EPS4515 Affordable Design and Entrepreneurship (ADE)
4 General Credits

Students must be Juniors or Seniors to take this course

This course engages students in community-based, participatory design and action. Teams partner with communities and organizations to achieve positive social and environmental impact with a strong justice framing, working for change in areas like air quality, community development, food processing, global health, and rights and privacy (addressing mass incarceration) over several semesters.

Guided by an experienced faculty advisor, teams make change through design for impact, social entrepreneurship, community organizing, participatory research, political advocacy and other practices. All teams practice social benefit analysis, theory of change, assumption testing, cross-cultural engagement tools, dissemination of innovation methods, and ethical norms.

Students regularly engage stakeholders in inclusive processes, in person and virtually, to observe, strategize, plan, co-design, prototype, test, and implement approaches supported by a significant project budget and student fundraising. There are often opportunities to travel locally, nationally, or internationally to work with partners.

Students are exposed to mindsets and dispositions for working with integrity and responsibility in their stakeholders' contexts through guided exercises, case studies, guest speakers, readings, and reflections. Students learn and apply changemaking practices through project work, and gain essential experience building relationships across difference and developing their own self- and cultural awareness.

This course is part of the BOW collaboration, offered jointly between Babson and Olin, and open to

Wellesley students. Prerequisites: FME1000, Junior standing (students must be juniors or seniors to take the course).

Prerequisites: FME1000

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS4515
  • Number of Credits: 4

EPS3514 Be the Change

2 General Credits

The course is designed for creative changemakers committed to utilizing their entrepreneurial leadership and global mindset to make a positive social impact and work towards social justice. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development goals and the issues that exist at the heart of the social problems social entrepreneurs aim to address. Students will explore the moral and ethical questions that face non-profit organizations social enterprises, and social entrepreneurs and learn motivation, approach, and best practices as it applies to social change makers. Students will be equipped with the tools and methods to apply their entrepreneurial mindset to advance equity and social justice and create a response to a social problem they would like to address.

Note: The Natalie Taylor Scholars will use what they create in this course and implement it in the Scholar in Action EPS3534-01.

Prerequisite: FME

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS3514
  • Number of Credits: 2

EPS3518 Crowdfunding
4 General Credits
This hands-on workshop gives students the opportunity to plan a crowdfunding campaign for a creative project or entrepreneurial venture. Online crowdfunding builds community around innovative projects by organizing stakeholders and leveraging in-person and online social networks. Goals of crowdfunding include stakeholder alignment, concept testing, product pre-selling and venture de-risking. Students work individually or as part of a team to design a crowdfunding campaign which at students' discretion may be executed following the workshop. Students are expected to meet high standards and the focal point of the course is the production and refinement of a pitch video developed based on stakeholder engagement and opportunity shaping. The course integrates emerging research on crowdfunding and ongoing developments in the industry.

Prerequisites: Students must be at least second semester sophomores.

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS3518
  • Number of Credits: 4

EPS3539: Cultivating Entrepreneurial Youth Leaders

4 Advanced Management Credits

Through the Cultivating Entrepreneurial Youth Leaders course, Babson undergraduate students will learn how they can help middle and high school students develop stronger agency, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and empower young changemakers in Costa Rica. The course provides Babson students with the opportunity to learn key elements of teaching entrepreneurship and serving as coaches for youth, using a proven curriculum developed by Babson's Youth Impact Lab, EPIC (Entrepreneurship Program for Innovators and Changemakers). EPIC is a youth entrepreneurship program that teaches social entrepreneurship skills framed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals) to youth to increase their resiliency and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. EPIC is designed to help middle school and high school students understand what it means to be a social entrepreneur, empowering them to make positive change in their lives, communities, and the world.

EPIC balances entrepreneurial concepts with social-emotional skills, or "soft skills." This unique combination, framed by the UNSDGs, helps youth develop grit, resiliency, a growth mindset, social awareness, social entrepreneurial intention, critical thinking, and self-reflection skills that can:
- Increase high school graduation rates
- Improve academic achievement
- Strengthen employability
- Raise earning potential
- Decrease mental health issues, drug and alcohol use, incarceration rates

​Prerequisites: (FME1000 and FME 1001) or (MOB1010 and EPS1000)

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS3539
  • Number of Credits: 4

EPS3551 Entrepreneurial Families
(Formerly Family Entrepreneurship Amplifier)
4 General Elective Credits

If you come from a family business or have an interest in starting a business with a family member or members, this course is designed for you. The course is like no other offered at Babson or elsewhere in the world. In this course, students will work directly with their family as part of the process of learning to be a family entrepreneurial leader. Students (and their families) will learn about how and why families are responsible for over 75% of global entrepreneurial activity and how your family can be more successful in its entrepreneurial efforts. Students will learn to think critically about key issues that affect their family enterprise such as succession and governance, allowing them to effectively engage in conversation with family members on these topics. Students will strengthen their ability to work with their family, build their confidence and increase their family's understanding of the value they can bring to the business. Students will also learn from their peers and families -- establishing relationships that will endure long after you graduate. If you know that you want to lead the family business, this course will provide a foundation for your future. If you are uncertain about joining the family business, this course will help provide clarity for your decision. If you have no desire to join the family business and prefer creating your own venture or opportunity, this course will help you to leverage the knowledge and resources within your family in order to increase the likelihood of your success.

The course time slot was strategically chosen to accommodate time zones from around the world, allowing the Bertarelli Institute for Family Entrepreneurship to offer students exposure to global family thought leaders, while enabling parents of students to attend select class sessions.

This course satisfies Babson's "Advanced Experiential" designation.

Prerequisites: FME or equivalent

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS3551
  • Number of Credits: 4

EPS3553 Entrepreneurial Families Project
(Formerly Family Entrepreneurship Amplifier)
2 Free Elective Credits

This is a practice-oriented course that has two primary foci: 1) helping students from family businesses integrate their learning at Babson with specific needs of the family and to facilitate entrepreneurial activity, dialogue and relationship building between the student and their families as part of their experience at Babson. 2) creating hands on learning opportunities for these students that will better prepare them for their future with the family business including engaging with guest speakers, mentors, company visits etc.

Prerequisites: EPS3552

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS3553
  • Number of Credits: 2

EPS3552 Entrepreneurial Families Project
(Formerly Family Entrepreneurship Amplifier Class)
2 Free Elective Credits

This class is designed for seniors who have completed the sophomore/junior Family Entrepreneurship Amplifier course EPS 1215/1216 (focused on understanding your family) and Peer Forum (focused on understanding yourself through sharing with and learning from peers).

In this full year class, you will work directly with your family to launch a new entrepreneurial opportunity that creates economic and/or social value. Projects can include opportunities within your current family business or a new venture / social impact initiative. Students will meet as a class three times a semester. The majority of the work will be done outside of the classroom, working with your family, getting input from peers, and in monthly meetings with your faculty advisor. This action-oriented class is a culmination of your Amplifier experience, where you take what you have learned, and put it into practice to launch your entrepreneurship opportunity with your family.

EPS1217 runs in the fall and the companion part of the course, EPS1218 is in the spring semesters, 2 credits per semester, for a total of 4 credits.

Prerequisites: Junior or Senior status

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS3552
  • Number of Credits: 2

EPS4510 Entrepreneurial Finance

(Formerly EPS3511)
4 General Credits
How much money should I raise? Who should I raise it from and how? What do I do with the money once I have it? This course focuses on the various aspects of funding and managing entrepreneurial ventures through the various stages of business growth. The class will utilize videos, cases, simulation and experiential learning techniques to explain how to finance the entrepreneurial firm, investment analysis and decision making, and managing company finances through growth, crisis and harvesting. Frequent guests ranging from entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, banking and legal professionals will bring the entrepreneurial experience to life in this course which utilizes the "flipped classroom" methodology of teaching.

Prerequisites: (SME2001 and SME2002 and SME2011 and SME2012 and SME2021 and SME2031) or (ACC2002 and OIM2001 and MKT2000 and OIM2000 and FIN2000 and ECN2002)

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS4510
  • Number of Credits: 4

EPS1220 Entrepreneurial Leadership Field Studies
4 Free Elective Credits

This course is designed specifically for Arthur M. Blank School of Entrepreneurial Leadership Scholars (AMBSEL Scholars) and for other Scholars (e.g., Weisman, Presidential, Posse, etc.) by instructor consent.

Entrepreneurial leadership theories and frameworks, considered to be distinct from other forms of leadership, are still at the nascent stage of development. Babson Professor Scott Taylor and his colleagues are currently developing an entrepreneurial leadership model that includes the following constructs: "leader internal clarity", "leader opportunity seeking behavior", "leader outward focus", "follower motivation effect", and "recognizing and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities". Each of these constructs will be explored by students through discussions of assigned readings and qualitative research in the form of entrepreneur interviews and a case research project which includes a written case and teaching note. Students will develop qualitative research skills (e.g., interview techniques) through in class lectures and asynchronous videos that have already been produced by Professor Shay. The learning-focused activities and assignments, especially the field-based entrepreneur interview and case research project, are designed to enhance student (and the field's) understanding of the unique nature of entrepreneurial leadership and to develop the student's own entrepreneurial leadership skills. Student course deliverables (entrepreneur interview and case study) will provide insights to advance our understanding of entrepreneurial leadership as well as teaching materials for classroom use. The entrepreneur interviews and case studies will be submitted for inclusion in Babson's case resources and possibly for publication in peer-reviewed journals such as Case Research Journal.

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Free Elective (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS1220
  • Number of Credits: 4

EPS3543: Entrepreneurial Opportunities in AI

4 advanced managements credits

This experiential seminar explores the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential for creating new business opportunities. Students will learn about cutting-edge technologies in AI, such as machine learning, computer vision, neural networks, and natural language processing. We will also cover recent developments in the AI industry and the impact of venture capital investment on AI startups. Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to experiment with AI technologies and develop their own innovative projects. By the end of the course, students will have a deep understanding of the current state of AI and the potential for new business opportunities in this field. This course is ideal for students interested in the intersection of entrepreneurship and technology.

  • Program: Undergraduate
  • Division: Entrepreneurship
  • Level: Advanced Elective (UGrad),Advanced Management (UGrad)
  • Course Number: EPS3543
  • Number of Credits: 4