Deploy urban entrepreneurialism to build new ventures that solve challenges in the built environment
8 weeks, excluding
orientation
7–10 hours per week,
entirely online
Weekly modules,
flexible learning
1
A comprehensive understanding of the entrepreneurship process involved in launching an idea related to the urban environment, and the skills needed to apply this process repeatedly.
2
Personalized insights on your proposed venture from the subject matter experts at MITdesignX on-campus program network.
3
A one-year action plan that you can use to launch your venture in the built environments of the real world.
This course provides key tools to anyone interested in solving challenges or starting a business related to urban development and the built environment, including professionals in design, architecture, planning, policy, engineering, real estate, transportation, or construction roles. Those interested in aiding the transition to smart cities will gain the skills to make a meaningful contribution to the cities of the future, through urban entrepreneurialism.
If you’ve begun your entrepreneurial journey in the built environment, you’ll have the opportunity to develop new skills snd refine your knowledge.
If you’ve already an entrepreneur who has never explored the built environment, you’ll gain new insights, and will be able to explore the opportunities offered in this market.
If you work within the built environment but aren’t yet an entrepreneur, you’ll learn the concepts needed to launch a new venture, while applying your current knowledge.
If you have no experience as an entrepreneur but are interested in the possibilities or urban entrepreneurialism, you’ll gain insights into the built environment and will have the opportunity to explore the value offered by the growing market.
Over the duration of this online short course, you’ll work through the following modules:
Module 1 Imagine Design Solutions in the Built Environment
Connect needs and opportunities in the built environment with design solutions.
Module 2 Test Ideas, Research the Market, and Define Stakeholders
Learn about the building blocks of venture ideation.
Module 3 Calibrate an Idea and Create a Development Framework
Reassess the problem to better position your venture for effective development.
Module 4 Determine the Value Proposition and Model the User Journey
Explore the value a venture creates and how a user journey can set you on course to create an ideal solution.
Module 5 Prototype Your Built Environment Solution
Learn to build, test, and iterate on your idea.
Module 6 Create a Business Model
Discover how to position your venture ahead of the competition.
Module 7 Tailor the Message and Pitch Your Venture
Learn to effectively communicate the vision, goals, and practicalities of your venture.
Module 8 Develop an Action Plan to Operationalize Your Venture
Learn how to craft a goal-oriented action plan to prepare your venture for the path forward.
Gilad Rosenzweig
Executive Director, MITdesignX
Rosenzweig is an architect and urban planner with almost two decades of experience in community development, public policy, technological innovation, and the design of things big and small.
He is the executive director of MITdesignX — the venture accelerator of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning. Rosenzweig works with students, faculty, and researchers as they turn ideas, theses, and research into sustainable businesses making an impact on the world. He is also vice president of product at Tulu, a start-up changing the way we live with our household products, and with each other.
Photo credit: Suzanne Kreiter / Boston Globe (2014)
Housed within MIT SA+P, the MITdesignX academic program is dedicated to design innovation and entrepreneurship. The program exists to turn ideas into action, functioning as a venture accelerator, empowering students, faculty and researchers to apply their insights to new business ventures and forward-thinking solutions. By providing these aspiring entrepreneurs key resources, MITdesignX is helping to address critical challenges in the human environment through purposeful innovation.
"This was a very interesting program. The tools I learned can be applied to many industries and lines of business. I had taken entrepreneurship classes before, but this program had a more human-centered and sustainability approach. [I enjoyed] the interviews with other professionals who shared their experiences as entrepreneurs and innovators, and how it related to the course content. That was very inspiring."
This MIT SA+P online program is delivered in collaboration with online education provider GetSmarter. Join a growing community of global professionals, and benefit from the opportunity to:
Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from an international selection of universities and institutions, entirely online and in your own time
Enjoy a personalized, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step
Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones