Santa Clara University

"Working with GSBI™ organizations provides Santa Clara University MBA students a unique opportunity to apply their education to socially significant business problems." - Eric Carlson GSBI™ Co-founder and Professor of Social Entrepreneurship Course

The GSBI™ is committed to maintaining lasting relationships with its alumni. In the Fall quarter, following the August in-residence program, Santa Clara University MBA students provide pro-bono services to GSBI™ attendees.  Under the direction of Associate Director, Eric Carlson, student consulting teams rigorously examine GSBI™ participant business plans. 

They analyze unique social, political, economic and environmental circumstances in which the social enterprises work.  Then students assess the organization’s fund raising, marketing, financial model, and organization design.  The development and tracking of metrics that demonstrate financial and social return on investment are a final focus.  This work highlights gaps in business plans and supports further refinement and execution.  It is also a source of outcome and impact measurement for the GSBI™ identifying areas for overall program improvement.

Class lectures are tied with elements of the GSBI’s™ business plan paradigm and use C.K. Prahalad’s, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, and its associated cases as a basis for analysis and discussion of GSBI™ social enterprises. 

Students select a social enterprise from the prior GSBI™ cohort,analyze it using the paradigm, and recommend changes.  As a final project, student teams conduct a final assessment or a special project (proposal, marketing plan, website).  Student projects are made available to GSBI™ participants.  Often students continue to support social enterprises and even start spin-off ventures.

The course is designed to educate and excite students about social entrepreneurship, with the following objectives:

• Highlight the global need and opportunity to provide goods and services to the 4 billion people who live on less than the equivalent of $1,500 per year.
• Write a business plan for a social enterprise.
• Determine critical success factors and metrics for social enterprises.
• Study business models of exemplary social enterprises.