Public Health Entrepreneurship is a course that aims to provide a framework for utilizing entrepreneurial pathways to achieve public health goals. The course is designed to equip students with the skills to envision, create, and implement solutions to public health challenges. It is particularly focused on understanding how various social and environmental factors such as racism, sexism, income, employment, environment, pollution, housing, and transportation impact health outcomes. The course is not only for public health students but also for MBA students at the School of Management, as they will likely have an impact on health outcomes in their future careers.
The course utilizes the case method to discuss public health entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and extrapreneurship initiatives. It is based on a peer-reviewed journal article titled “Towards an Understanding of Public Health Entrepreneurship” which explores concepts such as design thinking, resource mobilization, financial viability, cross-sectoral collaboration, and system strengthening. The goal is to analyze real-world cases using this framework and encourage students to think about how they can apply design thinking in a way that promotes “design justice” – ensuring that solutions are driven by the communities affected and empower them.
One of the highlights of the course is the opportunity to engage with guest entrepreneurs who have experience in public health entrepreneurship. These guest speakers provide valuable insights and real-world examples that enrich the learning experience for students. For example, Daisy Rosales, the founder of a global mental health nonprofit called Brio, shared her approach to standing in solidarity with individuals from diverse backgrounds and communities. She emphasized the importance of collaboration and mutual empowerment in addressing public health challenges.
Another guest speaker, Ashlee Wisdom, shared her experience founding Health In Her HUE, a company that aims to connect Black women with culturally responsive healthcare providers. Ashlee’s personal experience with healthcare disparities led her to create a platform that addresses the lack of culturally responsive care for Black women. Her story highlights the importance of addressing root causes and building trust within marginalized communities to improve health outcomes.
Brita Roy, another guest speaker, demonstrated the concept of intrapreneurship and extrapreneurship by innovating within existing institutions and collaborating across sectors to address gun violence in New Haven. Her initiative, TRUE-HAVEN, focused on providing housing and support services to reduce violence exposure in the community. This case exemplifies the importance of systems thinking and community partnerships in addressing complex social challenges.
Lastly, Song Kim shared her journey from being a civil rights lawyer to becoming the CEO of a medical device startup focused on improving care for individuals with sickle cell disease. Her story highlights the challenges faced by women of color in leadership roles and the importance of finding one’s voice and navigating biases in the entrepreneurial space.
Overall, the course and the Impact & Innovation podcast provide valuable lessons for social entrepreneurs looking to make a difference in public health and other social issues. The stories shared by guest entrepreneurs emphasize the importance of understanding one’s leadership style, connecting with communities, building power for marginalized groups, and fostering collaboration across sectors. By learning from these experiences, aspiring changemakers can gain insights into how they can contribute to social change and make a positive impact in their respective fields.
