Business writer/consultant Spiers to teach Duke class

Elizabeth Spiers, who founded Dealbreaker.com and has written for numerous business publications, will teach a class next semester at her alma mater, Duke University, reports the student newspaper.

Nicole Kyle of The Chronicle reports, “The class will be called ‘The Start-Up Clinic’ and will be one of four courses offered under the new program, said its director, Gary Hull, a lecturing fellow in sociology. Hull, who also serves as director for the Program on Values and Ethics in the Marketplace, brought Spiers to Duke.

“‘This class is going to be much more valuable than a standard management class,’ he said. ‘Its focus is going to go from conception to actual execution over a period of time.’

“The class will be capped at about 21 students who will be broken into teams of three to four to develop a business plan, Hull added.

“Spiers is a successful media consultant, entrepreneur and writer who has launched numerous start-ups and websites, including Crushable.com and TheGloss.com. She also founded Breaking Media, the company responsible for sites such as Dealbreaker.com, AboveTheLaw.com and Fashionista.com. This year, Spiers was named one of Fast Company’s ‘Most Influential Women in Technology.'”

Read more here.