Executive Fellows

Lee Kaplan

Brian Walker

Overview and Requirements

Problems with health care quality, access, and costs bedevil all countries. Health care—inefficient, erratic in quality and access, ripe for massive technological and consumer-facing innovations—is one of the largest and ripest sectors for innovation.

This course focuses on the creation of a business plan for an innovation in health care that can better meet these needs.

Students will continue to pursue plans generated in the prior Innovating in Health Care (IHC) course, offered in Q1 of 2025, or enroll with a new plan. They will also review and offer advice for the business plans of their classmates.

Prerequisite

One member of the team, at a minimum, must be enrolled in the Fall Term 2025, Q1, 2185 - Innovating in Health Care.

Career Focus

For those interested in entrepreneurial health care leadership, consulting, or investing. Students interested in careers in health care/life sciences financing or leadership, or creating innovative health care services, health insurance, health IT, digital health, consumer-based innovations, or medical technology.

Educational Objectives

Additional field-based experience in creating a business plan for innovating new health care/life science ventures on topics chosen by the students or from those made available by the faculty. Students will gain exposure to the key players in their chosen research topic with the help of Prof. Herzlinger’s network and that of their classmates and the course advisers. The advisers consist of faculty from related HU schools—SEAS, HMS, KSG, SPH; regulatory/legal/ reimbursement experts; seasoned VC/PE investors; and CEOs of firms related to the topic of the business plan.

Course Content and Organization

The students in this course meet four times as a group in the classroom. Between these meetings, they meet with their advisers to further their progress.

Session 1

Introduction to the course –

What can the Field Course do for you?

What does a good business plan look like?
Assignment: Briefly present and post on Canvas your preliminary business plan interest and partners/contacts you are looking for.

Sessions 2

Assignment: Present refinement of your preliminary business plan interest and partners/contacts you are looking for. During the prior week, please post these requests on Canvas.

Session 3

Assignment: Present your progress to date in completing your business plan and your plans/needs for completion. During the prior week, post your plans on Canvas.

Session 4

Assignment: Present your final business plan and include questions you would like the class to answer in PowerPoint format, posted on Canvas.

Students are reminded of the Class Absence and Remote Attendance Policy.

Grading is based primarily on class participation and quality of business plan, relative to that submitted in the prior Innovating in Health Care class.

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