurs has never been wider—or more competitive—and is committed to preparing its graduates to thrive in this dynamic environment.
