Social entrepreneurship and business ownership—particularly among black and women-owned businesses—can be a crucial way to develop community wealth, for both business owners and the people they employ.  By examining current business ecosystems, this course will explore the systemic barriers that hinder black and women-owned businesses’ efforts to ideate, start and sustain a business. We will explore how the concept of social enterprises through partnerships with public-, private-, and social-sector stakeholders can develop a supportive economic environment for black and women-owned businesses.

This is a course that explores the principles of sports economics through the lens of Women’s Sports to understand the impact that changing dynamics in society, technology, and media can have on business models. We will start by looking at the historical economics and growth of women’s sports landscape and then dissect what has happened over the last couple of years – Women’s World Cup, Women’s March Madness, etc. – to identify what has driven the change in tide and where do we think it will go. Additionally, the format of the course would be designed to reflect being in modern day business environments – digesting shifting information, developing a point-of-view, and communicating a recommendation

This course offers a comprehensive exploration of project and product management, emphasizing the importance of driving impact. Students across disciplines will learn the essential skills to successfully execute projects, from initiation and planning to execution, monitoring, and control. The course will delve into the critical aspects of project management methodologies, such as Agile and Waterfall, and provide practical insights into stakeholder management, risk management, quality assurance, and team collaboration. Additionally, students will gain a deep understanding of product management principles, including market research, product strategy, road mapping, and product launch. The course will highlight the significance of user-centric design, data-driven decision-making, and iterative development in creating innovative products. By focusing on impact-driven approaches, students will learn to align projects and products with strategic goals, measure success, and deliver outcomes that create lasting value and impact.

Social entrepreneurship and business ownership—particularly among black and women-owned businesses—can be a crucial way to develop community wealth, for both business owners and the people they employ. By examining current business ecosystems, this course will explore the systemic barriers that hinder black and women-owned businesses’ efforts to ideate, start and sustain a business. We will explore how the concept of social enterprises through partnerships with public-, private-, and social-sector stakeholders can develop a supportive economic environment for black and women-owned businesses.

A primary focus on the sustainability of industrial agricultural practices that dominate U.S. food production, with an opportunity also to examine the impact of agricultural practices on social issues such as public health, nutrition and food insecurity. The course will focus on such topics as: What makes an agricultural system sustainable or unsustainable; characteristics of American (and, increasingly, world wide) “industrial” agriculture; environmental impacts of industrial agriculture; social impacts of industrial farming, apart from environmental impacts; and models of more sustainable agriculture / agroecology