Social Entrepreneurship

Catalog description

This course, titled Social Entrepreneurship, is dedicated to exploring the depths of this rapidly evolving domain in a powerfully unique way. Over half of the semester, the course will explore definition, offer context on how it fits into broader economics and management frameworks, introduce high impact case studies, offer tools to identify social sector problems and create solutions, explore business designs, and examine methods to measure impact. During the second half of the semester, the class will work with organizations to support them in the creation and growth of social enterprises. Projects may take the form of incubating businesses to provide employment for vulnerable populations, advising on worker buyouts of businesses or creating community-owned businesses such as child care businesses, grocery stores or healthy meals businesses. The projects will address product innovation, operations, business development and financing, and there may be some projects with components involving interacting with governmental stakeholders.