Global Entrepreneurship Lab: Asia-Pacific, Fall 2010

Abstract:: Global Entrepreneurship Lab: Asia-Pacific enables teams of students to work with the top management of global start-ups and gain experience in running, and consulting to, a new enterprise outside the United States. The focus is on start-ups operating in emerging markets throughout the world, with a special focus on the Asia-Pacific region. The course combines an internship in a growing firm with in-class discussions of the issues and policies that affect the climate for innovation and start-up success around the world.

Read the Fine Print

Hey, Mr. Producer!

Abstract:: It's not that uncommon for secondary school students to study the ups and downs of the stock market, but in this lesson, students will examine the economic roller coaster involved in the production of a Broadway musical. As an introduction to the lesson, students will read a series of online articles to investigate the similarities and differences between nonprofit theater production and Broadway, or commercial, theater production. They will view excerpts from the PBS series BROADWAY: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL to determine how the costs of producing on Broadway have changed over time, and to understand the economic gamble involved in the production of a contemporary musical. As a culmination of the lesson, students will write a persuasive letter describing the benefits and pitfalls of investing in either nonprofit or commercial theater.
Designed for immediate use in middle and high school classrooms, these lessons -- which adhere to national learning standards -- contain comprehensive instructions for classroom implementation, downloadable student handouts, links to relevant and dynamic online resources, and suggestions for cross-curricular extensions. Feel free to adapt the lesson plans to meet your students' needs and your own curricular goals.

Abstract:: During the last fifteen years, nations across the globe embarked on a historic transformation away from centrally planned economies to market-oriented ones. However, in the common pursuit for economic growth, these transition economies implemented widely different reform strategies with mixed results. With over a decade of empirical evidence now available, this new course examines this phenomenon that has pushed the discourse in a number of disciplines, requiring us to reconsider fundamental issues such as: - the proper relationship between business, government, and the public interest; - the possible synergies and tensions between economic growth and equity; and - how economic transition has reshaped cities. The premise of the course is that the primary issue in transition involves institution-building and re-building in different contexts.

No Strings Attached

Abstract:: This site features the life stories of two business people who lived the American Dream and who helped make that dream a reality for others in their communities. It tells how Walker, an African American woman, and Penney, a former tuberculosis patient, built from scratch their multi-million and billion dollar businesses.