EFEB
Potomac’s Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, & Business Concentration (EFEB)The Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Business concentration is designed to provide interested students an opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding of economic and business issues through coursework, individual research, and/or hands-on experience. Rising juniors with a demonstrated interest in and a passion for exploring business through the lens of economics and entrepreneurship can enroll using an expression of interest form.
Students enrolled in EFEB take a minimum of three semester electives, at least one of which must be taken junior year.
Course list:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In addition to coursework completed during the school year, EFEB students undertake four weeks of summer work following junior year. They have two options:
1) a research project with a designated mentor; or
2) an approved practicum involving (a) a business internship, (b) work experience, or (c) volunteer work.
The culmination of their participation in EFEB is a Senior Capstone Project, which is completed during May of senior year and which relates to the themes explored in EFEB coursework and/or summer experience. Students present their capstone project at a showcase exhibition with invited guests in early June.
IT'S A CROSSOVER!
What do sharks, incubators, seed money, and design thinking have in common? They can all be found on Potomac’s campus in the popular Upper School elective Entrepreneurship and Innovation! The interdisciplinary, inquiry-based class is taught by Director of Public Speaking Harry Strong and Director of Technology and Innovation Sean Developing an Entrepreneurial Spirit Moran, who introduce the students to the fundamentals of design thinking, project management, financial modeling, prototyping, and marketing.
The Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Business (EFEB) Concentration hosted its second speaker of the school year with a visit by Potomac parent, Daron Hines. Mr. Hines currently serves as President of Staples Promotional Products (SPP), a wholly owned division of Staples, Inc. and a leading distributor within the promotional products industry. In his talk entitled "Brand Love...Creating a Lasting Impression," Mr. Hines discussed marketing as a broad ecosystem with the goal of influencing a customer to make a decision and demonstrating lifetime value. He discussed the various customers of Staples, and the business to business division he runs of branded merchandise. The branded merchandise is intended to deliver an experience, with the goal of brands themselves to solve problems and create joy. SPP serves 20% of the Fortune 500 companies and operates under the philosophy of Built Better, Together, which includes minimal environmental footprints, meaningful supply chains, and strong customer service.
![Entrepreneurship Class Gets Ready for the Sharks]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1762969109/potomac/psxoqe6eydu2kqpc8pfs/driphouse.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1762969109/potomac/psxoqe6eydu2kqpc8pfs/driphouse.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1762969109/potomac/psxoqe6eydu2kqpc8pfs/driphouse.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1762969109/potomac/psxoqe6eydu2kqpc8pfs/driphouse.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1762969109/potomac/psxoqe6eydu2kqpc8pfs/driphouse.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1762969109/potomac/psxoqe6eydu2kqpc8pfs/driphouse.jpg","width":2200}])
Innovation comes alive in the EFEB concentration's Entrepreneurship and Innovation class. The course is project-driven, with twelve student teams across three sections working to develop and prototype an innovative product ready for market launch. The semester peaks in a crucial, half-hour "Shark Tank" event, where project teams face scrutiny from our panel of "Sharks" on every aspect of their business plan, from product and marketing to finance. Sean Moran, Harry Strong, and Ryan Levesque co-teach the classes. Pictured are Mateo Nichols '27, Lawson Watt '27, and Dasha Minsky '26 working on their sauce recipes for their company Drip House.
The Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Business (EFEB) Concentration hosted its first speaker of the school year with a visit by Potomac Trustee and parent, Chris Graham. Mr. Graham is currently a Senior Advisor to Starwood Capital Group, previously holding various positions at the firm, including Head of Global Investment Strategy and Head of Real Estate Acquisitions for the Americas. In his talk entitled "An Overview of Private Equity and Real Estate," Mr. Graham spoke with the students about private equity, the importance of multiples, the use of leverage within the overall capital structure, and how to better understand a fund structure. In addition, Mr. Graham shared important behavioral finance lessons with students and their impact on investment decisions. Mr. Graham encouraged students to leverage their edge as an individual investor, benefiting from a long holding period time horizon.