Ted Zoller

Ted Zoller, Ph.D., TW Lewis Distinguished Clinical Scholar and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Full-Time MBA| MBA@UNC| Charlotte MBA| Evening MBA| Weekend MBA

 

What courses do you currently teach, and what do you love most about them?

My teaching focuses primarily on New Venture development and entrepreneurial leadership. I love helping students build their entrepreneurial mindset by leveraging my 6M Venture Circuit, a rapid development framework used to build new ventures. Hundreds of my students have gone on to build great enterprises and now there is a substantial network of successful founders counted among our alumni. I also teach a course called Entrepreneurs Lab that works with our students to build their short and long-term strategies to use entrepreneurship to build their careers as a founder, funder or growth leader. I think of New Ventures as the “horse” and the founder as the “jockey” — and I have the privilege of working from both ends to develop transformative entrepreneurial leaders.

 

How do you bring real-world business challenges or trends into the classroom?

All of my teaching is grounded in bringing the real world into the classroom because entrepreneurship is not merely a subject to be studied — it is a practice to be lived, tested, and refined. I believe that the most powerful entrepreneurial learning happens not through theory alone but through direct, hands-on experience. That’s why my students don’t just learn about startups — they build them. In my courses, students are immersed in real entrepreneurial environments. Some pursue their own ventures with clearly defined go-to-market strategies, while others collaborate with early-stage startups, tackling live business challenges with real consequences. Still others work side-by-side with seasoned founders, gaining unfiltered insight into the mindset, urgency, and adaptability that entrepreneurship demands. A key part of this learning ecosystem is our alumni network — a deep bench of successful, serial entrepreneurs who mentor our students not with hypotheticals, but with hard-earned wisdom and lived experience. They bring candor, context, and coaching to our MBAs, helping them navigate the uncertainty that defines entrepreneurship. These relationships help students develop what I call the “knack” of entrepreneurship — an instinct for opportunity, resourcefulness, resilience, and execution that cannot be taught in a lecture, but can absolutely be cultivated through immersive experience. Through this experiential model, students don’t just study entrepreneurship — they live it, fail in it, pivot through it, and ultimately grow into it. They leave the classroom with more than knowledge: they leave with real-world entrepreneurial acumen and the confidence to act on it.

 

What’s one lesson or insight you hope every MBA student takes with them after your course?

While entrepreneurship is undeniably challenging — demanding both gumption and grit in the face of uncertainty, risk, and inevitable setbacks — it remains one of the most powerful vehicles for creating transformative outcomes and achieving outsized impact. It pushes individuals to operate beyond their comfort zones, to solve real problems with ingenuity and urgency, and to lead with vision despite limited resources. Precisely because it is so demanding, entrepreneurship sharpens resilience, accelerates learning, and forces clarity of purpose. And for those willing to embrace the journey, it offers the rare opportunity not just to build ventures, but to change industries, uplift communities, and reimagine what’s possible in the world.

 

Can you share a moment or student success story that’s stuck with you?

In every class, I hear from students that my work in entrepreneurship has opened their eyes to possibilities they never imagined. For many, it’s a shift in mindset — they come in thinking entrepreneurship is reserved for a select few with the “perfect idea” or the “right background,” and leave realizing that entrepreneurship is accessible, actionable, and deeply personal. They discover that entrepreneurship doesn’t begin with a pitch deck or a polished plan — it starts with taking action. It’s about identifying problems, asking bold questions, experimenting with solutions, and being willing to step into the unknown. More importantly, students come to understand that committing to this process gives them agency — a sense of control and momentum — to move their ideas into motion, often for the first time. And I have now several alums who have had outsized success and now they have returned to Kenan-Flagler to give back. What begins as curiosity often transforms into conviction. Through hands-on experience, mentorship, and reflection, students realize they don’t have to wait for permission or perfection — they can start building now. That sense of empowerment is one of the most rewarding outcomes of teaching entrepreneurship, and it’s what stays with them long after the class ends.

In what ways do you see our students standing out in the workplace or making an impact?

You can imagine that I deeply believe one of the most powerful ways a leader can differentiate themselves in today’s workplace is by fully embracing an entrepreneurial mindset. In a world defined by rapid change, ambiguity, and constant disruption, the ability to think and act like an entrepreneur is no longer optional — it’s a competitive advantage. Entrepreneurial leaders are not just problem-solvers; they are opportunity-creators. They bring curiosity, initiative, adaptability, and the courage to challenge the status quo. But perhaps most importantly, they have the gumption to deliberately step into discomfort — to leave behind the safety of predictability and take strategic risks in service of a bold vision. This kind of leadership requires a willingness to navigate uncertainty, make decisions with incomplete information, and stay grounded when outcomes are unknown. It’s not about reckless risk-taking, but about developing the discipline to act decisively, learn quickly, and iterate forward — even when the path isn’t clear. When leaders cultivate this mindset, they not only drive innovation and performance within their organizations — they also model what it means to lead with courage, agility, and purpose. That is what sets them apart.

What excites you most about the future of business education or your field?

The half-life of new entrepreneurial strategies is getting shorter and shorter. In today’s fast-moving landscape, what once offered a competitive edge for years may now be obsolete in months. This rapid evolution is driven by the accelerating pace of technology, shifting consumer behavior, and increasingly fluid market dynamics. As a result, entrepreneurs must constantly adapt, experiment, and reinvent — not once, but continuously. At the same time, the barriers to founding new ventures have never been lower. Powerful digital tools, open-source technologies, and global access to capital have democratized entrepreneurship, allowing individuals with vision and determination to move from idea to execution faster than ever before. Now, with the rise of artificial intelligence, we are entering an entirely new era. AI is not just a tool — it’s becoming a co-founder, a strategic partner, and a multiplier of human capability. It enables leaner teams, smarter decision-making, faster prototyping, and unprecedented personalization — all at scale. In this environment, entrepreneurship is no longer a niche pursuit — it’s becoming the defining mode of engagement with the future. Whether within startups or large enterprises, entrepreneurial thinking will be essential to navigating complexity, driving innovation, and creating value. The future looks undeniably bright — and it will be shaped, accelerated, and continually redefined by entrepreneurship.

What advice would you give to incoming MBA students?

Before you even arrive at Kenan-Flagler, take time to visualize what you truly want to achieve by the end of your studies. Not just in terms of grades or credentials — but in terms of growth, clarity, capability, and direction. What kind of leader do you want to become? What impact do you want to make? What venture, innovation, or career trajectory are you building toward? Once you have that vision, treat every course, project, and conversation as a stepping stone toward that larger goal. Don’t just passively absorb information — apply it. Pressure-test it. Connect it directly to your ambitions. Whether you’re launching a venture, preparing to lead innovation inside a company, or exploring new paths, use your coursework as a living laboratory for experimentation and refinement. This mindset transforms your experience. It turns the curriculum into a custom-designed toolkit. It makes learning active, focused, and personal. And it helps ensure that when you finish your studies, you don’t just leave with a degree — you leave with momentum, confidence, and a clear sense of purpose.

Is there anything you’d like to highlight about your research, industry partnerships, or other projects?

My research centers on the network structure of entrepreneurship — specifically, how connections between people, organizations, and institutions shape outcomes across entrepreneurial ecosystems, financing pathways, and innovation syndication. I study how founders, investors, mentors, and other ecosystem players are embedded in dynamic networks that influence everything from resource access and opportunity recognition to venture growth and resilience. This network-based perspective offers a powerful lens for understanding entrepreneurship not just as an individual pursuit, but as a deeply social and relational process. Ventures don’t succeed in isolation — they succeed through the strength, diversity, and strategic use of their networks. I believe this approach provides a unique value proposition to our students. As they engage with our programs, they’re not only learning business fundamentals — they’re also actively building social capital: the relationships, trust, and embeddedness that will power their future as entrepreneurial leaders. Whether launching their own ventures, joining early-stage teams, or driving innovation in established organizations, students who understand and leverage networks will be better equipped to identify opportunities, mobilize resources, and scale their impact. Ultimately, I want our students to graduate not only with ideas, but with the connectedness and confidence to turn those ideas into enduring ventures — and to recognize themselves as part of a broader, thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

What’s something your students might be surprised to learn about you?

When it isn’t raining and because I live downtown, you will see me commuting to Kenan-Flagler on my Carolina Blue Vespa GTS300. A bit nerdy, but definitely fun!

Is there a student, colleague, or industry partner you’d like to recognize?

I’m super proud of my MBA founder mentees who have build great companies like Amit Singh, founder of SpectraForce, Sumit Vohra, founder of LoneRider, Joe Colopy and Chaz Felix, founders of Bronto, Ben Wood and Martyn Knowles, founders of OpFlow and so many others who have made a difference as entrepreneurs.