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Topics: Problem validation, Systems Thinking, Market research, Customer and user development, Business modeling, Public speaking
Disciplines: Entrepreneurship, Social studies, Business management
Type: Honours Challenge. This course is aimed at gaining practical problem-solving experience in an organisation.
Admission requirements
This course is an (extracurricular) Master Honours Challenge aimed at talented 3rd (and on) Bachelor's students and Master’s students. Admission will be based on academic background, GPA and motivation.
Description
Entrepreneurship and technology can transform the world, but not always for the better. In this course, you first reflect on current business and technology practices, exploring more sustainable, ethical, and impact-driven alternatives that leverage the power of emerging technologies for social good.
During most of the course, you will be working on your own project. You might have a specific technology solution in mind, or a more general interest in a specific business, as long as you are willing to create a positive impact you are welcome! You can either work individually or join others to form a team.
Throughout the course, you will learn essential entrepreneurial skills while systematically applying the six Horizons Architecture dimensions (Legacy, Community, Learning, Technology, Context, Projects) to develop comprehensive, sustainable solutions.
This is a very hands-on course where you get to interact with diverse stakeholders, make use of your own network, engage directly with target communities, and reach out to different people - from potential beneficiaries to technology partners to impact investors - in order to validate your assumptions and make meaningful change happen.
Course objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
analyze complex social problems;
community engagement & co-design;
apply theories and entrepreneurial tools;
evaluate the needs and preferences of stakeholders;
temporal coordination for complex social challenges;
identify their own assumptions and find ways to test them rapidly;
present your solutions and answer questions effectively;
work within a group of students with diverse backgrounds;
reflect on your personal progress and role within your team.
Programme and Timetable
Meetings of this challenge will take place from 17:15-19:00 on the following Tuesdays:
Phase I: Foundation & Framework (Weeks 1-3)
Week 1: March 10, 2026
Introduction to frameworks for Social Entrepreneurship
Understanding Time and Simultaneous Complexity axes
Introduction to the six dimensions in social entrepreneurship context
Technology's role in addressing complex social challenges
Setting up personal instances for project development
Week 2: March 17, 2026
Legacy & Community - Purpose and Stakeholders
Legacy dimension: defining mission, vision, and enduring social impact
Community dimension: stakeholder mapping and relationship building
Identifying personal values and social impact aspirations
Power dynamics and inclusive engagement strategies
Week 3: March 24, 2026
Context & Technology - Landscape and Tools
Context dimension: analyzing socio-political, economic, environmental factors
Technology dimension: emerging technologies for social good and ethical considerations
Systems thinking for social problems and leverage points
Technology readiness assessment for target communities
Phase II: Discovery & Development (Weeks 4-7)
Week 4: March 31, 2026
Learning & Projects - Adaptive Capacity and Action Planning
Learning dimension: continuous adaptation and human-centered design
Projects dimension: translating vision into concrete initiatives
Theory of change development
Feedback loops and iterative development strategies
Week 5: April 7, 2026
Temporal Integration & Problem Validation
Temporal coordination: connecting past, present, future
Using all six dimensions to validate social problems
Multi-stakeholder problem validation techniques
Learning from historical social movements and innovations
Week 6: April 14, 2026
Solution Design & Community Co-Creation
Participatory design methods with target communities
Human-AI collaboration concepts for social ventures
Building trust and authentic partnerships
Week 7: April 21, 2026
Technology Implementation & Ethics
Responsible technology deployment in social contexts
Digital inclusion and accessibility
Prototype development and testing strategies
Privacy and security for vulnerable populations
Phase III: Testing & Validation (Weeks 8-11)
Week 8: April 28, 2026
Field Work - Community Engagement
Conducting stakeholder interviews and community research
Testing assumptions across dimensions
Building relationships with target beneficiaries
Gathering data on community needs and context
Week 9: May 12, 2026
Field Work - Pilot Development
Building and testing minimum viable solutions
Iterating based on community feedback
Technology integration and user testing
Documenting lessons learned across dimensions
Week 10: May 19, 2026
Field Work - Validation & Iteration
Running pilot
Collecting impact data across all six dimensions
Rapid iteration based on multi-dimensional feedback
Building evidence for social impact and scalability
Week 11: May 26, 2026
Impact Measurement & Business Modeling
Developing metrics across HA dimensions
Social impact measurement frameworks
Financial sustainability models for social ventures
Scaling strategies that maintain community connection
Phase IV: Communication & Presentation (Weeks 12-14)
Week 12: June 2, 2026
Storytelling & Pitch Development
Crafting compelling narratives
Visual storytelling for social impact across multiple audiences
Addressing investor, community, and policy stakeholder concerns
Creating compelling pitch decks and presentations
Week 13: June 9, 2026
Final Presentations - Venture Showcase
Student presentations of validated social ventures
Peer evaluation
Q&A sessions with external evaluators
Feedback and refinement opportunities
Week 14: June 16, 2026
Reflection & Next Steps
Comprehensive reflection on personal growth
Evaluation of venture viability and impact potential
Development of post-course continuation strategies
Network building
Location
TBA
Course load
This course is worth 5 ECTS, which means the total course load equals 140 hours:
Seminars: 8 seminars of 2.5 hours = 20
Field work: 6 blocks of 2.5 hours = 15
Literature reading & engagement: 10 hours p/week = 70 hours
Assignments & final essay = 36 hours
Assessment
Individual assessment:
30% Individual Portfolio
Project assessment:
30% Community Validation & Pilot Implementation (30%)
15% Landing page
25 % Reading deck and Pitch deck
Reading list
All reading is available online, or will be made available to students.
Judit Kertesz (2017) Introduction to empathy maps. RealTimeBoard. Accessed: 29 January 2018. Available at: https://realtimeboard.com/blog/introduction-to-empathy-maps/
Monarth, H. (2015) The Irresistible Power of Storytelling as a Strategic Business Tool. HBR
Twersky, F., Buchanan, P., & Threlfall, V. (2013). Listening to those who matter most, the beneficiaries. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 11(2), 40-45.
Peredo, A. M., & McLean, M. (2006). Social entrepreneurship: A critical review of the concept. Journal of world business, 41(1), 56-65. (Available online)
Bloom, P.N. and Dees, G. (2008), Cultivate your ecosystem. Stanford social innovation review, 6(1), pp.47-53.
Alter, K., 2007. Social enterprise typology. Virtue Ventures LLC, 12, pp.1-124.
Twersky, F., Buchanan, P., & Threlfall, V. (2013). Listening to those who matter most, the beneficiaries. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 11(2), 40-45.
Strategyzer, A.G., 2015. The value proposition canvas. Retrieved at January, 10, p.2016.
Other possible literature will be announced in class or via Brightspace.
Brightspace and uSis
Brightspace will be used in this course. Upon admission students will be enrolled in Brightspace by the teaching administration.
Please note: students are not required to register through uSis for the Master Honours Classes. Your registration will be done centrally.
Registration
Submitting an application for this course is possible from Monday, 2 February until and including Sunday, 22 February 2026 through the link on the Honours Academy student website.
Note: students don’t have to register for the Master Honours Classes in uSis. The registration is done centrally before the start of the class.
Contact
Betty Huerta – betty@plnt.nl