Online course on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Change

An online course entitled “Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Change’  is being offered by the United Nations mandated University for Peace(UPEACE) Centre for Executive Education starting November 1st, 2011.The worlds of ‘working for the betterment of society’ and ‘private enterprise’ are often seen as incompatible. This online course will attempt to break-down that perception in order for participants to see the social sector as a place of opportunity, both to ‘do good’ but also to innovate and build a financially sustainable social enterprise.The course hopes to inspire participants with an entrepreneurial spirit, help gain an understanding of the challenges of the start-up process, offer space and structure for participants to begin developing their own business plan for a socially beneficial venture, and think about the complexities of growing and managing it.

 The course is an online course, including: videos, lectures, articles and forums for discussions. Please visit UPEACE’s Frequently Asked Questions section for more information.

Topics: It will cover the following topic areas:

• Understanding the Landscape: Who are Social Entrepreneurs?
• Nonprofit or For-profit?
• Developing a Business Plan: Clarifying Strategy and Structure
• Measuring Impact and Execution
• Managing Growth and Change (Scaling up)
• Sustaining Positive Change
• Benefits: By the end of this course, you will have:
• Reflected on your strengths, your passion, and how to channel those into an endeavor that is also financially viable.
• Developed a ‘social enterprise business plan’ for creating a new organization (or for creating a new project within an existing organization)
• A framework for thinking about different leaders and reflected on your own dominant leadership style

Target Audiences: The mix of participants from different backgrounds is an important aspect of this course. It is designed for, but not restricted to: 

• Nonprofit managers and staff
• Social Entrepreneurs looking to either start or grow their enterprise
• Socially conscious business executives
• Innovating public sector leaders
• Individuals contemplating a new career

Other Benefits: 

- Participants from around the world 

- Outstanding evaluations 

- Flexible schedule 

By the end of this course, you will have: 

• Reflected on your strengths, passions, and how to channel those into an endeavor that is also financially viable
• Developed a ‘social enterprise business plan’ for creating a new organization (or for creating a new project within an existing organization)
• A framework for thinking about different leaders and reflected on your own dominant leadership style

Participant requirements:
-An Undergraduate/graduate degree (BA, BS, master’s or similar) from an accredited college or university
-A demonstrated commitment to working for a positive social change
-Some working experience, ideally in a related field
-Fluency in English 

Course Instructor: The course is anchored by Mohit Mukherjee, Director of the UPEACE Centre for Executive Education. Prior to this position, he served as Education Programme Manager of the Earth Charter Initiative, an international nonprofit organization. He also spent four years in the private sector, at a top-tier international management consulting firm based in USA. He did his Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University, and his Master’s at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, also taking two courses at Harvard Business School on how to start up, manage, and grow social enterprises.