Practicum (498-0-23)

Topic

Technology, Culture, and Innovation

Instructors

Hayley Nelson

Meeting Info

Meets in Non-General PurposeRm: Fri 9:00AM - 11:50AM
Meets in Non-General PurposeRm: Fri 1:00PM - 3:50PM

Overview of class

In this dynamic 5-week course, "Technology, Culture and Innovation," students will embark on an exploration of the dynamics at play between society, culture, and innovation in Silicon Valley.
Students will come away with an understanding of the startup ecosystem, the role of venture capital, and learn some of the ways the most successful companies have pursued innovation and built strong company cultures. We'll examine the ever-evolving tech landscape, consider market factors, economic cycles in the lifecycle of the startup.

The curriculum will weave together marketing strategy and product development angles, examining why some businesses succeed while others fail.

We will also explore the leadership mindset, looking at what makes founder/CEOs great. We'll learn about the importance of a well defined mission, vision, and values for successful companies like Asana, Airbnb, and Salesforce. We'll discuss the role of culture in translating to employee experience, customer success, and ultimately, innovation. And we'll look at innovation from a mindset perspective, infusing concepts from design thinking to understand how great ideas go from conception to execution.

The course curriculum blends classroom learning with real-world experiences, featuring discussions with industry leaders and field trips to influential tech companies like IDEO, Autodesk, Logitech, and a16z. Students will also engage in hands-on workshops, possibly even playing venture capitalists for a day. In a final project, students will come away with a playbook for building culture and governing communications in an innovative company of their choosing.

Class Attributes

Attendance at 1st class mandatory

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Registration is reserved for IMC Full-Time Students only.
Add Consent: Department Consent Required