Challenging the Status Quo: Social Entrepreneurship in Public Interest Technology

This community-engaged learning class is part of a broader collaboration with the Program on Social Entrepreneurship and the Distinguished Visitors Program at the Haas Center for Public Service, using practice to better inform theory about how Public Interest Technology (PIT) ¿ the intersection of computer science, social science, law, and policy ¿ can benefit communities, improve public services, promote social justice, and safeguard rights. Working with the instructor and the 2025 Distinguished Visitors ¿ Alexandra Bernadotte, founder and CEO of Beyond 12; Jaime-Alexis Fowler, founder and executive director of Empower Work; Josh Nesbit, founder and former CEO of Medic Mobile; and Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America ¿ students will use case studies of successful and failed technologies and supporting strategy and infrastructure to explore relationships between social entrepreneurship in PIT, race, systemic inequities, democracy, and justice. This course interrogates approaches like design theory, impact evaluation, fundraising, leadership, storytelling, and policy advocacy with the Distinguished Visitors providing practical examples on how this theory plays out in practice. This is a community-engaged learning class in which students will learn by working on projects that support the social entrepreneurs' efforts to promote social change through technology. Students should register for either 3 OR 5 units only. Students enrolled in the full 5 units will have a service-learning component along with the course. Students enrolled for 3 units will not complete the service-learning component. Limited enrollment. Attendance at the first class is mandatory to participate in service learning. Graduate and undergraduate students may enroll. Designated a Cardinal Course by the Haas Center for Public Service.