In this last session, you and your capstone project group will pull together your learnings from the course and apply them to an analysis of an existing organization or institution that is focused on solving a societal issue or challenge. In a powerpoint presentation (5-10 minutes) to the cohort, you will share the following:

1. What is the mission and what are the values of the organization or institution?  

2. For whom does the organization  create value and how? Who are their key stakeholders? What is the relationship between the organization’s purpose, and its ability to create value for its stakeholders?

3. Which other constituencies are impacted by their decisions? What are the interests of the stakeholders and these constituencies? How can the organization align in a socially responsible way with their interests? 

4. How do they think about their competitive position in the marketplace and how does that influence their behavior? What challenges does the organization face? How does it achieve its success without raising controversy or causing harm to any stakeholders/constituencies?

5. And, lastly, what would you advise the company about their future direction and how would you exercise your voice if you worked for that organization?

Cohort Description: Most people associate the term “business” with the private sector. However, business skills and models are widely applied in every sector: public, private and non-profit (which includes academia). You are acquiring many transferable skills in your Ph.D. program that can be applied in academic roles as well as within a variety of industries and job functions. Join the business skills learning cohort to better understand foundational concepts and language of business. This learning cohort includes experiential learning in the form of group capstone presentations under guidance of alum mentors. 

Broad Topics include:

1. Purpose, ethics, and responsibility: stakeholder theory

2. Analysis of strategy and operations 

3. Data science in business

4. Leadership and mentoring

5. Negotiation

6. Financial 360

7. Business Communications

8. Business of higher ed