Business Ownership SchoolSM
GroundSwellSM trains business ownership experts.
Business Ownership SchoolSM
GroundSwellSM trains business ownership experts.
What is Business Ownership SchoolSM?
Even if you didn't graduate from Harvard Business School, you deserve the same opportunities. Our Business Ownership SchoolSM is better than a traditional top-tier MBA, at a fraction of the cost. We teach you the critical integrated knowledge and skills to create wealth and peace of mind.
What you'll learn
- How to assess if a company is really different
- How to create a unique strategy if it isn’t
- How to effectively build an organization without trial and error
- How to lead and manage people with genuine buy-in
- How to manage financials accurately using time as a key variable
- How to make better decisions and manage your gut reactions in the moment
What you get
- Become a Certified Business OwnerSM ("CBO")
- Access to our Business Ownership PlatformSM
- Access to a powerful alumni network
- Career opportunities in investment banking, management consulting, private equity and business ownership
Feel restricted, or stuck in your career?
We know what it's like to invest the money and time to get a traditional MBA and not get much out of it. Contact us to see how we can help.
How does it work?
Our curriculum emphasizes the critical, repeatable skills required for ownership success through scenario-based learning. Rather than teaching you everything, we focus on the relevant business ownership skills that typically take fifteen to twenty years to learn on the job.
You can attend our Business Ownership SchoolSM directly or assign someone from your organization to gain the knowledge and implement it in your business for you.
Whether you're interested in investment banking, management consulting, private equity or general management, we'll equip you with the knowledge and skills to be confident and successful.
Live or recorded online classes
We offer both live and recorded online classes.
Free 1-month trial period
Not sure about the time and money, check us out for a month for free!
Flexible schedule
If you have the desire and the commitment, we have flexible class options whether it’s attending live classes during the day, night or weekends or watching recorded classes anytime or anywhere.
Time commitment/duration
Our students take between 1,200-1,400 hours to complete our content typically over eighteen months depending on their time and schedule.
Financial assistance
We provide financing up to 80% of our tuition through our Income Share Agreement (“ISA”) program. We only get paid back when you’re successful. We’ve also partnered with a number of third-party lenders who can finance part of our tuition as well.
Career options after completion
We teach you integrated ownership skills that prepare you for careers in investment banking, management consulting, private equity as well as general management and business ownership.
“GroundSwellSM was the best thing I could do for my mind and my career development.”
Julia F.
Post-grad career options
We give you real options to use what you’ve learned.
Buy and grow a business
We’ll teach you how to find a business to buy, get the money to buy it, close the deal and then manage your team, payroll and investors while having a life.
Profit sharing partnerships
Learn how to get paid as an owner where you work.
Work for GroundSwellSM
Are you interested in a multi-faced career building and buying businesses? GroundSwellSM selectively hires our own graduates.
Work for someone else
Are you interested in investment banking, consulting, private equity or general management? You’ll learn the knowledge and skills you need in those careers.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s a rigorous program. We’re not in the edutainment business.
Our Business Ownership SchoolSM is geared for aspiring owner-managers with a minimum of three to five years of work experience that includes managing people. Individuals that want to be their own boss but don’t have a world-changing idea that requires a start-up.
Current owner-managers and corporate managers also benefit but typically it’s more efficient and effective for them to hire one of our students. We call them Fellows.
It takes 1,200-1,400 hours to complete all our content and deliverables. Most of our students, we call them Fellows, have other commitments and typically graduate in about a year and a half. But with our modular scheduling and recorded library of classes, it’s ultimately up to you.
Definitely. During our one-month trial, you attend the same classes and get the same assignments and feedback as fully enrolled Fellows. We do require you sign our Non-Disclosure Agreement (“NDA”) as class often includes confidential business discussions. Nothing we do is theoretical. It’s all real-life business building and buying.
A relatively new concept, it shares the risk of an investment in your education with us. How? We pay for 80% of your tuition and you only pay us back a reasonable return when you earn more than $60,000 each year after graduating. Your repayments equal 3% to 5% of your income each year.
You’ll have all the critical skills to succeed in any industry and career. In addition, you’ll have the knowledge to raise the money to buy your own business.
You’ll be a Certified Business OwnerSM (“CBO”) and receive our CBOSM certificate.
You’ll be part of our life-long alumni network and have access to our Business Ownership PlatformSM. Some of our Fellows call our network their “master mind” group where they quickly and confidentially get feedback from their peers as well as us long after they’ve graduated.
Ownership skills
What are business ownership skills?
Download the guide
Download our Business Ownership Skills PDF and discover three board categories of skills as well as the five specific content areas that integrate together to define ownership skills. The guide also provides DIY resources to get you going on your journey.
Download our Business Ownership Skills PDF and discover three board categories of skills as well as the five specific content areas that integrate together to define ownership skills. The guide also provides DIY resources to get you going on your journey.