Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Change

The world faces complex, interconnected challenges—climate change, economic inequality, educational disparities, lack of affordable health care, water scarcity, and food insecurity. Social entrepreneurs are tackling these issues by building mission-driven nonprofit and for-profit organizations. But what sets these entrepreneurs apart from the rest? How do they create lasting impact where governments and markets can fall short? In this course, Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Brian Trelstad explores the field of social entrepreneurship, examining how entrepreneurs can transform broken systems to drive meaningful change. By staying open to learning, seeing the big picture, and understanding people's needs, social entrepreneurs can create solutions that grow and make a lasting impact on communities and society. You’ll engage with real-world case studies and expert interviews to explore four key questions: What motivates social entrepreneurs? How do they design solutions and build organizations for lasting impact? What are the essential building blocks of a successful social enterprise? When should social enterprises act independently vs. collaborate for systems change? Covering the full lifecycle of social entrepreneurship, the course delves into design thinking, product innovation, launching and scaling organizations, securing funding, measuring impact, and stakeholder collaboration. Whether you're starting out or leading an established venture, you'll gain actionable insights and strategies to build and grow your own social enterprise—helping to shape a more just, equitable, and sustainable future. 3b:T10

• Identify the motivators for social entrepreneurship, and how it sets people and organizations apart from traditional entrepreneurs
• Define the role of design thinking to develop effective solutions to complex problems
• Evaluate the trade-offs between different business models (margin versus mission) and the tension between direct program delivery and more systems-level change achieved through policy or changes in perceptions of a problem
• Develop a personalized strategy to apply to an area of your choosing and to help inform your own journey in social entrepreneurship