This is not a classroom.
It’s a proving ground.
Learn to decide like an entrepreneur. Socratic Sessions. Real Accountability.
Entrepreneurial Stewardship of Austin (ESA)
Taught entirely by entrepreneurs who have built, run, and sold real businesses.
Entrepreneurial Stewardship of Austin (ESA) is a 13-week, case-method entrepreneurship program in Austin based on the Acton MBA curriculum. ESA is committed to donating all profits to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Fridays · 7 – 10 AM
EO Austin, 901 W 9th Street, Austin, TX 78703
- Case I Discussion 7 - 8:20 AM
- Break 8:20 - 8:40 AM
- Case II Discussion 8:40 - 10 AM
Entrepreneurial Stewardship of Austin puts you in the shoes of founders and business leaders facing the decisions that determine whether a venture succeeds or fails… which customers to serve, what to charge, when to launch, when to grow, and when to walk away.
And beneath those decisions, the harder one: Is this the venture worth giving your life to?
No lectures. No theory for its own sake. Just hard problems, real numbers, and a room full of people who will push you to defend your thinking.
Is this the venture worth giving your life to?
WHY ESA
Why We’re Bringing This Program to Austin
Hear from Hugo Díaz and Cory Older on what makes the ESA experience different, who it is built for, and why learning to think like an entrepreneur matters whether you are building a company, leading one, or driving change from within.
Experience, not theory
Learn From Those Who Have Built It.
Our faculty have built companies, led teams, deployed capital, and made decisions with real consequences.
Participants learn directly from founders who have successfully exited, entrepreneurs who have failed and rebuilt, and operators currently leading complex organizations. That range is deliberate, exposing you to multiple sides of building a business and lessons that only come from doing the work.
Meet a few of the entrepreneurs who will be in the room.
Who it’s for
Entrepreneurial Stewardship of Austin is for people who want to think and act more entrepreneurially.
The Aspiring Entrepreneur
The Founder or Operator
You’re already running a business. You don’t need the basics. You need a room of sharp peers who’ll challenge the way you think, and help you see the blind spots that are quietly costing you. ESA is where owners come to sharpen their edge.
The Intrapreneur
Who it’s for
Entrepreneurial Stewardship of Austin is for people who want to think and act more entrepreneurially.
The Aspiring Entrepreneur
The Founder or Operator
The Intrapreneur
What makes ESA different
Most programs tell you what to do. ESA makes you justify what you’d do.
The room is the differentiator. Here’s what happens inside it.
Socratic by design.
No one will hand you the answer. You’ll be drilled, challenged, and asked to defend your reasoning with evidence, week after week.
Disagreement is the curriculum.
You’ll be asked to commit to a hard stand and argue it well, even when the room pushes back. That’s where the real learning lives.
Peer-accountable.
Your classmates aren’t your audience, they’re your sharpening stone. You’ll hold each other to a higher standard than any instructor could.
Participant-driven.
You won’t sit back and listen. Every case depends on participants taking a position, questioning assumptions, challenging one another, and driving the discussion forward.
Not for the timid.
ESA is intense, demanding, and built for people who want to be tested. If you came for comfort, you came to the wrong place.
What makes ESA different
Most programs tell you what to do. ESA makes you justify what you’d do.
The room is the differentiator. Here’s what happens inside it.
Socratic by design.
No one will hand you the answer. You’ll be drilled, challenged, and asked to defend your reasoning with evidence, week after week.
Disagreement is the curriculum.
You’ll be asked to commit to a hard stand and argue it well, even when the room pushes back. That’s where the real learning lives.
Peer-accountable.
Your classmates aren’t your audience, they’re your sharpening stone. You’ll hold each other to a higher standard than any instructor could.
Participant-driven.
You won’t sit back and listen. Every case depends on participants taking a position, questioning assumptions, challenging one another, and driving the discussion forward.
Not for the timid.
ESA is intense, demanding, and built for people who want to be tested. If you came for comfort, you came to the wrong place.
What makes ESA different
Most programs tell you what to do. ESA makes you justify what you’d do.
01/
Socratic by design.
No one will hand you the answer. You’ll be drilled, challenged, and asked to defend your reasoning with evidence, week after week.
02/
Disagreement is the curriculum.
You’ll be asked to commit to a hard stand and argue it well, even when the room pushes back. That’s where the real learning lives.
03/
Peer-accountable.
Your classmates aren’t your audience, they’re your sharpening stone. You’ll hold each other to a higher standard than any instructor could.
04/
Participant-driven.
You won’t sit back and listen. Every case depends on participants taking a position, questioning assumptions, challenging one another, and driving the discussion forward.
05/
Not for the timid.
ESA is intense, demanding, and built for people who want to be tested. If you came for comfort, you came to the wrong place.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
See It Before You Commit
2027 FOUNDING COHORT
February 5 - May 7, 2027
Fridays · Austin, Texas
7:00 – 8:20 AM
Case Discussion I
8:20 – 8:40 AM
Break
8:40 – 10:00 AM
Case Discussion II
Talk To Our Team
Ask questions about how ESA works.
Info Session
Get a taste of the program.
Apply For The Founding Cohort
Limited to 25 seats.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
See It Before You Commit
2027 FOUNDING COHORT
February 5 - May 7, 2027
Limited to 25 seats.
Fridays · Austin, Texas
Case Discussion I
7:00 – 8:20 AM
Break
8:20 – 8:40 AM
Case Discussion II
8:40 – 10:00 AM
737-371-9556
Talk To Our Team
Ask questions about how ESA works.
Info Session
Get a taste of the program.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
See It Before You Commit
Experience ESA firsthand, meet the people behind the program, and decide whether you belong in the room.
Fridays · Austin, Texas
Case Discussion I
7:00 – 8:20 AM
Break
8:20 – 8:40 AM
Case Discussion II
8:40 – 10:00 AM
2027 FOUNDING COHORT
February 5 - May 7, 2027
Limited to 25 seats.
737-371-9556
Talk To Our Team
Ask questions about how ESA works.
Info Session
Get a taste of the program.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
See It Before You Commit
Experience ESA firsthand, meet the people behind the program, and decide whether you belong in the room.
Get to Know ESA
A free entrepreneur panel, open Q&A, lunch, and networking at EO Austin. Space is limited.
2027 FOUNDING COHORT
February 5 - May 7, 2027
Limited to 25 seats.
Fridays · Austin, Texas
The Entrepreneur’s Table
Entrepreneur Panel, Lunch & Q&A
Oct 28, 2026
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Experience ESA
Nov 12, 2026
7:15 – 8:45 AM
Case Discussion I
7:00 – 8:20 AM
Break
8:20 – 8:40 AM
Case Discussion II
8:40 – 10:00 AM
737-371-9556
Talk To Our Team
Ask questions about how ESA works.
Have questions?
Get in touch.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
See It Before You Commit
Experience ESA firsthand, meet the people behind the program, and decide whether you belong in the room.
Fridays · Austin, Texas
Case Discussion I
7:00 – 8:20 AM
Break
8:20 – 8:40 AM
Case Discussion II
8:40 – 10:00 AM
2027 FOUNDING COHORT
February 5 - May 7, 2027
Limited to 25 seats.
737-371-9556
Talk To Our Team
Ask questions about how ESA works.
Info Session
Get a taste of the program.
FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time commitment?
ESA meets for thirteen Friday sessions from February 5 through May 7, 2027, with no class March 19. Classes run from 7:00 – 10:00 AM, with two case discussions each morning.
Plan on six to twelve hours of preparation each week outside of class including a meet up before class or the night before depending on group availability.
Who is ESA for?
What does ESA cost?
Tuition for the 2027 cohort is $2,599. Accepted participants who enroll by October 31, 2026, receive an early bird discount. A $99 application fee is applied toward tuition if accepted and refunded in full if not accepted.
What makes ESA different?
ESA is built on the Acton MBA curriculum and taught by experienced entrepreneurs who have built, led, and invested in real businesses. The format is entirely Socratic so there are no lectures and no theory for its own sake. You learn by taking a position, defending your thinking, and being challenged by faculty and peers.
Does this program earn me a degree or certification?
You will receive a Certificate of Completion for the Entrepreneurial Journey course.
ESA intends to expand over time to offer the full curriculum based on the Acton MBA program, with the goal of allowing students to complete the full Acton curriculum through ESA. However, ESA does not intend to offer an accredited degree.
That is intentional. Our students are primarily seeking the learning, skills, and experience itself. We believe the additional cost, administration, and bureaucracy required to operate as a degree-granting institution would add significant expense without providing enough additional value to justify that cost for our students.
FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the time commitment?
ESA meets for thirteen Friday sessions from February 5 through May 7, 2027, with no class March 19. Classes run from 7:00 – 10:00 AM, with two case discussions each morning.
Plan on six to twelve hours of preparation each week outside of class including a meet up before class or the night before depending on group availability.
Who is ESA for?
What does ESA cost?
Tuition for the 2027 cohort is $2,599. Accepted participants who enroll by October 31, 2026, receive an early bird discount. A $99 application fee is applied toward tuition if accepted and refunded in full if not accepted.
What makes ESA different?
ESA is built on the Acton MBA curriculum and taught by experienced entrepreneurs who have built, led, and invested in real businesses. The format is entirely Socratic so there are no lectures and no theory for its own sake. You learn by taking a position, defending your thinking, and being challenged by faculty and peers.
What is the application fee?
When is the application deadline?
What happens after I apply?
Does this program earn me a degree or certification?
Do I need to run a company?
How large is the cohort?
Is there anything I need to complete before the program begins?
What is the time commitment?
ESA meets Friday mornings for thirteen weeks from February through May 2027. Participants may meet for group case prep before the 7:00 AM start, followed by two case discussions through 10:00 AM. Plan for additional time each week to prepare cases in advance. Pre-matriculation begins approximately 30 days before the first class to prepare participants for the program.
