This course will focus on identifying opportunities to use entrepreneurship to solve social and environmental problems and how to launch and scale a business with a social mission. The course will provide tools and resources for students interested in launching a business with a social mission, joining a business with a social mission, or becoming an impact investor in social ventures. The course will provide a road map and use case studies, site visits, and speakers to explore: identification and assessment of a viable idea; development of a business plan; marketing, sales and fundraising; mission-aligned board development and management teams; and financial plans. Students should be prepared to give a pitch in the first class either on a business idea which addresses a social or environmental problem, or on their interests and expertise in order to join another venture team participating in the class.

Note: this course will be co-taught by William O'Farrell and Julius Mokrauer.

Julius Mokrauer is the managing director and fund manager at Serious Change Investments LP, where he advises and supports CEOs of portfolio companies on strategy and operations-related issues such as marketing, business development, management, and organization. Previously, Julius co-founded RangeView Capital, an investment firm specializing in high frequency trading, and co-founded Milestone Partners International, an international management consulting firm. He earned his BS and MS from Rutgers University and his MBA from Stanford University.

William O'Farrell

Adjunct Professor of Business

William J. ("Bill") O'Farrell has been starting and running tech companies for longer than he'd like to admit. He was most recently co-founder and CEO of Body Labs, a computer vision and AI company focused on providing the human body as a digital platform for a broad range of markets, including online apparel sales, gaming, health and fitness and AR...

View full profile