I teach Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation at URI. I’ve also taught Strategy, Policy and Planning—a required capstone course for graduating seniors at the UConn School of Business.
I like to keep a pulse on what's happening in entrepreneurial ecosystems as well as the corporate world. I incorporate current events (e.g., an ongoing merger or acquisition; global supply chain bottlenecks; emerging technologies and markets)—and a variety of cases (e.g., Spotify, Apple, the Chicago Cubs, Zara, Amazon, Coca-Cola)—to illustrate business, competitive, and corporate strategies. I also incorporate a few examples from my industry experience working through periods of growth, decline, and M&As to show the myriad ways corporate culture can enhance (or harm) a company's overall long-term strategy. In my strategy course, students apply the frameworks they learn to a group project: they formulate an in-depth strategic analysis of a publicly traded corporation. In my social innovation class, they develop an actionable business plan for a sustainable social venture and pitch it to potential investors.
Here’s what some of my students have said about me.
“Dear Professor Badwaik,
I wanted to reach out and let you know how much I enjoyed your class. I appreciate all the time and effort you put into providing feedback on assignments. I always looked forward to the feedback because you noticed everything and were very thorough. It was also nice that you took an interest in our lives. Most professors don’t take the time to reach out and get to know each student individually and that stood out to me. You brought a lot of passion and enthusiasm to the class and did an excellent job bringing concepts to life with interesting cases and current examples. I appreciated how you shared stories from your own life too; such as riding on the scooter in India with your family, the virtual tour of your living room or about how group work is never easy! I also have to commend you on devoting so much to our class, while also completing a PhD. Your work ethic, dedication, and ability to connect, empathize and relate to students gives you a competitive advantage in your field. You are incredible at what you do. ”
“Dear Professor Badwaik,
I’m so glad we were able to discuss sustainability and ESG in class, as it is a topic not receiving nearly as much attention in business classrooms. I really enjoyed the class and wish we could have talked about sustainability, greenwashing, and corporate influence for even longer!”