Entrepreneurial Solutions to World Problems

The world has a seemingly infinite supply of problems, from climate change to pandemics. The basic premise of this course is that entrepreneurs view problems as opportunities. If healthcare is expensive and ineffective, entrepreneurial teams create ventures (for-profit or not-for-profit) to deliver better health outcomes at lower cost. If burning fossil fuels creates damaging greenhouse gases, then there are opportunities to find new, cleaner ways to produce energy or mitigate its negative impact. If education at all levels costs too much, takes too long, and is mediocre, entrepreneurial teams explore ways to deliver better learning outcomes faster and less expensively. The course will focus on entrepreneurial efforts in healthcare, education, and the environment. Most of the cases are US-centric, though the challenges are global.

This course was first introduced in the fall of 2020. The course will feature background readings, cases, guests – protagonists and subject experts, and raw data.

The course includes newly written and updated cases on companies like Iora Health (primary care for Medicare patients), Guild Education (education as an employment benefit), and Carmichael Roberts (venture investments in cleantech).

Grading will be based on class participation and a case/paper based on an entrepreneurial response to a pressing global challenge.

Class Notes: This course is not accepting cross-registrants. For more information about cross-registering at HBS please visit www.crossreg.hbs.edu. Auditing is not permitted in this course.