Public entrepreneurship is an alternative, inventive approach for leading change in public realms. This course is designed for future private entrepreneurs and public leaders who want to build new ventures operating in, or selling into, traditionally public domains. The last few years have seen a wave of new public entrepreneurs start companies that sell to government institutions, or directly to citizens, and a growing interest in these companies by ventures funds and other investors. Supporting these public entrepreneurs are the ecosystem partners making impact investments in this space, training technologists to work in it, and providing accelerator and incubator opportunities for start-up efforts – the course will help students evaluate and prepare for careers as public entrepreneurs across all three sectors.

Public entrepreneurs build something from nothing with resources – be they technologies, financial capital, human talent, or new rules – they do not command. Public entrepreneurs lead private companies or government sectors. In both cases, they borrow from the skills, strategies, and cultures of private entrepreneurship, and adapt best practices into contexts with high levels of public engagement and scrutiny, unique political opportunities and risks, and diverse and entrenched stakeholders.
The course looks at these special contexts and encourages students to see them not as potential obstacles, rather, to address them creatively as potential drivers of value and progress. The course covers themes and features cases with questions and dilemmas of both private entrepreneurs and public leaders.