Learning Objectives

By the end of this class, students will be able to:

• Propose, develop and evaluate social enterprises, considering altruism, agency theory and the use of capitalism to affect social change

• Identify, educate, learn from, and understand the needs of key stakeholders in a venture

• Develop and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders

• Assemble a pitch deck that addresses the key elements necessary in securing funding and fomenting enthusiasm

Course Topics (subject to change)

• Social Entrepreneurship in the age COVID, Isolationism and The MetaCrisis

• Stakeholder Theory

• Altruism, Activism, and Tribalism - AI alignment and value sets

• The Social Contract and Philosophy - Locke and Rousseau

• Social Return on Investment

• Theory of Change

• Corporate Social Responsibility

• Cause Related Marketing

• Impact Investing

• Entrepreneurial Skills

• Developing Knowledge Resources

• Developing Relationship Resources

• Failure & Resilience

• Mining Problems for Solutions

• EQ - Emotional Self-Awareness

Course Components:

Quizzes — Weekly readings and other short assignments will be discussed in the following week’s class, and the quizzes are used to ensure that each class discussion is an informed one.

Semester-long project (THE DECK) – Over the course of the semester, all students will deeply explore a particular social issue, and develop a proposed social enterprise to address the issue. The best of class will present their social enterprise pitch deck at the GEE Innovation Tournament in on May 1, 2020.

“About” Paper – Near the midpoint of the semester, students will complete a paper demonstrating knowledge of the concepts, practices, opportunities and challenges of social entrepreneurship. The topic will be provided two weeks before the paper is due.