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Business and Entrepreneurship

  Creating Knowledge
  pedal power
  In just under four weeks during January Term in the class Techno-Salvation, Noah Kellerman explored the possibilities of using human-generated pedal power for small-scale farming.
   

Students can incorporate the resources available through the Hampshire College Lemelson Center into their academic work and explore methods of organizing, creating, and managing innovative enterprises that effect social change.

In addition to creating an intellectual toolbox of successful entrepreneurial practices, you can research existing social ventures and the impact that social entrepreneurship has on society.

Students are given hands-on opportunities to start enterprises and collaborate with alums and community members under the guidance of Lemelson staff and faculty. Recent alums can tap into Lemelson entrepreneurship resources for continued support of their enterprises.

Affiliated Faculty
Student Project Titles
  • » Applications and Innovations in Retail
  • » Developing an Assistive Technology Business
  • » Social Entrepreneurship and Organizational Theory
  • » Building Social Capital Through Cause-Related Marketing
  • » The Art Market: Record Sales in the Canon
  • » Social Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Communities
  • » Patent This!
  • » Using Social Entrepreneurship to Further Human Rights
  • » Ordinary People, Extraordinary Managers
  • » The Art of Training: Coaching, Science Pedagogy, and Business
  • » Learning the Tools for Starting a Business
  • » Designing Health: Social Design, Water and Development
  • » Smartphones and Social Enterprise: Keeping Your Health in Sight
Sample First-Year Course
The Business of Change: Social Action Through Entrepreneurship

This course will explore how social entrepreneurship affects change in society. Using primarily case studies, participants in this course will identify key entrepreneurial methods and practices that are, or could be, used to foster positive change. The course will start off with a look at the general effects entrepreneurship has on society and then move on to investigating key entrepreneurial processes and techniques that are used for creating change. The latter part of the course will be devoted to creating an intellectual toolbox for entrepreneurial procedures for effecting social change. For participants in this course to be successful, they must desire to make a difference in the world, be comfortable doing research, enjoy sharing their ideas and thoughts in discussions, and be self directed.

Sample Courses at Hampshire
  • » Appropriate Design in the World
  • » Beyond Sprawl and Crawl
  • » Bicycle Design and Beyond
  • » Creative Electronics
  • » The Culture and Political Economy of Tourism
  • » Design for the Greater Good
  • » Designing from Problem to Production
  • » Farming in America
  • » Intro to Soft Goods Design
  • » Mills to Lofts
  • » Social Entrepreneurship: Starting Your Own Socially Responsible Enterprise
  • » Women’s Fabrication Skills
  • » Zymurgy
Through the Consortium
  • » Business Ethics (SC)
  • » Economics of Corporate Finance (SC)
  • » Economic Game Theory (SC)
  • » Entrepreneurship Initiative (UMass)
  • » Hospitality: Strategic Management (UMass)
  • » Internet Business (UMass)
  • » Introductory Accounting (UMass)
  • » Professional Practice (UMass)
  • » Seminar in Industrial Organization (MHC)
Facilities and Resources
 

Hampshire College Lemelson Center
Hampshire College Lemelson Center (HCLC) provides an experiential learning environment for students working in the areas of applied design; appropriate technology; social entrepreneurship; and art and technology. HCLC provides students with the education, experience, opportunities, and facilities to make a positive difference to underserved people worldwide through design and innovation for social change.

The Center for Design offers a laboratory for the exploration of design and fabrication. It is open to all Hampshire students, and includes a shop equipped for working with metals and plastics as well as a design lab for manual and computer-aided design. Students may use the facility for academic and personal projects. There are no prerequisites to use the facility, and all skill levels are welcome.

Social Venture Fund and Advisory Network
Stewarded by HCLC, the Hampshire College Social Venture Fund and Advisory Network are resources offered to Hampshire College students who are interested in pursuing enterprises or projects with an intended positive social impact. The Fund provides monetary grants for student work, and the Advisory Network connects students with a group of professionals, entrepreneurs, and other experienced individuals who can offer guidance and mentorship to a student starting a social enterprise or social action project.

Women Discovering Business
The Smith College extracurricular club, Women Discovering Business, offers students from the consortium an opportunity to come together to discuss women in the workforce and career opportunities, as well as listen to guest speakers.

Isenberg School of Management
Through the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Five College students can enroll in courses on management, accounting and information systems, finance and operations management, hospitality and tourism management, marketing, and business communications. The Isenberg School frequently holds guest lectures, business conferences, and leadership seminars.
 
 

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