MGT 617 - Social Entrepreneurship

(3 Credits)

Social Entrepreneurship is an emerging and rapidly changing business field that examines the practice of identifying, starting and growing successful mission-driven for profit and nonprofit ventures, that is, organizations that strive to advance social change through innovative solutions. This course is designed to help students gain in-depth insights into economic and social value creation across a number of sectors / areas including poverty alleviation, energy, health and sustainability. Through case studies, lectures, and class discussion, students will learn to think strategically and act opportunistically with a socially conscious business mindset. Topics will include problem / opportunity assessment, acquiring the necessary resources to grow a social enterprise, and the tradeoffs between social and financial returns on investment. Students will also gain exposure to various social organizational models that are making tangible and potentially scalable progress in serving the world’s poorest populations. Finally, the social venture business plan will facilitate the sharing of knowledge, best practices, and learning of the process of launching a viable and scalable social enterprise.