Becoming a Social Entrepreneur: Getting Started
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Becoming a Social Entrepreneur: Getting Started
Instructor: Michael Gordon
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What you'll learn
Learn what a social entrepreneur is and isn't and whey (and only why) you should become one.
Hear social entrepreneurs from around the world describe what they wished they'd known when starting out-lessons learned and mistakes made.
Learn how to prepare yourself to become a social entrepreneur-skills, experience, emotional demands, commitment.
Details to know
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
There are 5 modules in this course
Do you have an idea that could help solve a societal problem? Are you wondering if starting a social enterprise is the best way to go forward? You are thinking about becoming a social entrepreneur!
In this course, you’ll critically examine what makes for a good idea, and whether that idea requires starting a new business. You’ll craft a personal immersion plan while considering different ways to create impact. You’ll explore the personal challenges and connections to your life’s purpose before deciding to commit to becoming a social entrepreneur. Each week, you’ll see and hear from 11 real-life social entrepreneurs, working around the world, and sharing the lessons they’ve learned as well as the mistakes they’ve made and how you can overcome them. Among their experiences are: providing clean water in India and the Dominican Republic, warming premature babies without incubators, improving education in Africa and Detroit, and providing affordable fresh food to low-income residents of Los Angeles. Ultimately, you’ll be able to decide whether your idea is necessary for the world, and if starting a social enterprise is the right path for you. This course is based on the book “Becoming a Social Entrepreneur: Starting Out, Scaling Up and Staying True” by Michael Gordon.
Welcome to the course! You'll receive an introduction to the course structure and tools you'll use throughout each week. You'll meet the social entrepreneurs who will be sharing their stories in this course, and begin to think about what it means to be a social entrepeneur.
What's included
8 videos8 readings1 assignment2 app items
8 videos•Total 44 minutes
- Introduction to the Course•3 minutes
- Social Entrepreneurship•13 minutes
- Learn•8 minutes
- The Challenges of Social Entreprenurship•5 minutes
- Lessons to be Learned•2 minutes
- Are You a Social Entrepreneur?•1 minute
- How Did I Become a Social Entrepreneur?•10 minutes
- What is a Social Entrepreneur?•2 minutes
8 readings•Total 75 minutes
- Course Syllabus•5 minutes
- Help us learn more about you!•10 minutes
- How To Go Through This Course•10 minutes
- A special webpage for Coursera students•10 minutes
- Using the Workbook•5 minutes
- Meet the Social Entrepreneurs•20 minutes
- Learn From Others•5 minutes
- *Lessons Left on the Ground*•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 20 minutes
- Check your understanding in this ungraded quiz•20 minutes
2 app items•Total 75 minutes
- Launch your Workbook•15 minutes
- Workbook: notes on Lessons•60 minutes
In this week, you'll learn more about immersion and what it takes to be fully integrated into a problem and its context before you can begin to solve it. You'll also work on your own immersion plan.
What's included
8 videos2 readings1 app item2 discussion prompts
8 videos•Total 31 minutes
- Immersion•2 minutes
- It's Not About You!•2 minutes
- Check Yourself•5 minutes
- Real Experience: You Cannot Learn from Phone Calls•1 minute
- Live the Problem•9 minutes
- Volunteer•6 minutes
- Use on the Ground Knowledge•2 minutes
- Build an Ecosystem•5 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
- *Knowing vs Understanding*•10 minutes
- *Faux Immersion*•10 minutes
1 app item•Total 60 minutes
- Workbook: Create Your Immersion Plan•60 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 35 minutes
- Faux Immersion•20 minutes
- Ask for help, and provide help!•15 minutes
In this week, you'll take a critical look at your own ideas and the ideas of others. What makes a good idea, and why is it worth pursuing?
What's included
6 videos3 readings3 app items1 discussion prompt
6 videos•Total 38 minutes
- Ideas•3 minutes
- Solving a Problem•9 minutes
- Idea or Good Idea?•4 minutes
- Research•7 minutes
- A Good Idea is Context-Specific and Can Change•12 minutes
- “Problem First” vs. “Solution First”•3 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
- *Good Ideas*•10 minutes
- *On Whose Shoulders?*•10 minutes
- *Developing an Idea*•10 minutes
3 app items•Total 140 minutes
- Ideas Part 1: State the Problem•60 minutes
- Ideas Part 2: Refine your Problem Statement•60 minutes
- Ideas Part 3: Develop a succinct message - using the Half-Life technique•20 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 20 minutes
- share your “problem statement” experience•20 minutes
This week, you'll reflect on the idea of 'necessity' and dive more deeply into your own ecosystem mapping. You'll also spend time hearing from the social entrepreneurs on their own personal challenges.
What's included
16 videos4 readings1 discussion prompt
16 videos•Total 39 minutes
- Necessity•1 minute
- Why “Necessity” May Be Hard to Grasp •1 minute
- Example of “Necessity”•1 minute
- Join•2 minutes
- Personal Challenges•4 minutes
- Profit•3 minutes
- Emotions•6 minutes
- Emotional Roller Coaster•5 minutes
- Threats to You and Your Business•2 minutes
- Extreme Emotional Challenges•2 minutes
- No Glamour (“You'll Want to Quit”)•3 minutes
- Uncertainty•1 minute
- Burnout•1 minute
- Isolation & Feeling Misunderstood•4 minutes
- Financial Problems•1 minute
- Moving Slower Than You'd Like•2 minutes
4 readings•Total 130 minutes
- *Necessity*•10 minutes
- *Joining the chorus*•20 minutes
- Ecosystem Mapping Activity•90 minutes
- A reflection on your eco-system map•10 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 15 minutes
- Defend your decision to launch a business - OR - find / join / suggest an existing Social Enterprise!•15 minutes
This week, you'll learn more about what your own needs and the support you will need moving forward with your idea.
What's included
16 videos5 readings1 assignment2 app items2 discussion prompts
16 videos•Total 76 minutes
- Pro-Social Behavior•4 minutes
- Pro-social Skills of Social Entrepreneurs•1 minute
- Empathy•4 minutes
- Doing It For Others•5 minutes
- Flexibility & Quiet Confidence•3 minutes
- Resilience•1 minute
- Persistence & Patience•4 minutes
- Team and Personal Support System•5 minutes
- Faith and Mission•3 minutes
- The “Why”•11 minutes
- Authenticity•1 minute
- Bonus Material: How a Social Enterprise Changes Lives•24 minutes
- Commit•3 minutes
- “All In”•2 minutes
- Going For It•2 minutes
- Skills•3 minutes
5 readings•Total 60 minutes
- *The Sanities of Pro-social Behavior*•10 minutes
- Bonus Material: next video....•10 minutes
- Activity: Self-Reflection•20 minutes
- Course Feedback•10 minutes
- Keep Learning with Michigan Online!•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 30 minutes
- Course Activities Reflection•30 minutes
2 app items•Total 60 minutes
- The Significant Other Test•30 minutes
- Personal Skills Inventory•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 25 minutes
- Explore your Intentions•15 minutes
- Skills Discussion•10 minutes
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Reviewed on Sep 20, 2022
A really love this course why not I want to make my society like a happy family.
Reviewed on Dec 27, 2020
great insights, eye opening examples from those who dared to venture
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