INITIATIVES The Institute pursues a diverse portfolio of projects but has adopted a number of focused initiatives of critical importance to society where Institute-supported scholars hold substantial expertise. Current initiatives center on six areas of public interest:
EFFECTUAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
The Society for Effectual Action is a group
There is growing acceptance that business
of academic researchers and entrepreneurs
must play a constructive role in addressing
gathered for a single purpose: to fundamen-
global issues of sustainability. The Institute’s
tally change the way entrepreneurship is
Innovation and Sustainability initiative focuses
taught and learned around the world.
on the mechanisms by which entrepreneurship and innovation can simultaneously drive
INNOVATION AND ORGANIC GROWTH
a firm’s market success and discover sustain-
Shrinking markets, unrelenting competition, the vitality of every business enterprise,
INNOVATION AND HEALTH CARE
large and small. The Institute’s Innovation
Although U.S. policymakers, medical profes-
and Organic Growth initiative examines how
sionals, and health care consumers may not
innovation can be the engine for sustained,
agree on a single solution, all agree that the
internally generated business growth.
country’s health care system is not working.
and swiftly evolving technologies challenge
able solutions to societal challenges.
The Health Care Innovation initiative sup-
ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN EMERGING MARKETS New businesses are crucial for the sustained economic development of the world’s emerging regions. The Entrepreneurship in Emerg-
ports research that reflects the need for novel approaches to this seemingly intractable problem.
DESIGN@DARDEN
ing Markets initiative supports research
Design thinking is a key competency asso-
projects focused on entrepreneurs and the
ciated with innovation but not traditionally
ingredients of entrepreneurship in emerging
taught in higher learning or understood in the
regions around the world: seed-stage capital,
business world. Design@Darden is an online
mentors, sound social institutions, and a
community of educators sharing a broad array
culture that welcomes new ideas by educating
of design-related resources.
and supporting those who pursue them. transformative research | 11