Darden School of Business

About

The Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia has emerged as a significant feeder school for the search fund community. Darden's case-method teaching approach aligns naturally with the ETA learning model, and the school offers dedicated coursework on acquisition entrepreneurship. Professor Mike Lenox and visiting practitioners lead courses and workshops covering search fund economics, deal sourcing, due diligence, and post-acquisition management. The Darden ETA Club is one of the most active in the country, hosting an annual Search Fund Conference that attracts investors and searchers from across the East Coast. Darden's strong general management curriculum, combined with its tight-knit community, produces graduates who are well-prepared for the operational demands of running an acquired small business. A growing number of Darden alumni have completed successful search fund acquisitions.