Social Entrepreneurship in Emerging Market Economies & the Power of Student Collaboration in the Field

As the world becomes more globalized and capitalistic, social innovators in the field of Entrepreneurship are creating business solutions to ending poverty by utilizing social entrepreneurship as a sustainable vehicle for development. Social entrepreneurship is a small but rapidly growing area of study within the field of entrepreneurship t hat is now being offered at a wide range of Universities at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

In this lecture, Dennis Shaughnessy will discuss the field of social entrepreneurship in academia, as well as analyze the wide range of social enterprises in the developing world, emphasizing the role of microfinance in helping to alleviate poverty in Africa and Latin America. Dennis will also speak about Northeastern University’s role in its innovative approach to building a new generation of socially responsible business leaders through student efforts and the Social Enterprise Institute’s unique Field Study Programs.

Presenter:

Dennis Shaughnessy
Academic Director & Founder, Social Enterprise Institute

Professor Dennis Shaughnessy is an Executive Professor with the College of Business Administration’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation group since 2005. Professor Shaughnessy also launched the international field study programs and is the founder & Academic Director of the Social Enterprise Institute. Professor Shaughnessy's teaching interests include business planning, small business management, innovation and entrepreneurship, intellectual property, law and ethics, and social enterprise. He also teaches executive education in enterprise growth and acquisitions, and management of life sciences/biotechnology enterprises. Prior to entering the field of academia, Professor Shaughnessy served on the College of Business Administrations’ Board of Visitors while working as a Senior Executive at Charles Rivers Laboratories.

In addition to being a corporate lawyer with expertise in intellectual property and M&A, he has extensive experience in corporate innovation, entrepreneurship and strategy. His work as a faculty member at NU includes recent initiatives in social entrepreneurship in developing countries. He was elected by graduate and undergraduate business-students as “GE’s Professor of the Year from 2005-2006. He is also is the founder and managing director of The Calpernia Fund, an organization that supports social enterprise development, including creating economic opportunity in refugee camps. He holds an MBA from Northeastern’s High Tech MBA Program, a JD (Doctor of Law) from the University of Maryland, a Masters in Social Work Management from the University of Michigan, an Executive Education certificate in Strategy and Management from Cornell University and a BA from the Pennsylvania State University.