15.385  Sustainability-Oriented Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Why take this course?

Do you have a business idea that could make the world a better place?
Do you want to tackle big social and environmental problems with the tools of the entrepreneur?
BAD NEWS, there are complex challenges in simultaneously solving public and private problems, and trying to create value for customers, investors, and society.
GOOD NEWS: There are tools to help you sharpen your problem formulation, value proposition, business model, impact model, and funding and hiring pitch. This course is taught through tool-driven workshopping on ideas, and live cases with social entrepreneurs. The course has shifted to the fall semester so that students can launch from the course into winter/spring competitions like IDEAS, Food/Ag, Water, Clean Energy, Inclusive Innovation, 100K, and others.

What do we learn together?

Sustainability challenges - in physical domains like waste, water, food, energy, and mobility, as well as human capital domains like health and education - represent some of the most significant business opportunities of the century. Capturing these opportunities, however, will require significant innovation: not just in technologies and products, but also in processes, business models, and market infrastructures. What does it take to bring sustainability-oriented innovations (SOI) to market and to scale?

15.385 explores this question through a hands-on “studio” approach. We use a combination of readings, case discussions, lectures, and industry speakers to convey key concepts and tools. We immediately apply those tools to students’ own social innovation ideas to build practical knowledge and experience. We review the output of students’ work in class in an atmosphere of constructive challenge and support, building a community of social innovators.