Harvard Social Entrepreneurship Collaboratory

(SE Lab)

2005-2007

Professor Gordon M. Bloom, Director SE Lab, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy

Description of the Harvard SE Lab in Hauser Center Research Review (Dec 2006)

****************

2007 SE Lab Special Guests

****************

Video: SE Lab 2007  Final Session Part 1, Part 2

Video: SE Lab 2006 Final Session

****************

SE Lab Projects and Teams: 2007, 2006, 2005

SE Lab Course Syllabi: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2005 (STM 143)

****************

1 Page Description from Harvard SE Lab Syllabus

Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of Sustainable Social Change (Oxford University Press 2006):   Table of Contents and SE Lab Chapter Abstract

Hauser Center Working paper about the creation, development and pedagogy of the Harvard SE Lab published in: Social Entrepreneurship: New Paradigms of Sustainable Social Change, Oxford University Press, 2006.   

Testimonials of 2007 SE Lab Students

Final Presentation Feedback Form (Matrix)

****************

For general information on the lab please contact us via:

selab@ksg.harvard.edu

***********************

SE Lab Description: A university incubator for a rising generation of leading social entrepreneurs fusing theoretical and practical approaches

see also: KSG course description

Inspired by the work of pioneers like Bill Drayton (founder of Ashoka) and Muhammad Yunus (founder of Grameen bank, Nobel Laureate for Peace 2006) the SE  Lab is a laboratory workshop where student teams create and develop plans for U.S. and international social entrepreneurship (SE) initiatives. Proposed initiatives may be new entities or innovative projects, partnerships, and/or other arrangements that will have an impact on existing organizations and social outcomes in the U.S. and internationally. Issue areas include but are not limited to: environment; poverty alleviation/microfinance; global health; human rights, gender/racial equality; education; corporate social responsibility; economic development; international conflict resolution, social innovation (and other self identified issue areas).

The SE Lab combines academic theory; frameworks; and traditional research in organizations, management and public policy with field work; action research; peer support and learning; and participation of domain experts and social entrepreneurship practitioners.

Project development varies with the skill set and experience of each individual and team, but includes: defining the problem/opportunity; articulating mission and vision; design and development of an innovative and feasible solution and determination of an applicable theory of change; market research and industry analysis; creation of an advisory, governance and management structure; determination of strategic partners and assets, funding strategy; development of a basic financial and operating model; development of measurement and evaluation framework. Teams draft a business plan or briefing book for their initiative and present their projects in the SE Lab. As appropriate, participants may also elect to pursue funding, and the implementation of a pilot project. 

Students enrolling in the SE Lab convene plenary and seminar meetings presenting case and lecture material designed to help them define characteristics of high-performing entrepreneurial projects and make presentations of their projects to receive feedback, guidance, and suggestions from other participants, faculty and other invited guests and social entrepreneurs.

******************************************

Further information on SE Lab:

 (previous year)

Harvard Gazette article on President Summers visit to the 2006 SE Lab

KSG course description for SE Lab 2007

           ***********************************************************