The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has announced a $10 million gift from Ellen L. Hanson and Richard E. Perlman to help establish an Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) program focused on instructional learning for current students and hands-on mentoring and opportunities after graduation.

The gift will support programs and initiatives within an emerging ETA program at the school’s Venture Lab, including curriculum development and delivery, workshops and research, and support for advisors and staff. In addition, the funding will provide financial support for recent program graduates, known as Perlman Fellows, and increase the value of the Perlman Grand Prize, which was established in 2013 and awarded to exceptional entrepreneurial students.

According to Wharton, many successful entrepreneurial endeavors thrive through new-owner investment and expansion of existing small businesses. The ETA curriculum will provide students with a tactical and applicable understanding of business, delivered in formats ranging from faculty-led classroom instruction to workshop series and guest speakers. ETA programming will bring together faculty and alumni to provide students and recent graduates with structured guidance and mentoring to help them gain experience in the entrepreneurial undertakings.

The gift will “enhanc[e] programs and opportunities for today’s aspiring entrepreneurs and nurtur[e] a growing community of motivated, driven, curious students who are ready to approach the greatest challenges in society and business as innovative problem solvers,” said Wharton School dean Erika James.

“There is no better investment than in the next generation of great business leaders,” said Richard Perlman, a Wharton School alumnus (’68). “We are hopeful that expanding the curriculum will inspire more students to pursue ETA.”