Global Arc

Students will design and develop novel public-internet technologies that reimagine the future of gig work. They will work with cooperatives of workers and drivers that envision a world where community-owned and open source alternatives are part of the gig work ecosystem. These new platforms aim to be more equitable for couriers, local merchants, and the communities around them by opening up the algorithmic decision-making processes to be defined by all stakeholders. Students will engage in hands-on design and implementation of components of an open-source ecosystem to enable co-ops to take local control of the digital infrastructure.

Clarity and understanding are essential to creating change and impact in society, business, and everyday life. This class introduces students to processes and methods for tackling complex communication challenges across a range of contexts. We will study the theory and practice of information design, bridging cognitive factors with visual principles for effective presentation of data, concepts, and other types of content. Through hands-on assignments, we will practice methods and explore techniques to design information effectively.

This course provides students with tools and processes to develop humanistic innovations. The course will cover topics of design research, service design tools, and critical areas in preventing unintended consequences. "Smart" innovations will be the technical problem space for the course. The class takes a practice approach, with reading from articles and books and team assignments designed to practice the skills discussed. The course will provide new tools for students in entrepreneurship and design, new types of outcomes for the social sciences, and a human-centered view on innovation for those in engineering.

This course introduces students to approach problems ethnographically and develop service solutions. Security/privacy will be the problem space for the course. The course will cover multiple modes of ethnography, "inventive methods" that explore the intersection of design and interpretive social science. The course will provide a tool set for students interested in entrepreneurship, design thinking, as well as, new types of outcomes for research for those in the social sciences, and finally, a human-centered view on security.

Innovation has been defined as "the intersection of invention and insight, leading to the creation of social and economic value." In this course, students build on expert and practitioner experience and insights, as well as readings, to develop an enhanced understanding of innovation and roles in the innovation ecosystem. Companies -- and individuals and social enterprises -- use innovation to establish and drive success.

Venture capital is a driving force behind innovation and entrepreneurship, although the unique working details of venture capital firms and their processes are well-kept secrets. Early stage investors not only fund startups but also enable innovation through mentorship and partnership with the entrepreneurs. Understanding how these investors think and operate is critical to students who are interested in entrepreneurship, as well as to those who would like to pursue venture capital.

In today's hypercompetitive global marketplace, innovation is the lifeblood of any business enterprise. This course exposes students to all fundamental aspects of the technological innovation process: invention/concept development, intellectual property, business plan preparation, competitive intelligence, R&D management, and critical success factors, project management, commercialization. It covers the basic management practices required to excel in the craft of successful innovation and prepares students to become technology-savvy leaders of industry or government, as well as managers and executives in a complex technological society.

In Community Project Studios (formerly 'EPICS'), students earn academic credit for participation in multidisciplinary teams that work on projects over one or more years. The course mission is to provide a hands-on, experiential environment, in which students (often alongside community partners) bring real-world projects through to fruition. Although the methodology and projects vary for each studio, all teams in the program are supported through skill-development workshops, close-knit advising, and cultures of peer-to-peer collaboration. Students may participate for up to six semesters.

In Community Project Studios (formerly 'EPICS'), students earn academic credit for participation in multidisciplinary teams that work on projects over one or more years. The course mission is to provide a hands-on, experiential environment, in which students (often alongside community partners) bring real-world projects through to fruition. Although the methodology and projects vary for each studio, all teams in the program are supported through skill-development workshops, close-knit advising, and cultures of peer-to-peer collaboration. Students may participate for up to six semesters.

Starting and operating a complex venture in a regulated market is often faced with tremendous challenges in developing and validating the idea to attract investors and industry partners. With an initial perspective of what it takes to attract funding, the course will focus on teaching three main skills 1) What makes a complex business initially fundable through private and public resources, 2) Identifying the problem and validating the solution in a regulated, multi-stakeholder market 3) Launching the business and developing the operational plan post launch.