Overview
The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Program brings together faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students from across Stanford to develop innovative, technology-based solutions with a potential for social benefit. An SIE project begins with a promising idea, such as using new LED technology to develop solar-powered lights for the poor without electricity in the developing world, or using new chip technology to develop affordable hearing devices for the poor with hearing loss. The project then partners with one or more social entrepreneurs with experience in the problem domain. The goal of the project is to help a promising idea become a successful solution, and an early-stage social venture become a successful enterprise.
The students on SIE teams learn the Stanford methodology of innovation and the art of social entrepreneurship. The teams first seek a deep understanding of those they would be serving. The teams then use prototypes of possible products, experiences, and business models to test assumptions with users and to iteratively improve possible solutions. Along the way, the teams receive frequent feedback and coaching from domain experts and successful social entrepreneurs. The program seeks to match excellent teams of students with outstanding groups of mentors, and to develop the skills the teams will need to succeed.