ENTP 5800 - Prosperity Promotion and Entrepreneurship

Poverty remains one of the most pervasive challenges globally despite countless eradication efforts. Yet most of these efforts have focused on solving the problem of poverty rather than promoting prosperity. The emergence of prosperity science is beginning to take shape as an increasing number of efforts to alleviate the effects of poverty are taking a prosperity promotion orientation. There is also a growing number of academic works focused on prosperity and institutions are being formed to support this promising undertaking, including the University of Utah Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity at the David Eccles School of Business In this offering of ENTP 5800/6800: Prosperity Promotion and Entrepreneurship, we will review some of the most recent works in global promotion of prosperity with an emphasis on how value created through innovation and entrepreneurship can be aligned with support for practices that improve health and well-being. We will spend the first part of the semester reviewing some of the compelling literature and discussing the latest concepts on reducing poverty by promoting prosperity. We will also prepare to engage in hands-on prosperity promotion through effective business strategy consulting during Fall Break with a 10-day excursion to Ghana over Fall Break. The course is led by Professor Stephen Alder who has extensive experience working to eradicate poverty throughout the world by building local capacity and promoting prosperity. Professor Alder has extensive experience in development work in emerging markets, including two decades working in Ghana.