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Watson Institute at Lynn University The Changemaker 1: Leap of Faith Major Requirement Catalog Description: Leap of Faith guides students through the process of overcoming key challenges faced during the social entrepreneurial process.

The course is based on the principles of transformative action and covers topics and skills ranging from: positive psychology, transforming self-doubt to self-efficacy, fragility to resilience, stagnation to creation, and risk-aversion to ‘dare and prepare’.
No pre-requisite is necessary, however the course assumes that each student is working on a social entrepreneurial endeavor.

(3 credit hours – 180 minutes per week).

Course Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the course, students should be able to: a) L.O.

2.1: Identify, describe and apply the principles of transformative action to their own lives and social entrepreneurial endeavors b) L.O.
2.2: Describe the principles of positive psychology and apply positive psychology to their social entrepreneurial endeavors c) L.O.

2.3: Describe the principles of self-efficacy and design a series of skills and tools to increase their own self-efficacy d) L.O.

2.4: Describe common obstacles social entrepreneurs face and practice overcoming those obstacles e) L.O.

2.5: Apply the principles of transformative action to build broad-reaching coalitions of partners f) L.O.
2.6: Practice the skill of resourcefulness to begin the social entrepreneurial process in a resource limited environment Students will demonstrate that they have met these objectives through research assignments, course projects, and written assignments.

Required Text: There is no required textbook.

Readings for each class session are included in the syllabus.
Course Requirements: Overview of Responsibilities (basis of evaluation) Weekly Writing Assignments: Every week you are assigned an exercise designed to optimize the value of the week’s substance to your personal development and venture.

Unless otherwise directed, these are uploaded to the student’s Leap of Faith Assignment folder in Google Drive.

Class Presence and Preparation: You are expected to be present in class each week—physically, intellectually and emotionally—because we need you.
In addition to weekly assignments that are based on that week’s course substance, there are readings, viewings or other exercises required to prepare for the following week’s class.

Team/Peer Evaluation: Informed by Goran Ekvall’s research about creative and productive work climates, we will craft criteria by which to hold ourselves accountable—as individuals and as a community—for maximizing learning.

We will conduct evaluations in the middle and at the end of the course.
Competency Portfolio: Throughout the course we each build a personal Competency Portfolio that precisely articulates the competencies developed through the Leap of Faith experience.

At the end of the semester each of us will present our Competency Portfolio in an effective format (e.g.

written document, infographic, video, website) that articulates our skills and their value to our ventures and visions as a leader.
Grade Breakdown Weekly Assignments Class Presence and Preparation Team/Peer Evaluation Competency Profile TOTAL Grading Scale: 40 20 20 20 100 Each student's final grade is based on the final average for the course requirements as compared to the university grade scale.

A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- 93 – 100 90 - 92 87 - 89 83 - 86 80 - 82 77 - 79 73 - 76 70 - 72 D+ D F 67 - 69 60 - 66 0 - 59 Extra credit is not applicable or available in this course.
Overview of Course Schedule and Assignments Week 1 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE OUR EDUCATION?

Writing Assignment Due by Next Class Time: What makes me feel alive?

When I’m not feeling alive, what am I doing instead?

What gets in the way of my feeling alive?

Preparatory Assignments for Next Class Time: Read assigned case study from Scott Sherman’s research and be prepared to concisely describe and deeply analyze.
Week 2 PRINCIPLES OF TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION 1 Writing Assignment Due by Next Class Time: Compare and contrast traditional vs. transformative principles of action as significant within two contexts: First, what facets of these principles resonate most deeply with my own personal and interpersonal experiences and proclivities?

What aspects of transformative principles may be most challenging for me to practice?
Second, how have various principles (traditional and/or transformative) been applied by other leaders who try to create change around an issue related to my venture?

What seems to have been more/less effective?

How might I predict certain principles being especially effective—or not—in my own efforts to create transformative change around this issue?

[note: Be as precise as you can in putting these principles in the context of actual efforts to create change around your particular issue.
This analysis will likely require some research on your part, in which case you should be sure to cite any sources of information and insight.]

Preparatory Assignment for Next Class Time: Based on the insights gained from this week’s writing assignment, come to class prepared to identify obstacles that past/current leaders face in effectively applying principles for social change.
Week 3 PRINCIPLES OF TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION 2 First, what facets of these principles resonate most deeply with my own personal and interpersonal experiences and proclivities?

What aspects of transformative principles may be most challenging for me to practice?

Second, how have various principles (traditional and/or transformative) been applied by other leaders who try to create change around an issue related to my venture?

What seems to have been more/less effective?


How might I predict certain principles being especially effective—or not—in my own efforts to create transformative change around this issue?

[note: Be as precise as you can in putting these principles in the context of actual efforts to create change around your particular issue.

This analysis will likely require some research on your part, in which case you should be sure to cite any sources of information and insight.]
Week 4 OBSTACLES TO TRANSFORMATION Intrapersonal Assignment Due by Next Class Time: What insights were gained from having “tea with my demon”?

How are these insights relevant to my work on my venture?
[Note: this can be a written analysis in essay form, or it can be a creative depiction of your “conversation” through written dialogue, cartooning, video or any other effective mode] Preparatory Assignment for Next Class Time: Watch Brene Brown’s TED Talk, The Power of Vulnerability Week 5 TRANSFORMING FEAR INTO FAITH Writing Assignment Due by Next Class Time: What makes Watson a “leap of faith” for me?
Preparatory Assignment for Next Class Time: Read Cooperrider and Whitney’s A Positive Revolution in Change: Appreciative Inquiry; prepare for Team/Peer Evaluation discussion.

Week 6 TRANSFORMING DESPAIR INTO HOPE Writing Assignment Due by Next Class Time: Write and deliver/send a letter of gratitude to someone.

Be precise in articulating that for which you are grateful and how it has impacted you in a way that is relevant to your Watson experience or venture.
Unless you choose to keep it private, submit a copy of your letter to your assignment folder.

Also submit to your assignment folder a brief reflection on any impact of writing the letter (e.g.

did the exercise of thinking about and writing the letter affect you in any way?

If the recipient has received it already, has your relationship been impacted in any way?)
Preparatory Assignment for Next Class Time: Watch Chimamanda Adichie’s TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story” http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.

Familiarize yourself with this document based on Carol Dweck’s work: https://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/ild/symonette.makeassessmentwork.dweck_.pdf.

Consider also watching a Dr. Dweck lecture online (e.g.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ).


Week 7 TRANSFORMING SELF-DOUBT INTO SELF-EFFICACY Writing Assignment Due by Next Class Time: Reflect on the stories I tell myself about myself.

Guiding questions might include: In the narratives I tell myself about myself when do I tend to bestow myself with agency?

When do I tend to deprive myself of agency?

Are there recurring “characters” or “plots” in my narratives?

Are there plotlines were I tend to have a “fixed” or “growth” mindset?
Are there plotlines that would shift if I added “yet” to the script?

Am I attached to “single story” about myself or the world?

How might my narrative habits impact my ability to set goals and/or hold myself accountable?

Preparatory Assignment for Next Class Time: Read Kathy Gottberg’s brief article at http://smartliving365.com/feel-rich-safe-content-matter/.

Consider further exploring the works Gottberg recommends by Brow and Twist.
Week 8 TRANSFORMING SCARCITY INTO ABUNDANCE Writing Assignment Due by Next Class Time: Where do I tend to perceive abundance in my life?

Scarcity?

Does my mindset reinforce the perception or actuality of scarcity?

Of abundance?

Preparatory Assignment for Next Class Time: Read Jennifer Milliken’s “Resilience: from Metaphor to Action Plan for Use in the Peacebuilding Field” and come to class prepared to discuss analogies between Milliken’s community-level insights and personal resilience.
Week 9 TRANSFORMING FRAGILITY INTO RESILIENCE Writing Assignment Due by Next Class Time: Create a personal resilience action plan; include an assessment of your current strengths, assets and practices that you want to sustain or fortify as well as new directions in which you plan to grow.

Identify, discover or create an artifact that serves as a “touchstone” to connect you to your plan (often this is a metaphor for a theme or element of the plan).
Include a description or photo of your touchstone in your plan.

Preparatory Assignment for Next Class Time: Familiarize yourself with Marshall Rosenberg’s approach to Nonviolent Communication by watching a video, perusing a website, listening to a podcast or reading an article.

Week 10 TRANSFORMING “ENEMIES” INTO ALLIES Assignment Due by Next Class Time: Take action to forgive, make peace or have a crucial conversation with someone.
Write about your preparation and plan, what happened, and reflections on consequences to you and your relationship.

Preparatory Assignment for Next Class Time: Read excerpt from Mihaly Csikszentmihaly’s Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention.

Week 11 TRANSFORMING STAGNATION INTO CREATION Assignment Due By Next Class Time: Find—or choose from among Ang’s stash—a creativity exercise to apply toward generating new ideas regarding your venture.
Assignment Due by December 1: Choose one of the weekly assignments to hone to a new level of excellence and meaning.

In addition to Ang’s feedback, seek feedback from at least two classmates about how you might increase the value of this assignment both in terms of process and product.

The next iteration is due by December 1 and the final iteration is due by class time on December 15.
NO CLASS NOVEMBER 24 -- FALL BREAK Weel 12 TRANSFORMING “FEAR OF FRAUD” INTO “AUDACIOUS AUTHENTICTY” Preparation for Next Week’s Class: Complete your first draft of a “competency profile”.

Week 13 TRANSFORMING RISK-AVERSION INTO “DARE AND PREPARE” Assignment Due Next Week: Final submission of the Competency Profile and final submission of honed weekly assignment.
Week 14 METAMORPHOSIS –FINAL CLASS Appendix A: Watson Institute at Lynn University MISSION, VISION, GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES MISSION: Watson Institute’s mission is to design and deliver a degree that maximizes the positive social impact students and alumni can create throughout their lifetimes.

VISION: Watson Institute at Lynn University aims to unleash next generation talent to solve the toughest social, environmental, and economic challenges facing the world.
GOALS AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: The coursework of Watson Institute is designed to achieve the following goals: CORE GOALS: Goal #1: Describe and apply the process of developing and refining a social enterprise idea.

Relevant Course: Transformative Entrepreneurship 1: Ideation L.O.

1.1: Apply design thinking and design research, and how to use various ideation frameworks for establishing the root cause and possible solutions to an issue L.O.
1.2: Apply rapid prototyping to prototype ideas and test assumptions created in ideation phase.

L.O.

1.3: Discuss peer organizations, current innovations, and their market niche L.O.

1.4: Analyze social venture marketing tools and messaging, and create a pitch for a social venture L.O.

1.5: Describe the business model canvas and design a business model canvas for a social venture L.O.

1.6: Create an in-depth stakeholder map, including bottom up, top down, and middle out stakeholders.
Compare and contrast each stakeholder’s model L.O.

1.7: Design a messaging platform for a social venture, including a 1-2 pager, 1 paragraph, and tagline L.O.

1.8: Create a 180-day strategic plan Goal #2: Describe key challenges faced during the process of starting a social enterprise and apply the skills of transformative action to overcome those challenges.

Relevant Course: The Changemaker 1: Ideation L.O.


2.1: Identify, describe and apply the principles of transformative action to their own lives and social entrepreneurial endeavors L.O.

2.2: Describe the principles of positive psychology and apply positive psychology to their social entrepreneurial endeavors L.O.

2.3: Describe the principles of self-efficacy and design a series of skills and tools to increase their own self-efficacy L.O.
2.4: Describe common obstacles social entrepreneurs face and practice overcoming those obstacles L.O.

2.5: Apply the principles of transformative action to build broad-reaching coalitions of partners L.O.

2.6: Practice the skill of resourcefulness to begin the social entrepreneurial process in a resource limited environment Goal #3: Practice and apply a set of foundational hard skills necessary for starting a social enterprise.

Relevant Course: Lab 1 L.O.


3.1: Employ and apply key functions of Excel towards the development of a social venture L.O.

3.2: Employ and apply web design software to create a website for a social venture L.O.

3.3: Practice strategic planning and design a strategic plan for a social venture L.O.

3.4: Design goals using the SMART framework and practice managing their time effectively to achieve those goals L.O.

3.5: Identify and analyze their target market L.O.


3.6: Describe and practice the process of turning an idea into a social enterprise L.O.

3.7: Identify and apply available resources for self-directed learning L.O.

3.8: Identify the key legal issues faced by startup social enterprises and apply available legal resources L.O.

3.9: Practice strategies for effective oral and written communications L.O.

3.10: Practice strategies of effective networking and building alliances L.O.
3.11: Describe and create a founders’ agreement L.O.

3.12: Practice soft skills of relationship/partnership building L.O.

3.13: Practice basic financial modeling L.O.

3.14: Practice and apply graphic design tools towards a social venture Goal #4: Describe the goal setting process and practice creating and achieving goals relevant to the progress of a social enterprise.

Relevant Courses: Lab 2-3, Lab 5-6, Lab 8-9, Lab 10-11 L.O.
4.1: Design ambitious and achievable goals aimed at progressing a social venture L.O.

4.2: Complete the goals they set and demonstrate progress made in a social venture Goal #5: Practice working collaboratively with peers to overcome common challenges faced by their peers during the process of starting a social enterprise.

Relevant Courses: Lab 2-3, Lab 5-6, Lab 8-9, Lab 10-11 L.O.
5.1: Practice alongside peers collaboratively solving problems faced by their peers which are common to many startup social enterprises L.O.

5.2: Analyze common problems faced by startup social enterprises Goal #6: Practice building relationships and meeting with mentors, engaging mentors, following up with mentors, thanking mentors and maximizing the value of mentors’ time.

Relevant Courses: Lab 2-3, Lab 5-6, Lab 8-9, Lab 10-11 L.O.
6.1: Create lasting relationships with mentors relevant to a social enterprise L.O.

6.2: Practice effectively engaging a team of advisors to work through individualized challenges faced in the development of a social enterprise L.O.

6.3: Practice the skills of relationship building necessary for forming a coalition of partners, mentors, and advisors Goal #7: Describe, practice and apply a step-by-step methodology to rapidly and systematically validate their business model.
Relevant Course: Transformative Entrepreneurship 3: Business Model Validation L.O.

7.1: Identify the foundational assumptions of a social venture by completing a venture map L.O.

7.2: Describe and practice a repeatable process for how to do customer discovery L.O.

7.3: Describe the rapid prototyping process and practice creating 1-2 prototypes of a key element of a social venture L.O.

7.4: Use real prototypes with real customers L.O.


7.5: Describe and practice financial modeling for social enterprises L.O.

7.6: Create a budget and financial model for a social enterprise L.O.

7.7: Create a break-even analysis of their social enterprise and identify the key cost and financial assumptions of their social enterprise L.O.

7.8: Create a 3-6 month operating plan L.O.


7.9: Analyze the foundational assumptions underpinning their venture Goal #8: Practice and apply the virtues and character traits necessary to accomplish both personal and social entrepreneurial goals.

Relevant Course: The Changemaker 2: Virtuous Entrepreneur L.O.

8.1: Create their own definition of what it means to be authentically virtuous in their social entrepreneurial endeavors and lives more broadly L.O.
8.2: Identify and describe their fatal virtues and complimentary virtues that will impact their success as social entrepreneurs and leaders L.O.

8.3: Practice self-awareness of their own leadership within their social entrepreneurial endeavors by creating a LeaderShape and their corresponding self-assessment L.O.
8.4: Design and apply three transformation experiments to gain familiarity with the process of self-assessment, improvement, and reflection upon their virtues to improve their capacity as social entrepreneurs L.O.

8.5: Create a working definition of discernment and apply it to their own lives and social entrepreneurial endeavors L.O.
8.6: Create a working definition of freedom and apply it to their own lives and social entrepreneurial endeavors Goal #9: Practice and apply a set of hard skills necessary for launching a social enterprise.

Relevant Course: Lab 4 L.O.

9.1: Describe and best practices in branding and apply to a social venture L.O.

9.2: Describe and best practices in search engine optimization and social media marketing and apply to a social venture L.O.
9.3: Describe best practices in public relations and apply to a social venture L.O.

9.4: Describe best practices in creating and managing boards and practice by designing and/or building a board for a social venture L.O.

9.5: Describe best practices in creating and managing an executive team and practice by designing and/or building an executive team for a social venture L.O.
9.6: Describe best practices in creating an internal and external communication system and practice by designing and/or building a communication system for a social venture L.O.

9.7: Describe best practices in creating culture and values and practice by designing culture and values for a social venture L.O.

9.8: Describe best practices in delegation and practice by designing a management process for a social venture L.O.
9.9: Describe best practices in creating strategic partnerships and practice by designing and/or building a strategic partnership for a social venture L.O.

9.10: Describe key types of insurance for social enterprises (liability, D&O, key-man) and determine which insurance is necessary for a venture L.O.

9.11: Identify core competencies and areas to outsource, and then apply by articulating the core competencies and designing an outsourcing strategy for a social venture L.O.
9.12: Describe the process necessary to establish a legal entity and then create operating agreements, bylaws, and articles of incorporation for a social venture L.O.

9.13: Describe relevant legal issues, tax requirements, and record keeping necessary and practice by applying to a social venture L.O.

9.14: Describe best practices in bootstrapping and growth hacking and apply to a social venture Goal #10: Describe and practice the fundraising process for both for-profit and non- profit social enterprises.
Relevant Course: Transformative Entrepreneurship 3: Funder Readiness L.O.

10.1: Describe what it takes to get from point A (needing money) to point B (successfully closing a round of funding) L.O.

10.2: Design a one and three-year strategic plan L.O.

10.3: Describe and practice the elements of being funder ready L.O.

10.4: Apply the elements of funder readiness to a social venture L.O.

10.5: Design and implement an action plan to fundraise L.O.

10.6: Practice asking funders L.O.


10.7: Describe how to design an evaluation system and appropriate metrics to track the impact of a social enterprise and practice by creating an evaluation system and appropriate metrics for a social venture Goal #11: Describe best practices in building and strengthening teams for social enterprises and apply those principles to building and strengthening an actual team for a social enterprise.

Relevant Course: The Changemaker 3: Transformative Team L.O.
11.1: Analyze the complexity of leadership and team building within the social entrepreneurial context L.O.

11.2: Design an organizational roles and responsibilities document and identify gaps in a team that can help inform the creation of a job description L.O.

11.3: Analyze best practices in compensation scales and apply those principles to designing a compensation scale for their organization L.O.
11.4: Analyze best practices in recruiting strong candidates, selection, and interviewing and apply those principles to designing a hiring process L.O.

11.5: Analyze and apply the legal implications of hiring and building a team L.O.

11.6: Analyze and apply conflict management principles towards building a strong team L.O.

11.7: Analyze and apply team motivators within a social entrepreneurial team L.O.
11.8: Describe the functional organization chart tool and apply it to a social entrepreneurial venture to create alignment L.O.

11.9: Analyze best practices and design a communication system for a startup social enterprise team Goal #12: Apply a set of hard skills necessary for growing a social enterprise.

Relevant Course: Lab 7 L.O.

12.1: Compare and contrast best practices in raising capital (investment, grant and donor) and apply to a social venture L.O.
12.2: Analyze best practices in sales techniques and approaches and apply to a social venture L.O.

12.3: Analyze best practices in cash flow management and practice by creating a cash flow document for a social venture L.O.

12.4: Analyze best practices in financial modeling and practice by creating a financial model for a social venture L.O.

12.5: Describe best practices in unit economics and practice by analyzing the unit economics of a social venture L.O.
12.6: Analyze best practices in customer relationship management and practice by designing and/or building a customer relationship management system for a social venture L.O.

12.7: Describe best practices in financial reports and reporting and practice by creating financial reports for a social venture L.O.

12.8: Describe the concept of and how to calculate customer acquisition costs and practice by analyzing the customer acquisition costs for a social venture L.O.
12.9: Analyze best practices in creating sales models and practice by designing a sales model for a social venture L.O.

12.10: Analyze best practices in pre-sales and design a pre-sale strategy for a social venture L.O.

12.11: Describe the concept of leads and practice by developing a leads list for a social venture L.O.

12.12: Analyze best practices in customer retention and then apply by designing a customer retention strategy for a social venture L.O.
12.13: Analyze best practices in customer satisfaction and apply by designing a customer satisfaction strategy for a social venture L.O.

12.14: Analyze best practices in investor due diligence and apply by completing a mock due diligence process for a social venture L.O.
12.15: Analyze best practices in negotiation and apply by completing a mock negotiation process relevant to a social venture Goal #13: Synthesize experiences, entrepreneurial principles, and venture frameworks into the completion of a rigorous, research-backed thesis.

Relevant Courses: Transformative Entrepreneurship 4: Thesis L.O.

13.1: Practice skills in finding and analyzing research L.O.

13.2: Demonstrate expertise in the field relevant to a social enterprise L.O.
13.3: Practice grounding the problem and solution a social venture is focused on in evidence, fact, and rigor L.O.

13.4 Analyze extensively the topic area of a social enterprise L.O.

13.5: Complete an in depth, evidence backed thesis on a social enterprise L.O.

13.6: Design an experiential learning process that supplements the evidence-backed thesis with personal experience L.O.
13.7: Create a thesis advisory committee of topic experts who both serve to help inform the content of the thesis and provide mentorship and guidance throughout the thesis writing process L.O.

13.8: Debate key concepts in their thesis in front of a panel to verbally reinforce their findings Goal #14: Complete an in-depth portfolio of his/her past, present, and future to demonstrate understanding and self-awareness of his/her life to date and future trajectory.
Relevant Course: The Changemaker 4: Portfolio L.O.

14.1: Demonstrate a deeper understanding of their lives to date and who they have become through answering a series of in depth questions about their past L.O.

14.2: Through answering a series of in depth questions about their present, demonstrate a deeper understanding of their current skills, resources, opportunities, and purpose L.O.
14.3: Through answering a series of in depth questions about their future, demonstrate a deeper understanding of their next steps post-graduation and trajectories as social entrepreneurs and leaders L.O.

14.4: Create an extensive network of leading social entrepreneurs who can serve as mentors beyond the completion of their degree L.O.
14.5: Analyze the path they are on and how it ties into their overall life story and describe their purpose and next steps as social entrepreneurs Goal #15: Apply a set of hard skills necessary for leading a social enterprise.

Relevant Course: Lab 10 L.O.

15.1: Analyze best practices in motivating and promoting and apply concepts to a social venture L.O.

15.2: Analyze best practices in social enterprise management and apply concepts to a social venture L.O.
15.3: Analyze best practices in managing conflict and practice by simulating managing conflict in a social venture L.O.

15.5: Practice methods of strengthening self-confidence and esteem and practice in a social venture L.O.

15.6: Analyze best practices in human resources for early stage social enterprises and design a HR strategy for a social venture L.O.
15.7: Compare and contrast character traits of social entrepreneurs and create a profile of their own personality and character profile as a social entrepreneur L.O.

15.8: Analyze best practices in constructing teams for social enterprises and apply to a social venture L.O.

15.9: Analyze best practices in process design, development and workflow and practice by creating and managing a process for a social venture L.O.
15.10: Describe key concepts in employment law, employee agreements, letters of offer and non- compete agreements within social enterprise and create draft agreements for a social venture L.O.

15.11: Analyze best practices in leadership and decision making within social enterprise and practice within a social venture