American Entrepreneur Academy

(Click HERE for more info)

A prestigious international summer camp is a cultural, education and business leadership academy. The program provides (middle school, high school and college) students with a unique American cultural experience, learning about life and college in the USA as well as a hands-on, real-world training in “how to start a business,” while living, learning and working with American students. Limited to only 100 international students.

Los Angeles Region of Southern California – City of Irvine

AEA 2015 Summer, 美国企业家学院夏令营

Universal Studios	Newport Beach, California	Hollywood Sign
Students at Concordia	Disneyland, California	Concordia University Irvine, California

About the American Entrepreneur Academy (AEA)

Pre-college Enrichment
College Study Tour
Cultural American Experience
Business/Entrepreneurship and Career Training for International Students

Nationally-recognized Concordia University Irvine’s American Entrepreneur Academy (AEA) is an inspiring and life-changing summer experience for international middle school, high school and college students with American students who desire to learn about America, explore California, and experience its people, places, culture and education. AEA is a hands-on, learn-by-doing, two-week cultural, educational and business entrepreneurship summer academy for international students from around the world.

Held annually in July the innovative Summer Academy offers excellent education to students through a creative 2-week American experience. Attending AEA provides a college academic program sponsored by Concordia’s prominent School of Business along with a cultural and American lifestyle experience. Courses are taught by university professors and successful business owners/entrepreneurs, combining lectures with hands-on workshops, group activities and field trips throughout Los Angeles and Irvine.

Concordia University Irvine’s campus is located in the dynamic Los Angeles Region of Southern California, the State’s entertainment, technology and media center. The University is located in the beautiful modern City of Irvine, inside an exclusive private residential community surrounded by $2-3 million (USD) homes, on a spectacular 70-acre hillside setting overlooking the surrounding cities. The master-planned City of Irvine is rated by the US Government as the safest city in America for the past nine years.

State-of-the-art University facilities along with a commitment to academic excellence in America’s safest city makes the AEA a world-class summer experience. We help students understand other cultures life while experiencing living in dynamic southern California and working with American students. Academics, combined with athletics and social activities makes the AEA a globally rewarding introduction to education and life in America.

Fully accredited Concordia University Irvine, with an enrollment of almost 5,000, is part of a more than 100-year old Concordia University educational system with ten campuses across the United States including an office in Shanghai. The University is approved by the China Government for studying in America.

The prestigious American Entrepreneur Academy (AEA), held in the greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, in the City of Irvine California, USA is hosting its annual two-week summer cultural education and business academy for international students, The program is a Cultural Immersion, College Study Tour, Business and Entrepreneurship education program established in 2011 at Concordia University www.c ui.edu in Irvine California.

The academy director is Stephen Christensen, the former dean of the Concordia University Irvine School of Business and a business and entrepreneurship instructor. Stephenusastem@gmail.com

Summer Experience: American Education, Culture and Lifestyle

Students spend the first week learning about America and California, its history, lifestyle, politics, values and culture while also exploring famous and popular sites and visiting other top universities.

Business and Entrepreneurship: Learning with American Teenagers

During the second week, international students are joined on campus with 60 students from across America. Working and living together for the week, they learn the fundamentals of business and global commerce. AEA professors teach students real-world entrepreneurship, best business practices, principles of free enterprise and “how to” start and launch their own business. In groups of 3-to-4 students work together as entrepreneur teams preparing start-up business plans for their own real businesses. Each team presents their PowerPoint business plan in eight minutes to a panel of business owners/entrepreneur judges. The team with the best start-up business plan wins $1,500 (USD) in the Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition held the last day of the program.

(Click graphic to enlarge)

Chinese version (click here)

Former Dean Stephen Christensen attending Harvard Business School breakfast in Irvine, California USA

Mr. Stephen Christensen, Business School Dean, Concordia University Irvine and Mr. Alton Wang, President, Far East National Bank; SinoPac Holdings Group Company.

Concordia University Irvine Business School Dean Stephen Christensen is proud member the American-Chinese CEO Society.
www.american-chineseceo.org/

Lisa Deloney, President, Citi Bank, Southern California Division, 2017 First Place High School Team, Citi Business Plan Competition, and Stephen Christensen, AEA Founder,

Stephen Christensen, AEA Founder, 2016 First Place High School Team, Citi Business Plan Competition, and Lisa Deloney, President, Citi Bank, Southern California Division.

2015 First Place High School Team, Citi Business Plan Competition, Stephen Christensen, AEA Founder, Katherine Wong, Tony Hsu, Natasha Takahashi and Lisa Deloney, President, Citi Bank, Southern California Division.

2014 First Place High School Team, Business Plan Competition, Caroline Chen (Fremont, CA), Jewel Chu (Taiwan), Nadia Susanto (Irvine, CA), Bailey Paxton (Novi, MI).

AEA Founder Stephen Christensen hosts tour and visit at Concordia University in Irvine, California USA for BOSSA Distinguished President Mr. Sang Peng and Distinguished BOSSA members.

AEA Founder Stephen Christensen and BOSSA Distinguished President Mr. Sang Peng and Distinguished BOSSA members.

AEA Founder Stephen Christensen visits schools and businesses in China, 2015.

AEA Founder Stephen Christensen and BOSSA Distinguished President Mr. Sang Peng

Lectures at Inner Mongolia University

Lectures at Hong Kong International School

Lectures at Shenzhen Academy of International Education

Stephen Christensen, Dean, School of Business at Concordia University Irvine, his wife Michelle and Robert Sun 孙文铁, Chairman, American-Chinese CEO Society 美国美中企业家商会, and his wife Lisa Tang.

The City of Irvine Mayor Steven Choi, his wife Janie and Stephen Christensen, Dean, School of Business at Concordia University Irvine, and his wife Michelle in an event at Concordia University Irvine.

More than 500 students have participated in the university’s summer education program since 2011. Students live on the Concordia University campus, click here for University photos, supervised by adult chaperons, college students and recent graduates. Classes and training include American history, English language, culture, politics as well as business principles and entrepreneurship business start-up strategies. Students also learn about American colleges, requirements to enter and how the college application process works. University campus tours and visits to colleges include: the University of Southern California (USC); the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of California Irvine (UCI). The summer program also includes tourist activities and trips to Disneyland, City of Los Angeles tour, Beverly Hills (Rodeo Drive), Universal Studios, Hollywood, Santa Monica and Newport Beach.

The program also includes activities with local American students as well as American families. An American home visit and dinner with an American host family is also included in the program. Space is limited.

The business and entrepreneurship training program of the Academy includes a hands-on classes in creativity and innovation, marketing and sales. The students work in teams of 3 to create their business plans while learning best business practices and entrepreneurship principles. Successful entrepreneurs visit the class as guest speakers and company tours are also included.

Questions: email: stephenusastem@gmail.com

A similar summer program is available for international business owners and executives.

Summer 2020 Dates

July 12 – 26, 2020

Certificate in Entrepreneurship

With the successful completion of Concordia’s AEA, each student receives their own official University-issued “Certificate in Entrepreneurship.” Additionally, students can earn 3 units of transferable US College credits, after passing a one-hour examination.

The four programs are:

Kid Entrepreneur Academy for grades 5,6,7, & 8
Teen Entrepreneur Academy for high school students
College Entrepreneur Academy for college students
Business Entrepreneur Academy for business men and women and entrepreneurs who want to start a business or grow their business learning American entrepreneurship and business start-up and growth principles and techniques.