SOCW 321 / BADM 395: Social Entrepreneurship

This course provides students an opportunity to design and eventually launch a product, service, or program intended to provide social value to communities. It engages with social entrepreneurship as a broad approach to addressing social problems.

This Stage 1 course emphasizes concepts and principles related to socially motivated entrepreneurship. Students explore their goals, values, and strengths as they build a skillset to understand social problems; and evaluate business and program plans to address those problems.

High-potential student ventures can choose to enroll in the second-stage course (SOCW 375: Social Enterprise Lab), which focuses on the incorporation and organizational growth of your team's social venture.

SOCW 375/ BADM 395: Social Enterprise Lab

This Stage 2 course enables students to launch and scale social enterprises spanning a wide range of organizations focused on technological innovations, human services, and the performing and visual arts.

It couples structured lectures with interactive modules, field trips, guest speakers, and workgroup labs to discuss and troubleshoot startup challenges and opportunities. The course develops entrepreneurial and management skillsets through deep engagement with entrepreneurial action.

Students completing the two-stage course sequence will be prepared to apply to the competitive iVenture Accelerator, an educational accelerator for top student startups at the University. Taken together, these two courses support social, environmental, and cultural value creation within tech, commercial, and social enterprises.

Illinois Social Innovation Mini-Grants

The Illinois Social Innovation Mini-Grants program provides funding for the further development of student-run social ventures designed to create social or environmental value. Eligible teams can receive up to $500 to support their social venture.

Students are welcome to apply for social venture mini-grants if they:

  • Are enrolled in a course in social entrepreneurship or enterprise
  • Participate in a student-led team social entrepreneurship
  • Could benefit from seed funding to further develop your innovative idea for a venture designed to create social or environmental impact

For information about the ISI mini-grant program, please contact Valeri Werpetinski werpetin@illinois.edu