Wharton senior Samuel Reeves is learning how to operate a business that manufactures mine-sweepers -- and he's not talking about the computer game.
Reeves is one of the 15 students enrolled in a new half-semester course, called Entrepreneurship and Societal Wealth Generation -- which he's using to study the industry behind searching for land mines.
The course, which is being co-taught this spring by Management professor Ian MacMillan and Management lecturer James Thompson, is designed to explore the concept of social entrepreneurship -- for-profit businesses that try to effect social change.
The class developed after students from Net Impact -- a student-run social entrepreneurship group -- approached the Management Department in the fall of 2003.
According to Sarah Ryerson, a second year-MBA student, the students in Net Impact felt that there needed to be a class devoted solely to their topic.
The students were directed to MacMillan, who along with Thompson tackles such issues as animal nutrition and HIV prevention using business methods.
Thompson said he felt that it was important to teach the course because it catered to student interests.
"It's our job to make sure" that students who want to go into social entrepreneurship are "armed with the tools and the frameworks to go into that successfully," Thompson said.
The class is centered around student-run social entrepreneurial projects. Students in the class identify social problems and conceive of a for-profit solution to them.
Reeves appreciates that the class relates to his own entrepreneurial ventures.
"I'm just so pleased" that the class "is right in line with what I'm doing," he said.
Students are also enjoying the opportunity to use entrepreneurial skills to solve real-world problems.
"To be a loudmouth about an issue is great, but to actually do something about it is another thing," Reeves said.
Ryerson, who is working on a project to distribute HIV treatment to developing countries -- agreed that combining profits with socially beneficial projects is "the best of both worlds."
Thompson said that he hopes to continue the course.
"The intention certainly is to grow it and keep it running," he said.
Students taking the class also would like to see it continue.
"There are probably a lot of people who would be interested in this kind of thing," Reeves said.
