MLD 836: Social Entrepreneurship/Social
Enterprises 101: How to Go from Start Up to
End Up
Harvard Kennedy School; Fall 2016
Mondays & Wednesdays, 2:45pm-4pm
Land Lecture Hall
Instructor:
Jim Bildner
Belfer, B-121
[email protected]
Office hours: by appointment
Guest Workshop Instructor:
Stephanie Khurana
[email protected]
Course Coaches
Alyson Gounden Rock
[email protected]
Faculty Assistant:
Jennifer Valois
[email protected]
617-495-1339
Assistant to Jim Bildner:
Abby Crocker
[email protected]
617-633-9504
Course Assistant:
Course Description
Examines strategies for the implementation of social innovation in the United States, other developed
countries, developing countries, and transnational contexts. Aimed at students who hope to produce
social change from varied social platforms including start-up social enterprises and established
organizations, located in the for-profit, non-profit, and governmental sectors. Through an examination
of a score of social change initiatives, students will gain knowledge of how they can operationalize and
implement social change initiatives; and how they can develop a dynamic strategy going forward that
exploits these efforts, and different social forces for the advancement of their causes. Key to this skill is
being able to envision different "end games" – the paths from one’s current position to profound and
lasting change in social conditions. This skill will be tested in the requirement that each student master
a specific set of operational and implementation skills that will position them to manage their
organizations and initiatives.
Each student will enter the course with their own social enterprise or innovation idea to develop; or have
had prior work experience with a non-profit, NGO, government entity or other social enterprise that can
serve as their own case study for analysis.
General Norms for MLD-836M
Bring your name card to each class
This is essential for faculty and classmates to get to know students by name and for course assistants to track
class participation.
Seating
Choose a permanent seat by the 2nd class session. A stable seating chart will help us to get to know one another
and help the teaching team track participation.
On-time attendance is mandatory
Classes will begin on time, and students are expected to be in their seats and ready to begin work when class
starts. Repeated lateness or other interruptions to class attendance will negatively affect your participation grade.
Notify the TF if you anticipate lateness or any other interruptions to your class attendance.
Absences
Anticipated absences should be cleared as soon as possible with TF/Course Instructors. Unexcused absences will
negatively affect your participation grade.
Communication
Course-related information will generally be posted to Canvas. Students are encouraged to visit office hours to
talk with faculty about the course and their personal experiences in it. Never hesitate to reach out to the TF or
Course Instructors with questions about class preparation or assignments. Others are likely to share your
questions. You do the teaching team and your classmates a favor by raising questions early.
Use of Electronic Devices in Class
Evidence suggests that laptops and hand-held devices create distractions for both their users and other students
sitting nearby. Therefore, we do not permit the use of laptops, tablets, cellphones, or similar electronic devices
during class. Past experience in our own and other classrooms has demonstrated that this policy will significantly
enhance attention, learning, and interpersonal interaction. Students may request exemptions to this policy (e.g.,
for assistive technology or emergency phone calls). The use of laptops and other electronic devices will be
permitted when useful for small group collaborations in Thursday classes.
Respectful conduct
This is expected at all times in interaction with classmates, course assistants, and faculty. If you have any
concerns about disrespectful behavior in class or in the conduct of course-related work, we encourage you to
approach your Teaching Fellow or Faculty Instructors.
An Important Note on Your Work Product:
Collaboration, discussion and the exchange of ideas are essential to academic work. However, you
should ensure that any written work you submit for evaluation is the result of your own work (see the
HKS Academic Integrity policy below). You must also adhere to standard citation practices in this
discipline and properly cite any books, articles, websites, lectures, etc. that have helped you with your
work. If you received any help with your writing (feedback on drafts, etc.), you must also
acknowledge this assistance.
Academic Integrity
In accordance with its mission to prepare individuals for public leadership, Harvard Kennedy School has a
commitment and obligation to produce graduates who are ethical professionals. Integral to this training is the
value of academic honesty. High standards reflect the school’s academic integrity, foster a respectful
environment for work and study, and provide an example of academic excellence for others. Faculty teaching
MLD-836M will strictly follow the HKS Academic Code. Students are expected to do the same, including taking
seriously their Ethical Responsibilities and Standards of Conduct. See the following website for the further
details: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/degrees/registrar/procedures/integrity
Course Objectives, Requirements and Student Evaluation
Course Objectives
Intended Audience & Our Focus
The course is an operational sequel to other HKS courses in that it focuses specifically on the core
strategic implantation and operational skills social entrepreneurs need to run their organizations. The
fundamental objective of this course is that students master key implementation skills about how to
produce social change through the operation of social enterprises and similar entities.
Course Requirements and Student Evaluation
The degree to which students meet this requirement will be judged as follows: 1) on the quality of their
participation in class discussion; and 2) on the specific mastery of a series of skills for producing social
change as demonstrated through discussions in class, through an oral exam and through a final written
paper.
1. Quality of Class Participation: (40%)
Like in DPI 312, an important part of driving a successful social enterprise is learning how to
exercise leadership in a group that is confronting a difficult problem to be solved. We think of the
class as a problem-solving group whose job it is to help one another learn as much as possible about
how to become a successful agent of social change. That requires that each individual in class
exercise their own agency: that they come to class pre- pared to learn, and to contribute to the
learning of others. Both parts of that readiness are important. We will expect regular attendance, and
will make note of who has an unexcused absence. We will make “cold calls” in class. We will
convene as a teaching group after each class to consider who seemed to be learning in public, and
who was helping others, including the faculty, to learn. We will provide feedback on your
participation at mid-term.
2. The Basic Requirement: Mastering the Skills You Need to Move from Start Up to End Up (60%)
Another part of leading a social enterprise is that you develop and exercise the skills to operate and
manage an organization. In order for you to demonstrate your mastery of these skills, we will ask each
of you to complete a final written assignment and oral exam reflecting your understanding of these
skills and how they work in real life from the many case examples we cover.
Course Cadence, Class Preparation and Assignments
Course Cadence
Generally speaking:

On Mondays we will cover a series of “skill sets” and frameworks designed to build your capacity to
operationalize social entrepreneurship and social change initiatives.

On Wednesdays, class time will be used as in depth workshops that do deep dives on the application of
the specific skills to your social change/enterprise.
Wednesday In Class Workshops
Wednesday workshops will include class-wide discussion of basic frameworks provided by the
readings. These discussions will be followed by small group meetings to share, vet, and critique ideas
and plans presented in a one-page write up. The groups can also incorporate learnings from Monday
sessions as well as share key take-aways. These workshop sessions are aimed at helping each student
prepare the components of a broader draft document towards their final paper, and possibly to launch
an enterprise.
Class Preparation and Required Materials
Required materials and required readings that will help you prepare effectively for class will be provided
on the MLD-836M Canvas course web page.
Wednesday Class Preparation
Prior to each class, each student will prepare a one-page write up in answer to the questions presented in
each section below. Students will share these write-ups with peers to give and receive constructive
feedback. The structure of these write ups is generally your:



Description of Area/Opportunity (in the context of the preparation questions asked below)
Analysis/Considerations
Summary Position, Plan of Action, and/or Open Questions
Weekly Written Assignments
Due each week on Tuesday. To be uploaded to Canvas by noon. These assignments will count towards your
participation grade.
Final Written Assignment
The final written assignment is due at the end of the course. To be uploaded to Canvas, specific details
to be announced.
Oral Exam
An oral exam will be scheduled for each student, details to be announced.
Course Schedule
Overview of Classes/Workshops
Week 1
October 19, 2016 – Overview and Differences Between Ideation and Reality: Understanding the
Problem and The End Game
Week 2
October 24, 2016 – Multi-Tier Partnerships On Steroids – The Detroit Case
October 26, 2016 – Workshop: What’s Your Problem? And Do You Actually Create Any Value?
(Value Propositions)
Week 3
October 31, 2016 – Getting Real On What Are the Core Steps and What Does It Mean In Practice?
November 2, 2016 – Workshop: What Is Unique About What You Do? (Strategy/Positioning)
Week 4
November 7, 2016 – Business Models and Cash Flow –The Secret Sauce for Survival
November 9, 2016 – Workshop: How Do I Design A High Impact Model? (Business Model)
Week 5
November 14, 2016 – Sanergy – Owning the Supply Chain For Impact and Why Should I Care?
November 16, 2016 – Workshop: Can You WOW Your Beneficiaries? Partners? Funders?
(Customers/Service Delivery/Operations)
Week 6
November 21, 2016 – Building A Team: The Education SuperHighway Case
November 23, 2016 – Workshop: And Who Is Going To Fund This?
Week 7
November 28, 2016 – The Power of For Profit Social Enterprises and Brand Changing Social
Conditions
November 30, 2016 – Workshop: We’re Counting On You To Lead The Way! ( Teams, Culture,
Leadership)
Required Materials
Required materials will be provided on the MLD-836M Canvas course web page.
Detailed Schedule of Classes, Activities and Assignments
Monday, August 29, 2016: Shopping Day
Class 1: October 19, 2016 - Overview and Differences Between Ideation and Reality:
Understanding the Problem and The End Game
Read with Care (Pore Over!):
Arieff, Allison, “Solving All the Wrong Problems,” The New York Times, July 10, 2016
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/10/opinion/sunday/solving-all-the-wrongproblems.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
Hobbes, Michael, "Stop Trying to Save the World," New Republic, November 17,
2014. http://www.newrepublic.com/article/120178/problem-internationaldevelopment-and-plan- fix-it
Starr, Kevin, “The Trouble with Impact Investing: P1," Stanford Social Innovation
Review, January 24, 2012.
http://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_trouble_with_impact_investing_part_1
Singer, Peter, "The Life You Can Save: How to do Your Part to End World Poverty,"
Chapter 10: A Realistic Approach, pp. 151-173, Random House, September 2010
Brest, Paul and Harvey, Hal, Money Well Spent: A Strategic Plan for Smart
Philanthropy, Chapter 2: Choices in Philanthropic Goals, Strategies, and
Styles, pp. 21-36.
Gugalev, Alice and Stern, Andrew, “What’s Your End Game,” Stanford
Social Innovation Review, Global Development Incubator, February
2015. http://www.globaldevincubator.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/02/Winter_2015_Whats_Your_Endgame.pdf
General Resource on Social Enterprises
OCA Social Enterprise & Social Entrepreneurship, 2015 (available on Canvas)
Class 2: October 24, 2016 - Multi-Tier Partnerships on Steroids – The Detroit Case
Guest speakers: Benjamin Kennedy, Kresge Foundation
Read with Care (Pore Over!):
Case: Bildner, James, “The Role of Philanthropy in Community Revitalization: The
Kresge Foundation’s Efforts to Rebuild Detroit,” KSG, 2012
Howes, Daniel, Livengood, Chad and Shepardson, David, “Bankruptcy and Beyond For
Detroit – The Inside Story of the Deals that Brought Detroit Back from the Brink in 15
Months,” The Detroit News, November 2015.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2014/11/13/detroitbankruptcy-grand-bargain/18934921/
Alajal, Khalil, “One Year After Exiting Bankruptcy, Detroit Modestly Outpacing
Projections,” M Live, December 10, 2015.
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2015/12/one_year_after_exiting_bankrup.
html
Read with Discretion (Skim. Dive in When Interested):
Gallagher, John; Stryker, Mark; Bomey, Nathan, “Spinning off DIA from city could
save both art and Detroit pensions,” Detroit Free Press, December 5, 2013
http://www.freep.com/article/20131204/BUSINESS06/312040157/Orr-DIAbankuprtcy- Detroit-Rosen
Davey, Monica, “Finding $816 Million, and Fast, to Save Detroit,” New York Times,
November 7, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/08/us/finding-816-million-and-fast-to-savedetroit.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share&_r=0
Perry, Suzanne, “Detroit Tests What Foundations Can Do to Rescue Troubled Cities,”
The Chronicle of Philanthropy, October 24, 2013
https://philanthropy.com/article/Can-Philanthropy-Rescue/15417
Readings for Background: The Beginning of Detroit’s Decline
Kuhnhenn, Jim, “Taxpayer Loss on Auto Bailout Narrows: White House Touts Value of
Emergency Loans to GM, Chrysler,” msnbc.com, June 1, 2011.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43242226/ns/business-autos/t/taxpayer-loss-auto-bailoutnarrows/#.TsqdOWD9IbU
Kwame Kilpatrick:
Guarino, Mark, “Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Faces Major Corruption
Charges,” Christian Science Monitor, December 18, 2010
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/1218/Former-Detroit-mayor-Kwame-
Kilpatrick-faces-major-corruption-charges
Mayor Dave Bing/Government Finance/Emergency Management:
Davey, Monica, “Mayor Urges Detroit to Accept Drastic Action to Fix Finances,” The
New York Times, Nov. 16, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/us/mayor-bing-tells-detroit-dire-finances-requiredrastic- action.html?scp=1&sq=Detroit&st=cse
Early Efforts to Transform Detroit
Read with Care (Pore Over!):
“The Parable of Detroit -- So Cheap, There’s Hope: Having Lost a Quarter of Its
Population in a Decade, America’s Most Blighted Big City Could Be Turning the
Corner,” The Economist, October 22, 2011.
http://www.economist.com/node/21533407
Oosting, Jonathan, “Transformation Detroit: Dan Gilbert's Grand Plan for Downtown
Tech Hub, Retail and Residential”, mlive.com, June 23, 2011.
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2011/06/transform_detroit_dan_gilbert
s.html
Read with Discretion (Skim. Dive in When Interested):
Conlin, Jennifer, “Detroit Pushes Back with Young Muscles” The New York Times, July
1, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/fashion/the-young-and-entrepreneurialmove-to- downtown-detroit-pushing-its-economic-recovery.html?pagewanted=all
Davey, Monica, “Looking Up, Detroit Faces a New Crisis” The New York Times,
December 23, 2011.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/24/us/detroit-budget-crisis-may-lead-to-outsidemanager.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
Kresge’s Early Efforts
Read with Care (Pore Over!):
Dolan, Matthew, “Revival Bid Pits Detroit vs. Donor,” The Wall Street Journal, July 2,
2011.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304887904576397760319014524.html
Read with Discretion (Skim. Dive in When Interested):
Fleming, Leonard and Nichols, Darren, “Kresge Foundation Pledges $150-Million for
Detroit Redevelopment,” The Detroit News, January 10, 2013
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130110/METRO01/301100384
Class 3: October 26, 2016 - Workshop #1: What’s Your Problem? And Do you actually
create any value? (Value Propositions)
Being clear and crisp on the problem you are aiming to address is key to designing a
successful high-impact enterprise. Being able to articulate and quantify your value
proposition to each of your major stakeholders is essential to focusing your work as
well as innovating to create more value as your offering develops.
Read with care (Pour Over):
Spradlin, Dwayne, “Are You Solving the Right Problem?” Harvard Business Review,
September 2012
https://hbr.org/2012/09/are-you-solving-the-right-problem
London, Ted, “Making Better Investments at the base of the Pyramid,” Harvard
Business Review Publishing, 2009.
Forti, Matthew, “Six Theory of Change Pitfalls to Avoid,” Stanford Social Innovation
Review, May 23, 2012
http://ssir.org/articles/entry/six_theory_of_change_pitfalls_to_avoid
Miranda, Cintia, “How to Craft a Unique Value Proposition for your Non-profit
Organization,” Pulse Marketing Agency, June 23, 2014
http://pulsemarketingagency.com/how-to-craft-a-unique-value-proposition-for-your-non-profitorganization/
Questions:
1. What is the specific problem you are aiming to address?
2. Who has “pain points” around this problem?
3. Why is this a problem to be addressed now?
4. What is your solution and vision for success?
5. What are your near term, mid-term, and long term goals?
6. What is your end-game to establish a sustainable solution and perhaps declare
“Mission Accomplished”?
Value Proposition Questions:
1. What is your theory of change?
2. What is the nature of the offering you create/plan to create?
3. Who is the main beneficiary/customers?
4. What social/public value do you create?
5. What is the next best alternative to solving the problem?
6. Can you calculate/describe why your solution is better, being as specific as possible?
7. Can you articulate a value proposition for your staff?
Class 4: October 31, 2016 – Getting Real on What Are the Core Steps and What
Does It Mean In Practice?
Guest Panelist: Pam Scott, Founder of The Curious Company
Read with Care (Pore Over!):
Zaki, Jamil, “What, Me Care? Young Are Less Empathetic,” Scientific American,
December 23, 2011
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-me-care/
Honigsbaum, Mark, “Barack Obama and the ‘Empathy Deficit,” The Guardian,
January 4, 2013
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/jan/04/barack-obama-empathy-deficit
Reading Questions:
1)
How did Pam and PSI change the lens in trying to identify levers for social
change and how did they harness market forces to find solutions? How did these
solutions differ from conventional wisdom?
2)
What were the inherent market and cultural constraints and how did the group
address each one of these?
How does this kind of level of effort differ from how for-profit companies look
at their customers when developing new products?
3)
Class 5: November 2, 2016 – Workshop: What is unique about what you do?
(Strategy/Positioning)
Defining how your approach is different and uniquely valued by your target constituents
and ensuring that your organizational activities are tightly aligned is important to
sustaining a strong position over time.
Read with care (Pore Over!):
Porter, Michael, “What is Strategy?” Harvard Business Review Publishing, 2000.
Collis, David J., and Rukstad Michael G., “Can You Say What your Strategy Is?
Harvard Business Review Publishing, 2008.
Questions:
1. What are 5-7 unique attributes that your beneficiaries value?
2. How does your closest 2-3 “competitors” or “alternatives” compare to you?
3. How sustainable is this over time--are there ways to design your offering to build
lasting value?
Class 7: November 7, 2016 – Business Models and Cash Flow – The Secret Sauce for Survival
Guest Panelist: James Burgess, Executive Director, OpenBiome
Read with Care (Pore Over!):
Bornstein, David, “Recycling Unused Medicines to Save Money and Lives,” New York
Times, Op-ed, March 20, 2015.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/20/recycling-unused-medicines-to-savemoney- and-lives/
Gorenstein, Dan, “The Shocking Cost of Wasted Prescription Pills,” Marketplace.org,
December 10, 2014.
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/health-care/shocking-cost-wasted-prescription-pills
LaPorte, Meg, “Med Recycling Aids Needy Californians,” Provider Magazine,
September 2013.
http://www.providermagazine.com/archives/2013_Archives/Pages/0913/MedRecycling-Aids.aspx?PF=1
Forbes 30 Under 30 http://www.forbes.com/30-under-302015/#/social-entrepreneurs
Buhr, Sarah, “Y Combinator-Backed SIRUM Matches Unused Medicine With LowIncome Patients,” Tech Crunch, March 10, 2015.
http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/10/the-drugs-stillwork/?ncid=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3
A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29
Smith, Peter Andrey, “A New Kind of Transplant Bank,” The New York Times, February
17. 2014.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/18/health/a-new-kind-of-transplant-bank.html?_r=0
Eakin, Emily, “The Excrement Experiment,” The New Yorker, December 1, 2014.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/12/01/excrement-experiment
Brest, Paul and Harvey, Hal, Money Well Spent: A Strategic Plan for Smart
Philanthropy, Chapter 2: Choices in Philanthropic Goals, Strategies, and
Styles, pp. 21-36.
Gugalev, Alice and Stern, Andrew, “What’s Your End Game,” Stanford
Social Innovation Review, Global Development Incubator, February
2015. http://www.globaldevincubator.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/02/Winter_2015_Whats_Your_Endgame.pdf
Starr, Kevin and Hattendorf, Laura, “The Doer and the Payer: A Simple Approach to
Scale,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, August 21, 2015.
http://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_doer_and_the_payer_a_simple_approach_to_scale
Read with Discretion (Skim. Dive in When Interested):
Smith, Mark B., Kelly, Colleen, and Alm, Eric J., “Policy: How to Regulate
Faecal Transplants,” Nature, February 19, 2014.
http://www.nature.com/news/policy-how-to-regulate-faecal-transplants-1.14720
Leber, Jessica, “Poop Transplants And Microbiome Makeovers: How We’ll Engineer
Our Bacteria To Feel Better,” Fast Company, August 10, 2015.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3049315/world-changing-ideas/poop-transplants-andmicrobiome-makeovers-how-well-engineer-our-bacteri
Cocuzzo, Robert, “Mental Breakthrough,” Nantucket Magazine, July 31, 2015
http://www.n-magazine.com/mental-breakthrough/
Dembner, Alice, “3 Families Spark Search for Genes Tied to Alzheimer’s,” Boston
Globe, November 2, 2006
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2006/11/02/3_families_spark_se
arch_for_genes_tied_to_alzheimers/?page=full
Lee, Aileen, “Welcome to the Unicorn Club,” Tech Crunch, November 2, 2013
http://techcrunch.com/2013/11/02/welcome-to-the-unicorn-club/
Class 7: November 9, 2016 - Workshop: How do I design a high impact model? (Business
Model)
Considering how your strategy, customers, and operations/service delivery work as a
virtuous, self reinforcing system can ensure that you use precious funding dollars most
effectively while delivering even more “mission” for higher impact.
Read with care (Pore Over!):
McLeod, Heather, Crutchfield, Leslie, “Creating High Impact Non-Profits” Stanford
Social Innovation Review, Fall 2007.
Blank, Steve, “Why the Lean Startup Changes Everything” Harvard Business Review,
May 2013.
Optional: Eisenmann, Thomas, “Business Model Analysis for Entrepreneurs.”
Harvard Business School Case (9-812-096).
Questions:
1. What are the core elements that will fit together to create your high impact enterprise?
2. Are there others in your eco-system whom you can draw in to create or sustain value?
3. Can you create a virtuous circle of benefits based upon your value proposition(s)?
Class 8: November 14, 2016 - Sanergy—Owning the Supply Chain for Impact and Why
Should I Care?
Guest Panelist: David Auerbach, Co-founder of Sanergy
Read with Care (Pore Over!):
Grossman, Sarah, “ Company Brings Toilets to Kenya Slums, Turns Waste Into
Fertilizer,” Huffington Post, July 14, 2016.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sanergy-toilets-nairobi-kenya-slums-wastereuse_us_5786634ce4b08608d3327719?ir=World&
Sanergy podcast, BBC Newshour on NPR.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36718249
Schiller, Ben, “How A Toilet Franchise Business Is Cleaning Up Kenya’s
Slums,” Fast Company, August 11, 2015.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3049596/hows-that-working-out-for-you/how-a-toiletfranchise- business-is-cleaning-up-kenyas-slums
Baker, Aryn, “Kenya’s Startup Stars,” Time, July 27, 2015.
http://time.com/3960767/kenya-startup-stars/
Gakii, Mercy, “’Fresh Life’ Toilets Harness Waste for Organic Fertilisers,” The Star,
March 6, 2015.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/article/fresh-life-toilets-harness-waste-organic-fertilisers
Karimi, Edith, “Upping the Usage of Fresh Life Toilets,” The Practitioner Hub, January
20, 2015. (available on canvas)
Manson, Katrina, “Kenya’s Slums Turn Waste Into Gold,” Financial Times, December
11, 2013.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c037bd0c-dcdc-11e2-b52b00144feab7de.html#axzz3nE2o4Cv1
Carlson, Carole, Sanergy Case, Brandeis University, 2014.
Class 9: November 16, 2016 – Workshop: Can you WOW your Beneficiaries? Partners?
Funders? (Customers/Service Delivery/Operations)
Designing your service offering considering all of the possibilities for serving your
beneficiaries, volunteers, partners, staff and funding base, so they are all “wow-ed”
by your offering will help build momentum and create value essential to your
success.
Read with care (Pore Over!):
Ramdas, Kamalini, Teisberg Elizabeth, and Tucker, Amy, “Four Ways to Reinvent
Service Delivery-How to Create more Value for your Customers and You.” Harvard
Business Review
Horniman, Alexander, Moor, Carmen and Trzcmski, Beth, “Note on Service
Excellence.”
University of Virginia, Darden School Foundation, Charlottesville, VA, 1999.
Questions:
1. How do you operationalize your value proposition and unique attributes into your
service delivery chain?
2. Can you think of ways to innovate and make it better?
3. Are you truly “delighting” your beneficiaries/stakeholders and solving their pain
points?
4. How do your staff and volunteers contribute to your service delivery excellence?
Class 10: November 21, 2016 – Building a Team: The Education SuperHighway Case
Guest Panelist: Evan Marwell, President, Education SuperHighway (via Skype)
Case: Kaplan, Robert; Bildner, Jim and Kind, Liz “ EducationSuperHighway”
Harvard Business School Case, (N9-116-027), November 19, 2015
Read with Care (Pore Over!):
EducationSuperhighway e-Newsletter, August 2015.
Kirsch, Vanessa, Bildner, Jim, and Walker, Jeff, “Why Social Ventures Need Systems
Thinking,” Harvard Business Review, July 25, 2016
https://hbr.org/2016/07/why-social-ventures-need-systems-thinking
Brest, Paul and Harvey, Hal, Money Well Spent: A Strategic Plan for Smart
Philanthropy, Chapter 2: Choices in Philanthropic Goals, Strategies, and
Styles, pp. 21-36.
Gugalev, Alice and Stern, Andrew, “What’s Your End Game,” Stanford Social
Innovation Review, Global Development Incubator, February 2015.
http://www.globaldevincubator.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/02/Winter_2015_Whats_Your_Endgame.pdf
Furman, Jason & Zients, Jeff, “Happy Birthday ConnectED,” The White House Blog,
June 25, 2015
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/06/25/happy-birthday-connected
Lynch, Jack, “Arkansas Upgrades First District to High-Speed Broadband
Network,” Education SuperHighway, July 20, 2015
http://www.educationsuperhighway.org/arkansas-upgrades-first-district-tohigh-speed- broadband-network/
Fensterwald, John and Udesky, Laurie, “Funding To Expand Schools’ High-Speed
Internet,” EdSource, December 11, 2014
http://edsource.org/2014/funding-to-expand-schools-high-speedinternet/71486#.VI8PHYrF8gD
Marwell, Evan, “Using Fiber Optics to Bring Schools Up To Speed,” The
Washington Post, November 13, 2013
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/using-fiber-optics-to-bring- schools-upto-internet-speed/2013/11/12/210bc1b8-48c7-11e3-b6f8-3782ff6cb769_story.html
Strauss, Valerie, “Wifi in US Schools Estimated Cost: $3.2 Billion To Meet Obama’s
Goal,” The Washington Post, May 28, 2014.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer- sheet/wp/2014/05/28/wifi-in-u-sschools-estimated-cost-4-billion-to-meet-obamas-goal/
Read with Discretion (Skim. Dive in When Interested):
Asimov, Nanette, “Evan Marwell, Visionary of the Year, Solved A National Problem,”
San Francisco Chronicle, March 31, 2015
http://www.sfchronicle.com/visionaryoftheyear/article/Evan-Marwell-Visionary-ofthe-Year- solved-a-6171475.php
Bolkan, Joshua, “100 Ed Tech Leaders Call on FCC to Update E-rate,” THE Journal,
June 17, 2014 http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/06/17/100-ed-tech-leaders-call-onfcc-to-update- erate.aspx?admgarea=News1#Qmk43rOQusTPhq7c.99
Marwell, Evan, “Our Students Have High Need For High Speed,” The Hill, March 3,
2014 http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/education/199587-our-studentshave-high-need-for-high-speed#ixzz2vDRbS2R2
Case questions:
1) What was the fundamental market failure or the social opportunity or
need that ESH sought to address? Was ESH after a social welfare goal, or
a matter of justice, or both?
2) What leverage points did ESH identify and how did they
exploit them?
3) By design, what were the critical elements that ESH built into its strategic
plan and how did this help immunize them from the existing market
forces?
4) What were the critical technology components that ESH used and what
was their efficacy?
5) How replicable is ESH's strategy and special purpose construction to other
societal issues? Compare and contrast ESH's approach to other efforts
to cure disease. How important is it to have a time frame for achieving
change?
Class 11: November 23, 2016 - Workshop: And who is going to Fund this?
Fleshing out a viable funding model and financial strategy is challenging and will
likely evolve over time as your enterprise grows.
Read with care (Pore Over!):
Foster, William Landes; Kim, Peter & Christiansen, Barbara, “Ten Nonprofit Funding
Models,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Spring 2009
http://ssir.org/articles/entry/ten_nonprofit_funding_models
Optional: Kim, Peter, Perreault Gail, and Foster, Will. “Finding your Funding
Model, a Practical Approach to Non-Profit Sustainability” The Bridgespan
Group, August 2011.
Questions:
1. Which foundations might find your enterprise/innovation compelling? Why?
2. Is there opportunity for an earned revenue stream?
3. Is there a chance that government will provide grants, subsidies, or incorporate
parts/all of your model over time?
4. How would you articulate your funding strategy over time?
Class 12: November 28, 2016 – The Power of For Profit Social Enterprises and Brand
Changing Social Conditions
Guest Panelists: Sydney Morris, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Educators 4
Excellence & Nathalie Laidler-Kylander, Managing Director, Draper Richards Kaplan
Foundation
Garcia, Ahiza, “Betting on Detroit: ‘We’re Coming Back Stronger than Before,” CNN,
September 1, 2015.
http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/01/news/economy/detroit-jobs-manufacturing/
P.H., “ Mo’ Time For Motown,” The Economist, February 5, 2014.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/02/making-it-america
Case Study: The Girl Effect:
The Girl Effect Brand: Using Brand Democracy to Strengthen Brand Affinity (pdf available on
canvas)
Discussion Questions:
1) What is a brand and what role(s) might it play for nonprofit organizations?
2) What do you think were the key drivers behind the success of the Girl Effect brand?
3) Do you think that the Nike Foundation can continue to manage the brand effectively,
balancing between consistency and openness? Why or why not?
4) What do you think should be the next step in the evolution of the Girl Effect brand?
Read with Care (Pour Over):
Laidler-Kylander, Nathalie and Shepard-Stenzel, Julia,” What is a Brand Anyway and
Why Should You Manage It?” The Brand IDEA: Managing Nonprofit Brands with
Integrity, Democracy and Affinity, Jossey Bass, 2014. Chapter 2, pp 21-37.
Laidler-Kylander, Nathalie and Stehpard-Stenzel, Julia, “Why the Skeptics Have it
Wrong.” The Brand IDEA: Managing Nonprofit Brands with Integrity, Democracy and
Affinity, Jossey Bass, 2014. Chapter 4, pp 51-62.
Class 13: November 30, 2016 - Workshop: We’re counting on you to lead the way! (Teams,
culture, leadership)
Building your team, culture and personal leadership style is an essential ingredient of
success of any organization. Defining the basic underpinnings of what values and
attributes are important to realizing your potential.
Read with care (Pore Over!):
Hill, Linda and Lineback, Kent, “Are you a Good Boss or a Great One?” Harvard
Business
Review, February-March 2011.
https://hbr.org/2011/01/are-you-a-good-boss-or-a-great-one
Read with Discretion (Skim. Dive in When Interested):
Hill, Linda and Farkas, Maria, “Note on Team Processes,” Harvard Business School
Case (9- 402-032) (available on Canvas)
Questions:
1. What 5-7 values are important to you/your organization?
2. What do you see as hallmarks of your leadership style?
3. What are the attributes of those you seek to hire?
4. How do you expect to build strong teamwork?