About Acton School of Business · Austin
Acton School of Business (legally registered as 'Acton Nga School') is a private Austin, Texas-based educational 501(c)(3) that runs the flagship 'Next Great Adventure' (NGA) learning-challenge program for Acton Academy learners worldwide. Founded by entrepreneur and master teacher Jeff Sandefer, the school delivers graduate-level, Socratic-method instruction in entrepreneurship, awarding NGA Fellowships (over $115,000 disbursed to 28 fellows in 2024 alone). The organization shares the 'Acton' name with both Lord Acton, the 19th-century Catholic historian, and the sister Acton Institute in Grand Rapids, but is an independent graduate, professional school (NTEE B50) that does not market itself as a Catholic institution.
Founded in the early 2000s by Jeff D. Sandefer — a Harvard Business School graduate, longtime Texas business leader, and one of the youngest members ever inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame — the Acton School of Business began in Austin, Texas as an intense, one-year MBA program in Entrepreneurship. The Princeton Review repeatedly ranked Acton MBA students the 'most competitive' of any U.S. business school, and The Economist named Sandefer one of the top 15 business school professors in the world in 2012. The MBA was originally accredited through Hardin-Simmons University (where Sandefer's great-grandfather, Jefferson Davis Sandefer, served as president from 1909 to 1940) and was housed at 1404 E. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78741. After losing SACS accreditation, the Acton MBA relocated and is now accredited through Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala and run on a campus in Madrid, Spain; classes are taught in English. The school's Austin nonprofit arm, IRS-registered as 'Acton Nga School' (EIN 20-3185510, formed 2005), operates the flagship Next Great Adventure (NGA) program — an award-winning, formally structured series of learning challenges, Socratic discussions, and hands-on, real-world projects tied to defined learning outcomes that map to traditional syllabi and transcripts. In 2024, 174 regularly enrolled students completed NGA courses taught by guides at Acton Academy affiliate campuses worldwide and professors at UFM, with over $115,000 in NGA Fellowships awarded to 28 fellows. The signature 'Life of Meaning' course and a Fellowship Talks capstone aim to help students identify a calling and design a business around it. Sandefer and his wife Laura also founded the K–12 Acton Academy network (now 300+ affiliates globally) and the Acton Children's Business Fairs (serving over 25,000 young entrepreneurs in 200+ cities).
- In business
- Founded 2002 (Acton MBA launched); IRS-recognized nonprofit arm 'Acton Nga School' formed 2005
- Owner
- Jeff D. Sandefer (co-founder, Master Teacher, Principal Officer). Co-founder Laura Sandefer co-founded the Acton Academy K–12 network.
- Serves
- Austin, Texas (mailing and operational base, PO Box 200282, Austin, TX 78720). Students come from across the U.S. and globally; the Acton MBA is delivered on a Madrid, Spain campus in partnership with Universidad Francisco Marroquín (Guatemala); the NGA program is delivered through 300+ Acton Academy affiliate campuses worldwide.
History and Founding of the Acton School of Business
Acton School of Business was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Jeff D. Sandefer together with other master entrepreneurs, originally offering an accelerated, one-year MBA in Entrepreneurship in Austin, Texas. Sandefer, a Harvard Business School graduate and former HBS governing-committee member, designed the program around a then-novel thesis: that knowing the right questions is more important than knowing the right answer, and that entrepreneurs need practical, integrated preparation for building, running, and harvesting a business — not textbook silos. The school took its name and philosophy from Lord Acton, the 19th-century English Catholic historian, and from the related Acton Institute's concept of the 'Entrepreneurial Vocation.' Its first major step was earning accreditation through Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, where Sandefer's great-grandfather Jefferson Davis Sandefer served as president from 1909 to 1940. After funding cuts at Hardin-Simmons caused the school to lose SACS accreditation and close its Austin campus, the Acton MBA re-opened in Madrid, Spain, where it is now accredited through Universidad Francisco Marroquín (Guatemala) and continues to operate in English.
- Founded 2002 by Jeff D. Sandefer and other entrepreneurs
- Originally based in Austin, Texas; moved to Madrid, Spain after losing SACS accreditation
- Named after Lord Acton, 19th-century Catholic historian
- IRS-recognized nonprofit 'Acton Nga School' (EIN 20-3185510) formed in 2005
- Historically accredited through Hardin-Simmons University
The Next Great Adventure (NGA) Program
The Next Great Adventure (NGA) is the flagship learning program of the Austin-based Acton NGA School, serving Acton Academy learners worldwide. Per the IRS Form 990, the school 'presents formal instruction through an award winning, formally structured series of learning challenges, Socratic discussions and hands-on, real-world projects to regularly enrolled students through a regular faculty and a learner-driven approach tied to defined learning outcomes that map to traditional syllabi and transcripts.' In 2024, 174 regularly enrolled students completed NGA learning challenges and courses taught by teachers at Acton Academy affiliate campuses worldwide and professors at Universidad Francisco Marroquín, resulting in the awarding of over $115,000 in NGA Fellowships to 28 fellows. The NGA journey moves through three statuses — Searching, Exploring, and Committed — and culminates in an NGA Fellowship Talk, where learners deliver 10-minute speeches about their calling and the journey that led to it for a chance to win up to $100,000 toward making it real.
- 174 regularly enrolled students completed NGA in 2024
- Over $115,000 in NGA Fellowships awarded to 28 fellows in 2024
- Fellowship Talks cap each NGA journey; up to $100,000 per fellowship
- Three-stage process: Searching → Exploring → Committed
- Action tracks include apprenticeships, deliberate practice, deep books, credentials, freelancing, portfolio projects, and mentor-guide relationships
Acton MBA in Entrepreneurship Curriculum
The flagship MBA curriculum is tightly integrated rather than silo-based. Courses, seminars, simulations, and special projects build on each other step by step and follow the life cycle of a business — teaching tools to start, grow, and harvest a venture rather than the traditional Accounting / Marketing / Operations silos. The journey begins with four months of immersive, blended online learning (10–15 hours per week) featuring case discussions, interactive simulations, and entrepreneurial problem-solving on cash and valuation, operations, and customer acquisition. On-campus study intensifies to 20–30 hours per week in the Entrepreneurial Journey and Life of Meaning series, then expands into eight interconnected courses covering strategic growth, raising capital, mastering business operations, and high-stakes decision-making.
- One-year, 90–100-hour-week program
- Socratic method + Harvard case-method combined
- Life of Meaning signature course
- Entrepreneurial Journey capstone
- Eight interconnected MBA courses (cash & valuation, operations, customer acquisition, strategic growth, raising capital, etc.)
Three Guiding Principles
Sandefer built Acton on three guiding principles that frame every course: learning how to learn, learning how to make money, and learning how to live a life of meaning. The third pillar — 'living a life of meaning' — has drawn partnerships with figures such as Jordan Peterson (whose Peterson Fellowship at Acton was advertised as 'an MBA program with a philosophy that is aligned with Dr. Peterson') and has shaped the school's emphasis on calling, vocation, and legacy over financial accumulation alone.
- Learn how to learn
- Learn how to make money
- Learn how to live a life of meaning
Peterson Fellowship at Acton
The Peterson Fellowship at Acton, advertised as an MBA 'program with a philosophy that is aligned with Dr. Peterson,' turns Jordan Peterson's writing on choosing one's future, telling the truth, being kind to yourself, and discovering your purpose into MBA teachings. The inaugural Peterson Fellowship attracted 2,298 applicants for 100 available spots, reflecting intense interest in Acton's calling-and-character framework.
- Partnership with Dr. Jordan B. Peterson
- 2,298 applicants for 100 spots in the first cohort
- Aligned with Peterson's writing on personal responsibility and meaning
Faculty, Master Teachers, and Leadership
Acton's instructors are practicing entrepreneurs who teach from direct experience. Co-founder and Master Teacher Jeff Sandefer was honored by The Economist in 2012 as one of the top 15 business school professors in the world. Other long-time master teachers include Jack Long, who has described Acton's fellowship model as a 'money-back guarantee,' and Steven Tomlinson, the Curriculum Director, who leads the 'Life of Meaning' coursework and personal counseling. The current MBA program Director is Garrett Weber-Gale (per Wikipedia). Alyssa Barnes serves as Student and Alumni Lead per Princeton Review's listing. The principal officer of the nonprofit Acton NGA School on GuideStar is Jeff D. Sandefer.
- Jeff Sandefer — co-founder, Master Teacher; Economist top-15 B-school professor (2012)
- Jack Long — Master Teacher
- Steven Tomlinson — Curriculum Director
- Georgia Spaeth — former Director
- Garrett Weber-Gale — Director (MBA program, per Wikipedia)
- Alyssa Barnes — Student and Alumni Lead
- Laura Sandefer — co-founder of Acton Academy K–12 network
Accreditation, Rankings, and Reputation
Acton School of Business was historically accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs through Hardin-Simmons University. After losing SACS accreditation when Hardin-Simmons cut funding, the MBA re-opened in Madrid, Spain and is now accredited through Universidad Francisco Marroquín (Guatemala); all classes are taught in English. The Princeton Review repeatedly ranked Acton MBA students the 'most competitive' of any U.S. business school, with class sizes of 16–37 students per session. Poets&Quants featured Acton in its top B-school rankings. Total reported assets on Form 990 grew from about $36 million in 2013 to over $79 million by 2023.
- SACS + ACBSP accreditation through Hardin-Simmons University (historical)
- Currently accredited through Universidad Francisco Marroquín (Guatemala)
- Princeton Review: 'Most Competitive' MBA students (multiple years)
- Poets&Quants top B-school rankings
- Class size: 16–37 students per session
- Student-to-faculty ratio approximately 15:1 (Alumnius.net)
- Average admitted GPA: 3.3; average GMAT: 637; average age 30
Relationship to the Acton Academy Network
In 2010, Jeff and Laura Sandefer founded Acton Academy, a K–12 learner-driven school network that blends a one-room schoolhouse, the Socratic method, and 21st-century technology to 'equip each student to change the world.' The network has grown to over 270–300 affiliates worldwide, with more than 18,000 applications from parent-entrepreneurs wanting to launch new schools. By 2019, the Acton Children's Business Fairs had served over 25,000 young entrepreneurs in 200+ cities. The Acton School of Business / Acton NGA School feeds into and supports this broader ecosystem — NGA courses are taught by guides at Acton Academy affiliate campuses worldwide and by UFM professors, and the school's NGA fellowships provide launch funding for Acton Academy graduates' real-world ventures.
- Acton Academy network founded 2010 by Jeff and Laura Sandefer
- 300+ affiliates worldwide as of recent counts
- 18,000+ parent-entrepreneur applications to launch new schools
- Acton Children's Business Fairs served 25,000+ young entrepreneurs in 200+ cities
- Six Learner-Driven Principles: hero's journey, contracts, questions-over-lectures, growth mindset, learner-led governance, personal Hero's Journey
Tuition, Fellowships, and Financial Model
The Acton MBA tuition has historically been listed at $49,500 per year (full-time). The school's flagship financial-innovation is its 'money-back guarantee' fellowship model: students pay for the first semester, and those who successfully complete the program receive fellowships from entrepreneurs that reimburse 100% of their tuition. Graduates who feel Acton has delivered on its promise to help them both run a successful business and live a meaningful life are honor-bound to donate part of their future salary until another fellowship is funded, creating a self-perpetuating scholarship pool. The NGA side of the school awarded over $115,000 to 28 fellows in 2024.
- MBA tuition: $49,500 per year (Princeton Review)
- 100% tuition-reimbursement fellowships for successful graduates
- Pay-it-forward model: alumni fund future fellowships
- $115,000+ awarded to 28 NGA fellows in 2024
- NGA Fellowship Talks can award up to $100,000 per learner toward their Next Great Adventure
Locations and How to Reach Acton
The U.S. nonprofit 'Acton NGA School' (Acton School of Business) maintains its mailing address at PO Box 200282, Austin, TX 78720 (Travis County), and lists (512) 773-4543 as its phone number. Historically, the MBA program was based at 1404 E. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78741 (phone 512-495-9925, [email protected]). The current Acton MBA is delivered on a 2.5-acre campus in Madrid, Spain in partnership with Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala. Information about the NGA program is published at actonnga.org and (per GuideStar) nextgreatadventure.org; the MBA program site is hosted at actonmba.ufm.edu.
- Mailing: PO Box 200282, Austin, TX 78720
- Phone: (512) 773-4543
- Historical campus: 1404 E. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78741
- Current MBA campus: Madrid, Spain (accredited through UFM, Guatemala)
- Web: actonnga.org; nextgreatadventure.org; actonmba.ufm.edu
Faith, Values, and 'Life of Meaning'
While Acton School of Business does not market itself as a religious institution, faith-inflected language runs throughout its public materials. Founder Jeff Sandefer has said the program aims to 'awaken in each student a sense of their God-given gifts and help them to use these gifts to make a difference.' The signature 'Life of Meaning' course and personal counseling are designed to help students 'find contentment by looking at their gifts and the needs of the world and find a connection between those two things.' One of the school's stated core values is: 'We believe in building profitable businesses but know that a meaningful life is much more important.' The school's philosophical lineage — Lord Acton, Father Robert Sirico's 'Entrepreneurial Vocation' concept, and Sandefer's own Christian family heritage — informs this emphasis on calling over mere profit, even though the school itself operates as a secular 501(c)(3) graduate program.
- 'God-given gifts' framing from Jeff Sandefer
- Core value: 'a meaningful life is much more important' than profit
- Life of Meaning signature course and personal vocation counseling
- Philosophical lineage to Lord Acton and Acton Institute's 'Entrepreneurial Vocation'
- Sandefer's great-grandfather was president of Baptist-affiliated Hardin-Simmons University