This course focuses on understanding subsistence marketplaces and designing business solutions for the billions of people living in poverty in the global marketplace. To develop understanding of these markets, we use exercises to that enable learners to view the world from the eyes of subsistence consumers and entrepreneurs, facilitate bottom‐up understanding generated by participants, and provide insights from extensive research. More broadly, the course uses the context of extreme resource constraints to learn about the bottom-up approach pioneered through the Subsistence Marketplaces Initiative and apply it in broadly. A parallel project will focus on understanding a specific need in a subsistence marketplace, and designing a solution and an enterprise plan for implementation.
This course is part of the Global Challenges in Business Specialization
Offered By
Global Challenges in Business SpecializationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignAbout this Course
Offered by
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement, distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Illinois serves the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and finding solutions to critical societal needs.
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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Course Orientation
You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.
Module 1: Introduction to Subsistence Marketplaces and Bottom-Up Immersion
In this module, you will be introduced to the importance of studying subsistence marketplaces as well as the unique nature of a bottom-up approach to studying it.
Module 2: Bottom-Up Immersion and Emersion
In this module you will learn about unique aspects that characterize marketplace interactions between buyers and sellers in subsistence marketplaces. You will also learn about understanding needs and markets in subsistence marketplaces.
Module 3: Bottom-Up Design
In this module you will learn about gaining marketplace insights in subsistence marketplaces. You will also learn about environmental issues in subsistence marketplaces.
Module 4: Bottom-Up Enterprise
In this module you will learn about understanding needs in subsistence contexts. You will also learn about a structured approach to generating ideas for addressing the needs in subsistence marketplaces.
Reviews
- 5 stars63.06%
- 4 stars15.31%
- 3 stars3.60%
- 2 stars6.30%
- 1 star11.71%
TOP REVIEWS FROM SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION FOR SUBSISTENCE MARKETPLACES
Wonderful presentation, this course truly gives the insight to subsistence living around the world that is not the topic of kitchen table conversations but ought to be!
The subject is very relevant in view of the SDGs and the instructor is passionate, involved, dedicated and interesting. But it is a bit repetitive and the grades take too long too come.
I will carry this experience with me throughout the rest of my career and life. This was a touching and fulfilling class and I highly recommend it to any professions.
Great course with multiple great learning resources. The professor is passionate and goes above and beyond to present the course and experience.
About the Global Challenges in Business Specialization
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