Hacking, non-fungible token authentication, corporate espionage, cannabis banking, forced arbitration, dropgangs. This course will delve into the messy, complex, and often hidden risks lurking throughout the business world.

Our course will confront these issues from the perspective of innovative entrepreneurs trying to overcome outdated regulation, multinational leaders facing Catch-22 dilemmas, and investors seeking to profit from emerging commercial phenomenon. We will explore companies driven by well-intentioned managers whose plans go astray, ambitious entrepreneurs who misjudge their risks, and professional organizations led by scamsters.

We will examine some of the most controversial and consequential business topics tactically, eschewing the comforts of a philosophical perspective to instead focus on the uncomfortable choices and practicalities made by managers, investors, employees, and regulators. By the end of the course, participants will walk away with a unique awareness of the decision-making process associated with these risky areas, the particular kinds of scrutiny that can arise with different kinds of ambitious business models, and the regulatory and reputational pitfalls surrounding some difficult decisions.

Background materials will be drawn from a diverse set of sources including movies, leaked documents, and Reddit posts, further supplemented by guests who possess unique knowledge and expertise in this often murky side of the business world.

Copyright © 2022 President & Fellows of Harvard College. All Rights Reserved.