Babson College

MBA7400 Startup Foundations

0.5 Credits

The Startup Foundations SLE will focus on Entrepreneurial Thought and Action, team building, and technology. In addition to sessions on Ideas and Barriers to Innovation, students will participate in a competitive, computer-based simulation (Techmark), develop processes that will support virtual and in-person teamwork, take their first classes in Entrepreneurship and Leadership, and attend a variety of networking events.

MBA7401 Disruptive Change and Enterprise Transformation
(Formerly Business Model Innovation)
1.5 Credits

Industry: Rapid changes in science and technology, a great rebalancing if not fundamental resetting of the global social and economic order, the blurring of traditional boundaries between industry sectors, shifting attitudes towards business and globalization, and greater concern for the environment, to name but a few of the major forces disrupting the world around us, are unleashing major tectonic shifts in multiple industries such as agriculture, clothing and apparel, education, energy, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, media and entertainment, mining and excavation, retailing, telecommunications, transportation, utilities, and even government and nonprofits. During the multi-decade span of one’s career, a business manager and leader can very reasonably expect to be in the throes of such tectonic shifts at least once if not multiple times and must be prepared not just to survive but energetically thrive. During this 3-day interactive, executive-style workshop, students will learn to make sense of the bigger forces and narrower trends driving ecosystem-wide change, envision alternative scenarios for the future, identify implied strategic imperatives for an incumbent enterprise of their choice, and explore necessary transformations in the enterprise. Student learning will be facilitated by an hand-on, integrative approach that seamlessly weaves together concepts and tools from the MBA core curriculum as well the disciplines of entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, finance, marketing, operations, leadership, strategy, social concern, and sustainability. By way of context for student work and learning, students will be able to choose from any of the following five settings: agriculture, currency and payment systems, fashion and apparel, healthcare, and media.

MBA7402 Capstone: Corporate Entrepreneurship

6 Credits

The Corporate Entrepreneurship capstone course has three learning objectives:
-Integrate and apply accumulated learning experiences since the beginning of the Blended Learning MBA program
-Explore creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in greater depth—in corporate and in greenfield settings
-Develop a penetrating understanding of the process required to create something of significant value out of almost nothing

Students form teams and develop a business plan based on either a project identified within their companies or a greenfield project.

MBC6600: Design Thinking on the Opportunity Frontier

3 Credits

This course focuses on the use of design thinking to identify, develop, and refine new product and service opportunities in the context of business creation. Students will learn how to observe customers, uncover unmet needs and pain points, and translate those insights into promising venture ideas. The course examines best practices in product and service innovation, including customer discovery, problem framing, ideation, concept development, prototyping, and iterative testing. Students will explore how entrepreneurs use these approaches to reduce uncertainty, improve the fit between customer needs and proposed solutions, and guide the early development of new ventures. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on experimentation, learning through feedback, and moving from insight to actionable business concepts. 

MBC6601: Launch Plan Value Theory

3 Credits

This course focuses on helping students clarify and strengthen the new venture or growth opportunity they will advance through the Value Lab sequence. Students examine the desirability of their proposed product, service, or business concept through activities such as customer discovery, customer testing, prototyping, feedback collection, competitive analysis and market sizing. The course emphasizes identifying unmet needs, refining the value proposition, and testing key assumptions about the market and the proposed solution. Students will work with faculty, peers, and mentors to evaluate early evidence, sharpen the direction of their venture, and define the venture-appropriate final deliverable they will continue to build across the remaining Value Lab courses. 

MBC6602: Launch Plan Go-to-Market

3 credits

This course focuses on refining a promising venture concept into a more feasible and viable business opportunity. Building on earlier customer and market learning, students examine the operational, functional, and early-stage financial elements required to strengthen their proposed venture or growth plan. The course emphasizes business model refinement, capability development, implementation planning, and the analysis of risks, assumptions, and resource requirements. Students will work to improve the fit between the opportunity and the venture’s operating and financial logic while continuing to develop the venture-appropriate final deliverable established in the Develop course. The goal is to help students move from a desirable idea to a more executable and sustainable venture proposal. 

MBC6603: Launch Plan-Pitch, Defend, Modify & Deploy

3 credits

This course focuses on helping students develop, refine, and present a polished, stakeholder-ready venture proposal. Depending on the stage and needs of the venture, this may take the form of an investor pitch deck, launch plan, growth proposal, funding request, or other venture-appropriate business plan deliverable. The course emphasizes the integration of prior customer, market, operational, and financial work into a coherent and persuasive final proposal tailored to audiences such as investors, lenders, prospective hires, partners, or board members. Students will strengthen the substance, structure, and communication of their proposal through feedback, revision, and practice, with the goal of completing a final deliverable that can support the launch, growth, or advancement of their venture.