Study Trip to Silicon Valley

Start: once a year
Duration: 6 days
Presence: part-time
Place: Silicon Valley
ECTS: 6
Fee: see factsheet

Get closer to understanding the role of leadership in the innovation process in Silicon Valley

The Study Trip to Silicon Valley is confirmed!

There are still available spots.

This one-week study tour offers you exclusive lectures and workshops from professors, business coaches, and successful entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. They emphasize aspects of the relationship between leadership and sustainable business success.

Participants meet in San Francisco and stay in the city center. The week-long program includes a variety of hand-picked companies and leaders in San Francisco and in the famous Silicon Valley. A special highlight will be the time we spend at Stanford University.

Our guiding questions during the study tour are: What components of innovation are essential for these leaders and how do they foster innovation in their activities?

The evenings are mostly open, allowing you to discover the city's fascinating neighborhoods individually. The entire program is in English, which invites you to improve and deepen your English communication skills.

In summary, the highly qualified and experienced speakers' contributions and carefully selected locations will give you a long-lasting impression and insight into this mysterious Silicon Valley ecosystem.

The study week offers an exclusive selection of lectures and workshops by professors, business coaches and successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. They highlight a range of issues relating to the connection between leadership and sustainable business success.

Program Highlights Study Week Silicon Valley April 2025

Residing in legendary Downtown San Francisco
Kick-off City Tour San Francisco
Building High-Performance Teams (Meeting with an Extraordinary Serial Entrepreneur)
Swissnex - the Swiss Global Network for education, research, and innovation in Silicon Valley
Stanford University
- A VC’s perspective on Silicon Valley
- Lecture with Stanford students on entrepreneurial leadership
- Meeting with young founders – e.g. a rocket start of a unicorn
- Stanford University Campus
- Insights into the d.school (Stanford‘s Design School)
Meeting with Partners of Eric Schmidt‘s funding company “Innovation Endeavors”
Pitch Session at Plug and Play Tech Center – Meeting with Head of Investment Team
Flyby at hotspots in Silicon Valley (Google, Apple, Meta ...)
Farewell Dinner
Alcatraz Island Night Tour (optional)

Dates, Registration deadline and Fees

The next Study Week takes place in April 2025:

April 6 – April 11, 2025 (Latest arrival in San Francisco on Saturday, April 5, 2025, earliest departure on Saturday, April 12 )
Please provide personal travel insurance since cancellations will not be possible once your participation is confirmed.
Tuition fee for KFH students and alumni: CFH 2’750, for external participants CHF 3’100

All participants pay for their flights, accommodation, meals, visa, travel insurance, etc.

Participants

Students in Master's or Bachelor's programs and external participants with at least 3 years of professional experience can take part in this study trip. Good English communication skills are required.