Business & Entrepreneurship

Programs

What separates successful startups from those that fail, and how do businesses thrive in today’s rapidly changing world? This course takes you inside the entrepreneurial journey-from launching ventures and securing funding to making strategic decisions that shape company futures. Students will examine real-world challenges including access to capital for underrepresented founders, the role of AI in reshaping industries, cognitive biases in corporate decision-making, and how global tensions force companies to rethink their strategies. Through case studies and hands-on analysis, you’ll learn how businesses create value, compete, and adapt in an interconnected economy.

Startup Ecosystems & Early-Stage Ventures

What factors most influence whether a startup succeeds or fails in its first three years?
What role does access to venture capital play in startup ecosystems in emerging markets (e.g., India, Africa, Latin America)?
How do government policies and startup incubators influence entrepreneurship in different countries?
Why do certain cities—such as Bangalore, Tel Aviv, and Silicon Valley—develop more dynamic and sustainable startup ecosystems than others, and how do institutional, cultural, and network factors interact to drive this performance?

Equity & Access in Entrepreneurship

Why might structural and perceptual barriers in investment and credit markets differentially affect the scalability of female-founded versus male-founded small businesses?
How Can Technology Close the Wealth Gap for Underserved Communities?
How can public-private partnerships (PPPs) combined with AI-driven portfolio monitoring tools improve venture capital funding and entrepreneurship access for underrepresented entrepreneurs in frontier African markets?

Consumer Behavior & Business Models

How do social media platforms shape consumer trust and brand loyalty among Gen Z?
How do subscription-based business models (e.g., Netflix, Spotify, meal kits) change consumer behavior compared to one-time purchases?
How do consumers respond differently in e-commerce platforms than offline channels?
How does engineered scarcity influence market value, consumer demand, and innovation across industries?
How do multinationals use choice architecture to gain a competitive edge?

Corporate Strategy & Decision-Making

How do cognitive biases affect corporate decision-making?
Does going public increase the risk appetite of a firm?
Why do multinationals localize innovation strategies differently across institutional environments?

Sustainability & Social Responsibility

How can businesses balance profitability with sustainability in industries like fashion or food?
What is the impact of banks’ products and investment strategies on the growth of the green finance sector?

Technology, AI & Financial Markets

How will AI decision making affect the financial market and investment strategies?
How do investment levels, research output, and AI adoption rates compare among China, the United States, and the European Union?

Global Business & International Economics

To what extent does the United States economy negatively affect international businesses?
How do geopolitical tensions force companies to perform “corporate gymnastics” with their supply chains?