Identifying Social Entrepreneurship Opportunities
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Identifying Social Entrepreneurship Opportunities
This course is part of Social Entrepreneurship Specialization
Instructor: Kai Hockerts
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There are 5 modules in this course
This Course will clarify the definition and meaning of Social Entrepreneurship and will focus on the need to learn about the source and root of a social problem. You will be introduced to different perspectives about Social Entrepreneurship and you will learn about complementary and opportunistic assets which will help you to detect an opportunity and develop an idea of how to create a business for social change.
From a practical perspective you will be asked to initiate a team formation process and start to think about a problem topic that you want to address with your social venture in the future. You will work in a team to research this topic and will gradually start to think about a particular opportunity and identify a purpose for your social venture project.
Welcome to the first Module of Course 1! In this first Module you will receive an administrative introduction to the general structure of the Specialization and learn how you can manage the courses successfully. Content-wise we will, first, address the definition and meaning of Social Entrepreneurship. Second we will focus on the need to learn about the source and root of a social problem and highlight the importance to deal with this prior to thinking about solutions.
What's included
7 videos2 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt
7 videos•Total 60 minutes
- Introduction to Course I•11 minutes
- An Idea about Social Innovation | Johanna Mair•10 minutes
- Introduction to Course Structure•4 minutes
- Understand a Social Problem | Ester Barinaga•14 minutes
- Required Peer Review Assignment & Optional Case Assignment•10 minutes
- Instructions for Peer Review Assignment•3 minutes
- An introduction to the Babele Social Business Model Panorama (currently knowns as seizmic BUSINESS MODEL and seizmic APP)•7 minutes
2 readings•Total 50 minutes
- From Third Sector to Social Enterprise: A European Research Trajectory | Defourny 2014•30 minutes
- Building social capital for societal entrepreneurship. | Westlund & Gawell 2010•20 minutes
1 peer review•Total 20 minutes
- Definition of Social Entrepreneurship and your seizmic APP account•20 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 15 minutes
- Start Group Formation•15 minutes
Welcome to Week 2. The second Module will introduce you to different perspectives about Social Entrepreneurship. You will be asked to initiate your team formation process and select a problem topic that you want to address with your social venture in the future.
What's included
11 videos4 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt
11 videos•Total 94 minutes
- Definition of Social Entrepreneurship•15 minutes
- Social Entrepreneurship from a UK Perspective | Alan Barrell•4 minutes
- The EMES Network Approach | Roger Spear•3 minutes
- The New Jersey Social Innovation Institute | Jeffrey Robinson•8 minutes
- The Problem Identification 7-Day Challenge•5 minutes
- Optional Case Assignment: Ashoka & UnLtd•4 minutes
- Interview with Ashoka Scandinavia•18 minutes
- Interview with CEO of UnLtd | Mark Norbury•11 minutes
- Ashoka Information Video•4 minutes
- UnLtd Information Video•6 minutes
- #covidWISE Inspirational Case: Lost Stock - Interview with the Founder Cally Russell•18 minutes
4 readings•Total 235 minutes
- Instructions for the 7-Day-Challenge•180 minutes
- Social entrepreneurship: The case for definition | Martin & Osberg 2007 | Stanford social innovation review•15 minutes
- Social entrepreneurship: A critical review of the concept. | Peredo & McLean 2006•30 minutes
- #covidWISE 2021 Material•10 minutes
1 peer review•Total 180 minutes
- Document your Problem Identification•180 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Compare Ashoka and UnLtd (Optional Case Assignment)•10 minutes
With Module 3 you have reached halftime of Course 1. Congratulations! This Module will answer the question what it takes people to become Entrepreneurs. In addition you will be introduced to the concept of a Community Enterprise. Your personal challenge will be to define your future role within your project team and to think about how to find opportunities to address social problems.
What's included
7 videos6 readings1 peer review2 discussion prompts
7 videos•Total 50 minutes
- Who is a Social Entrepreneur?•14 minutes
- Who is a Social Entrepreneur? | Sudhanshu Rai•5 minutes
- What is a Community Enterprise | Helen Haugh•5 minutes
- Start to discuss Solutions to your identified Problem•2 minutes
- Begin Rating & Selecting Ideas•6 minutes
- Peer-evaluation Assignment & Optional Case Assignment•8 minutes
- Case | The Story of Specialisterne•10 minutes
6 readings•Total 150 minutes
- Social entrepreneurship: How intentions to create a social venture are formed. | Mair & Noboa 2003•30 minutes
- The process of social entrepreneurship: creating opportunities worthy of serious pursuit. | Guclu, Dees & Anderson 2002•20 minutes
- Specialists in a World of Generalists | Robert Austin•20 minutes
- "Who Is An Entrepreneur" is the Wrong Question | Gartner 1988•30 minutes
- The multiple faces of social entrepreneurship: A review of definitional issues based on geographical and thematic criteria | Bacq & Janssen 2011•20 minutes
- The duality of social enterprise: A framework for social action | Massetti 2012•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 30 minutes
- Reflect on your team and your external partner organisation•30 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 75 minutes
- Reflect on your Problem Identification•15 minutes
- Transfer Specialisterne Case to one of 4 Beneficiary Groups•60 minutes
In Module 4 you will be introduced to opportunity identification. You will learn how to recognize complementary and antagonistic assets and turn them into opportunities. You will also be confronted with failures that other ventures experienced in order to prepare yourself for potential challenges for your own establishing your own social venture. By the end of the Module you will be encouraged to start thinking about possible income models.
What's included
6 videos6 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt
6 videos•Total 78 minutes
- How to Identify an Opportunity•23 minutes
- Opportunity Identification at the Example of Gram Vikas | Johanna Mair•6 minutes
- The Example of Grameen Veolia | Anirudh Agrawal•7 minutes
- Instructions for Your Peer-Review Assignment and Optional Case Assignment•14 minutes
- Interview with the founder of MyC4 (Autumn 2014)•14 minutes
- Interview with the founder of MyC4 (Spring 2015)•14 minutes
6 readings•Total 150 minutes
- How Social Enterprises Deal with Antagonistic Assets | Hockerts 2014•30 minutes
- Social Entrepreneurship in Rural India: A Small Step Towards Institutional Change | Ganly & Mair 2009•20 minutes
- 3 Types of Income Models for Social Entrepreneurship•20 minutes
- How opportunities develop in social entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship theory and practice | Corner & Ho 2010•30 minutes
- Building Social Business Models: Lessons from the Grameen Experience | Yunus, Moingeon & Lehmann-Ortega 2010•20 minutes
- Business Models as Models | Baden-Fuller & Morgan 2010•30 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
- Identify an Opportunity for Your Social Venture•120 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Your Advice for the CEO of MyC4•10 minutes
Welcome to the last Module of this course! We hope you have enjoyed the course so far and made a progress in becoming a Social Entrepreneur. In this 5th Module we will delve deeper into different financial structures for social ventures. Furthermore you will discuss what it means to transfer a concept to a different context by reference to Microfinance. Finally you will be able to design a revenue strategy for your social venture.
What's included
4 videos2 readings1 peer review
4 videos•Total 28 minutes
- Creating a Business Model•11 minutes
- Replicating Microfinance in a Developed Country | Ester Barinaga•11 minutes
- Interview with Charlie Wigglesworth (Social Enterprise UK)•1 minute
- Instructions for Your Peer-Review Assignment•4 minutes
2 readings•Total 20 minutes
- In microfinance, clients must come first. | Datar, Epstein & Yuthas 2008•10 minutes
- The economics of microfinance. | Armendáriz & Morduch 2010•10 minutes
1 peer review•Total 120 minutes
- Map the Expected Earned Income Streams for your Venture•120 minutes
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Reviewed on Jan 16, 2021
Very interesting and enlightening beginning for someone like me who has the passion but lack basic foundation of the social sciences.
Reviewed on Oct 31, 2016
I really liked this program because it was somehow different with other TOEFL programs.
Reviewed on Aug 14, 2025
The program is not providing the completion certificate after successfully completing the all modules and assignment. Asking for renewal payment again and again.
Frequently asked questions
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When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
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