Globally, investors, policymakers, and philanthropists are increasingly utilizing market- based social enterprise solutions to address major social problems in affordable basic services for the poor (health, education, housing, financial inclusion) or to improve environmental sustainability and increase in renewable energy. "Social entrepreneurship" is an emerging discipline to convert these practices into systems-level change. In this course, students will apply critical thinking towards solving social problems. Students will read and analyze textbook and case studies of problems facing individuals living in poverty in interacting with market systems. Students will have exposure to diverse business practices in order to interpret hypothesis tests in startup methodologies. They will analyze, discuss and validate which solutions might best solve particular challenges. The will focus on experiential development of specific social enterprise models that can promote entrepreneurial solutions to social problems, whether the venue be for- profit, non-profit, or government/policy, culminating with development of a formal model pitch.

Globally, investors, policymakers, and philanthropists are increasingly utilizing market- based social enterprise solutions to address major social problems in affordable basic services for the poor (health, education, housing, financial inclusion) or to improve environmental sustainability and increase in renewable energy. "Social entrepreneurship" is an emerging discipline to convert these practices into systems-level change. In this course, students will apply critical thinking towards solving social problems. Students will read and analyze textbook and case studies of problems facing individuals living in poverty in interacting with market systems. Students will have exposure to diverse business practices in order to interpret hypothesis tests in startup methodologies. They will analyze, discuss and validate which solutions might best solve particular challenges. The will focus on experiential development of specific social enterprise models that can promote entrepreneurial solutions to social problems, whether the venue be for- profit, non-profit, or government/policy, culminating with development of a formal model pitch.