teaching

Teaching & Curriculum

Stanford GSB offers a diverse and cutting-edge portfolio of social innovation courses.

CSI supports both tenure-line and adjunct faculty in developing courses that are grounded in the fundamentals of social innovation: impact measurement, human-centered design, systems thinking, and cross-sector approaches.

The Stanford GSB social innovation curriculum is part of a holistic social-innovation learning model that builds off of the management core curriculum and leverages academic frameworks, students’ and professionals’ experiences, and hands-on discovery.

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Course Highlight

Apply engineering and business skills to design product or service prototypes, distribution systems, and business plans for entrepreneurial ventures that meet the challenges faced by the world's poor.

Certificate Program

The Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation acknowledges a student’s preparedness to address social and environmental issues. Whether a student ultimately chooses to work in the corporate, nonprofit, government, or philanthropic world, the Certificate signals to future employers the individual’s commitment to this arena.

Social Innovation Case Studies

Case studies developed for the Stanford GSB social innovation curriculum are available for purchase by other teaching institutions.

Explore Case Studies on Social Innovation

Paul Brest, Debra Schifrin
2019

Despite its overall prosperity and booming economy, King County in Washington state faced persistent inequities in poverty, homelessness, and unemployment based on race and place. This case covers the period...

William Meehan III, Sheila Melvin
2019

King Philanthropies (KP) was a grant-making organization that employed a highly intentional and carefully targeted approach to philanthropy. It was guided by relentless pursuit of its mission: to alleviate extreme...

Charles Ewald, Heidi Krauel Patel, Jaclyn Foroughi
2018

In late March 2017, Clara Miller, director and president of the F.B. Heron Foundation (“Heron”), a philanthropic institution focused on helping people help themselves out of poverty, sat down to...

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David Dodson, Cameron Lehman
2018

Case follows Leila Janah, a Harvard-educated social entrepreneur, on her mission to “give work” – provide jobs, rather than just money, clothes or food – to those in impoverished communities...

Charles Ewald, Heidi Krauel Patel, Jaclyn Foroughi
2018

In the fall of 2017, Beneficial State Bank, a triple bottom line community development bank serving areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, had completed its fourth successive year of...

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen
2013

Following an employer’s liquidity event, Linda Shoemaker and her husband, Steve Brett, unexpectedly came into significant financial resources. As a result, they founded the Brett Family Foundation, which Shoemaker ran...

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Victoria Chang
2013

John Goldman is a sixth generation San Franciscan and a descendant of Levi Strauss, the entrepreneur who started the apparel company that bore his name. For generations, philanthropy has been...

Ken Shotts, David Hoyt, Ashish Jhina
2012

A reliable, safe, supply of drinking water is essential to the survival of communities. In many places the water supply is under stress—a condition that is expected to get progressively...

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Victoria Chang
2009

Tom Siebel, founder of Siebel Systems, created the Siebel Foundation in 1996. In 2005, Siebel came to learn about the prevalence and devastating economic and human costs of methamphetamine (“meth”)...

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Victoria Chang
2007

In 1913, Benjamin Altman made a capital stock investment (the stock was from his department store B. Altman & Co.) to create the Altman Foundation. Since that time, the foundation...

Global Health Innovation Insight Series

Insights and lessons to help innovators succeed on their journey from an idea to the implementation of a global health solution.