Climate change is not only an environmental challenge. It is a force reshaping markets, industries, and competitive advantage. Across energy, food, mobility, manufacturing, the built environment, and finance, a multi-decade, multi-trillion-dollar transition is creating new categories, disrupting incumbents - creating opportunities for a new generation of entrepreneurs and investors. At the same time, AI, energy security, geopolitical competition, and shifting policy are changing what gets built, how quickly it can scale, and who captures the value. This course is designed to prepare students for career success in launching sustainability-focused ventures. Whether founding a startup, launching an investment fund, spearheading sustainability initiatives within a corporation, or starting a non-profit, you will need to develop your ecopreneurial skills. Students will gain unique perspectives delivered by real-world practitioners. The class offers practical knowledge and insights through vignettes - mini case studies - and readings by highlighting key challenges and difficult decisions faced by sustainability leaders and entrepreneurs. This highly interactive course will anchor around debate, discussion, role-played dialogue, and postmortem analysis. The course is particularly well suited for students looking to understand the unique challenges and opportunities in ecopreneurship. Students will leave with practical frameworks, stronger judgment, and a clearer sense of where they can build, invest, and lead in the new economy taking shape.
3 units · GSB Letter Graded
Climate change is not only an environmental challenge. It is a force reshaping markets, industries, and competitive advantage. Across energy, food, mobility, manufacturing, the built environment, and finance, a multi-decade, multi-trillion-dollar transition is creating new categories, disrupting incumbents - creating opportunities for a new generation of entrepreneurs and investors. At the same time, AI, energy security, geopolitical competition, and shifting policy are changing what gets built, how quickly it can scale, and who captures the value. This course is designed to prepare students for career success in launching sustainability-focused ventures. Whether founding a startup, launching an investment fund, spearheading sustainability initiatives within a corporation, or starting a non-profit, you will need to develop your ecopreneurial skills. Students will gain unique perspectives delivered by real-world practitioners. The class offers practical knowledge and insights through vignettes - mini case studies - and readings by highlighting key challenges and difficult decisions faced by sustainability leaders and entrepreneurs. This highly interactive course will anchor around debate, discussion, role-played dialogue, and postmortem analysis. The course is particularly well suited for students looking to understand the unique challenges and opportunities in ecopreneurship. Students will leave with practical frameworks, stronger judgment, and a clearer sense of where they can build, invest, and lead in the new economy taking shape.
Offered in Winter 2027 at Stanford University.