BUS-371 Social Innovation and Impact
This course provides an overview of social innovation, including its history and application to both nonprofit organizations, socially minded corporations, and for-profit firms with a social focus. It will explore various theories and applications of social innovation both domestically and internationally, emphasizing the importance of creativity, cross-sector collaboration, interdisciplinary approaches, entrepreneurial activities, and transcultural ethnographic research. The course will combine lectures, group discussions, applied projects, guest speakers, and off-site visits to local nonprofit and social entrepreneurial organizations that address issues in health, education, animal welfare, poverty, the environment, among others. The course will provide an overarching framework for students to develop the skillset to work in the social innovation sector, as well as prepare them for applied courses in social entrepreneurship. Prerequisites: ECN-200.