Brian L. Trelstad
William Henry Bloomberg Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
Joseph L. Rice, III Faculty Fellow
William Henry Bloomberg Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
Joseph L. Rice, III Faculty Fellow
Brian Trelstad is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School in the General Management Unit and the Faculty Chair of the Advanced Leadership Initiative. He teaches elective courses on Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Change and Investing for Impact, and the first-year required courses on the Social Purpose of the Firm (SPF) and Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA). His research focuses on social entrepreneurship, systems change, impact investing, and the role of business in society.
Brian Trelstad is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School in the General Management Unit and the Faculty Chair of the Advanced Leadership Initiative. He teaches elective courses on Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Change and Investing for Impact, and the first-year required courses on the Social Purpose of the Firm (SPF) and Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA). His research focuses on social entrepreneurship, systems change, impact investing, and the role of business in society.
Brian is also a Partner and Board Member at Bridges Fund Management, an impact investing fund that invests in health, education and environmental services business. Prior to Bridges, Brian was the Chief Investment Officer of Acumen, where he oversaw investments in South Asia and Africa. Brian is a founding board member of Impact Capital Managers, a national membership association of impact investors in the United States and a founding board member of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE). Prior to Acumen, Brian worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, was a lead environmental staff person at the Corporation for National Service. He has been involved in a range of non-profit and for-profit start ups. Brian serves on the boards of Candid, the Global Development Incubator and Digitals Commons and is both a Kauffman Fellow of the Center for Venture Education and a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.
Brian has an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and an MA in City & Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley. From 2012 to 2019, he taught a graduate course in social entrepreneurship at Princeton University’s School for Public and International Affairs.
- Cases and Teaching Materials
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- Trelstad, Brian, Taylor Greenthal, and Sarah Mehta. "Open Door Legal: Universal Legal Access." Harvard Business School Case 325-006, September 2024. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Ahmed Dahawy. "Social Enterprise in the MENA Region." Harvard Business School Background Note 325-041, November 2024. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Gerald Chertavian, and Alexis Lefort. "Governance for Non-Profit Social Enterprises." Harvard Business School Module Note 325-002, September 2024. View Details
- Rangan, V. Kasturi, Brian Trelstad, and Courtney Han. "Essex County Community Foundation: Pivot to Systems Philanthropy." Harvard Business School Case 524-066, January 2024. (Revised August 2024.) View Details
- Hsieh, Nien-he, Brian Trelstad, and Matthew Souba. "Economic Analysis: Foundations." Harvard Business School Technical Note 324-060, December 2023. (Revised December 2024.) View Details
- Tufano, Peter, Brian Trelstad, and Matteo Gasparini. "Aviva plc: Examining Net Zero." Harvard Business School Case 324-008, November 2023. (Revised July 2024.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Paul Healy, and Annelena Lobb. "Governance and Growth at GenUnity." Harvard Business School Case 324-015, October 2023. (Revised May 2024.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Gerald Chertavian, and Susan Pinckney. "Measuring and Managing Social Impact." Harvard Business School Technical Note 324-017, September 2023. (Revised September 2024.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Emer Moloney. "FoodCloud: Tackling Food Insecurity and Climate Change in One Bite." Harvard Business School Case 324-031, September 2023. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Nien-hê Hsieh, Michael Norris, and Susan Pinckney. "Patagonia: 'Earth Is Now Our Only Shareholder'." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 324-003, September 2023. View Details
- Rigol, Natalia, Benjamin N. Roth, Brian Trelstad, and Amram Migdal. "Prime Coalition: Estimating Climate Impact." Harvard Business School Case 824-119, October 2023. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Fresh Food Generation." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 323-704, April 2023. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Samantha Webster, and Malini Sen. "Pratham 2.0: Sustaining Innovation." Harvard Business School Case 323-003, March 2023. (Revised June 2023.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Nien-hê Hsieh, Michael Norris, and Susan Pinckney. "Patagonia: 'Earth Is Now Our Only Shareholder'." Harvard Business School Case 323-057, March 2023. (Revised September 2023.) View Details
- Rigol, Natalia, Benjamin N. Roth, Brian Trelstad, and Sarah Mehta. "Year Up: Measuring and Scaling Impact." Harvard Business School Case 823-004, January 2023. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Pedro Levindo, and Carla Larangeira. "Natura: Weathering the Pandemic at Brazil's Cosmetic Giant." Harvard Business School Case 323-065, January 2023. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Mel Martin, and Amy Klopfenstein. "Founders First Capital Partners: An Approach to Capital Access Equity." Harvard Business School Case 323-013, October 2022. (Revised August 2023.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Bonnie Yining Cao. "SMART: AI and Machine Learning for Wildlife Conservation." Harvard Business School Case 323-036, October 2022. (Revised December 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "The Pan-London Care Impact Partnership Appendix B." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 323-707, September 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "The Pan-London Care Impact Partnership." Harvard Business School Case 323-037, September 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Idelès Kaandorp. "HPP: Tapping the Netherlands’ Potential." Harvard Business School Case 323-024, September 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Amy Klopfenstein, and Mel Martin. "Fresh Food Generation." Harvard Business School Case 323-010, August 2022. (Revised September 2023.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Rachel Philbin. "Meaningful Gigs." Harvard Business School Case 323-006, August 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Isa Oliveres, and Jenyfeer Martinez Buitrago. "Iluméxico: For Every Family to Have Power." Harvard Business School Case 323-026, August 2022. (Revised December 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Janet Ames (A), (B), (C), (D)." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 323-025, August 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Tomas Rosales, and Malini Sen. "Rocket Learning: Evidence in Action." Harvard Business School Case 323-002, August 2022. View Details
- Gallani, Susanna, and Brian Trelstad. "The Robin Hood Army (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 122-094, March 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Tom Quinn. "Community Solutions." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 322-060, February 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Emilie Billaud. "Just Arrived: Integrating Refugees in Sweden." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 322-025, January 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Alpana Thapar. "Sawiris Foundation: Elevating Education in Egypt." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 322-061, March 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Cam Carag, and Michi Ferreol. "GrowSari (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 322-037, March 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Cam Carag, and Michi Ferreol. "GrowSari (A): Design for the Last Mile Customer." Harvard Business School Case 322-036, March 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Janet Ames (D)." Harvard Business School Exercise 322-051, October 2021. (Revised August 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Alpana Thapar. "Sawiris Foundation: Elevating Education in Egypt." Harvard Business School Case 322-023, September 2021. (Revised February 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Tom Quinn. "Community Solutions." Harvard Business School Case 322-021, September 2021. (Revised November 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Preeti Varma, and Brian Blankinship. "Systems Thinking." Harvard Business School Module Note 322-030, July 2021. (Revised July 2024.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Preeti Varma. "Social Entrepreneurship and Systems Change." Harvard Business School Course Overview Note 322-029, July 2021. (Revised July 2024.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Preeti Varma. "Organizing for Social Change." Harvard Business School Module Note 322-028, July 2021. (Revised October 2021.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Preeti Varma. "The Mindset and Motivations of a Social Entrepreneur." Harvard Business School Module Note 322-027, July 2021. (Revised July 2024.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Aligning Mission and Margin at Southern Bancorp." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 322-702, August 2021. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Shorefast: A Strange and Familiar Way to Reimagine Capitalism: Zita Cobb, Founder and CEO." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 322-701, August 2021. View Details
- Henderson, Rebecca, Brian Trelstad, and Eren Kuzucu. "Aligning Mission and Margin at Southern Bancorp." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 322-018, July 2021. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Wendy Smith, and Natalie Slawinski. "Shorefast: A Strange and Familiar Way to Reimagine Capitalism." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 322-001, July 2021. View Details
- Henderson, Rebecca M., Brian Trelstad, and Eren Kuzucu. "Aligning Mission and Margin at Southern Bancorp." Harvard Business School Case 321-099, March 2021. (Revised October 2021.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Michael Norris. "Middlebury College: Energy2028." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 321-144, May 2021. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and John Masko. "Nehemiah Mfg. Co.: Providing a Second Chance." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 321-133, April 2021. (Revised April 2021.) View Details
- Ivashina, Victoria, Brian Trelstad, and Meaghan Conway. "TowerBrook: ESG in Action (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 221-046, October 2020. View Details
- Ivashina, Victoria, Brian Trelstad, and Meaghan Conway. "TowerBrook: ESG in Action (A)." Harvard Business School Case 221-045, October 2020. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Aldo Sesia. "The Bronx Community Foundation." Harvard Business School Case 321-011, October 2020. (Revised June 2021.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Pippa Tubman Armerding, and Wale Lawal. "LifeBank Nigeria." Harvard Business School Case 321-082, October 2020. View Details
- Khanna, Tarun, Ramana Nanda, Benjamin N. Roth, and Brian Trelstad. "Impact Investment, Catalytic Capital and Blended Finance." Harvard Business School Technical Note 321-078, September 2020. (Revised December 2020.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Emilie Billaud, and Mette Fuglsang Hjortshoej. "Just Arrived: Integrating Refugees in Sweden." Harvard Business School Case 321-040, August 2020. (Revised June 2021.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Amy Klopfenstein. "Girls Who Code." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 321-010, July 2020. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Wendy Smith, and Natalie Slawinski. "Shorefast: A Strange and Familiar Way to Reimagine Capitalism." Harvard Business School Case 320-098, April 2020. (Revised June 2020.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Michael Norris, and John McKinley. "Middlebury College: Energy2028." Harvard Business School Case 320-029, April 2020. (Revised May 2021.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Amy Klopfenstein, and Olivia Hull. "Girls Who Code." Harvard Business School Case 320-055, March 2020. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Julia Kelley, and Mel Martin. "GreenLight Fund." Harvard Business School Case 320-053, March 2020. (Revised June 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and V. Kasturi Rangan. "Last Mile Health (A)." Harvard Business School Case 320-027, March 2020. (Revised August 2020.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian L., and Joseph B. Fuller. "Wellthy: The Economics of Caring." Harvard Business School Case 320-028, February 2020. (Revised January 2024.) View Details
- Chu, Michael, Brian Trelstad, and John Masko. "Nehemiah Mfg. Co.: Providing a Second Chance." Harvard Business School Case 320-008, October 2019. (Revised August 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Janet Ames (C)." Harvard Business School Exercise 320-078, December 2019. (Revised August 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Janet Ames (B)." Harvard Business School Exercise 320-077, December 2019. (Revised August 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Janet Ames (A)." Harvard Business School Exercise 320-076, December 2019. (Revised August 2022.) View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Wellthy: The Economics of Caring." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 322-076, July 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Mel Martin. "GreenLight Fund." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 322-089, June 2022. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, Pippa Tubman Armerding, and Wale Lawal. "Lifebank Nigeria." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 322-090, June 2022. View Details
- Journal Articles
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- Brumme, Cait, and Brian Trelstad. "Should Your Start-up Be For-profit or Nonprofit? A Guide for Social Entrepreneurs." Harvard Business Review 101, no. 3 (May–June 2023): 136–145. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Making Sense of the Many Kinds of Impact Investing." Harvard Business Review (website) (January 28, 2016). View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Impact Investing: A Brief History." Capitalism and Society 11, no. 2 (December 2016). View Details
- Trelstad, Brian, and Robert Katz. "Mission, Margin, Mandate: The Many Paths to Scale for Impact Investees." Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization 6, no. 3 (Summer 2011): 41–53. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Patient Capital in an Impatient World." Kauffman Fellows Report 1 (2010). View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Simple Measures for Social Enterprise." Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization 3, no. 3 (Summer 2008): 105–118. View Details
- Lowell, Stephanie, Brian Trelstad, and Bill Meehan. "The Ratings Game: Evaluating the Three Groups that Rate the Charities." Stanford Social Innovation Review 3, no. 2 (Summer 2005): 39–45. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Georgia Regional Transportation Authority: A Case Study of an Innovative Regional Planning Institution." Berkeley Planning Journal 14 (2000): 23–45. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Little Machines in Their Gardens: A History of School Gardens in America, 1891 to 1920." Landscape Journal 16, no. 2 (Fall 1997): 161–173. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "Why the Environment Needs National Service." National Civic Review 86, no. 3 (Fall 1997): 219–225. View Details
- Trelstad, Brian. "The Presidio Trust legislation: Preservation or Privatization?" Urban Ecosystems 1, no. 3 (July 1997): 135–153. View Details
- Keniry, Julian, and Brian Trelstad. "Student Environmental Organizations." New Directions for Higher Education, no. 77 (Spring 1992): 103–112. View Details
- Book Chapters
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- Trelstad, Brian. "The Elusive Quest for Impact: The Evolving Practice of Social Impact Measurement." Chap. 22 in New Frontiers of Philanthropy: A Guide to the New Tools and New Actors that Are Reshaping Global Philanthropy and Social Investing, edited by Lester M. Salamon, 583–603. Oxford University Press, 2014. View Details
- Research Summary
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The focus of my research is on the systems of social innovation. How small groups of individuals come up with new products and services targeting important problems; how they finance these initial efforts, and convert prototypes into viable organizational strategies; how they fund the growth of a new organization (for profit, non profit, or hybrid); how that organization seeks to scale to solve the social problem, initially acting directly and alone, but eventually in concert with other actors in the relevant field; how leaders effectively catalyze a field to work collectively, and how we think about measuring the effect of their efforts.Keywords: (General) Management; Social Business; Non-profit Management; Entrepreneur; Entrepreneurial Ecosystems; Entrepreneurial Finance; System Dynamics; Non-profit; Evaluation; Impact Investing; Venture Philanthropy; Social Enterprise Initiative; Advanced Leadership Initiative; Investment; Innovation and Invention; Organizations; Social Enterprise; Civil Society or Community; System; Financial Services Industry; Green Technology Industry; Health Industry; Energy Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Public Administration Industry; Service Industry
- Teaching
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Non-profit organizations and social enterprises play an important role in every country in the world: as laboratories for social innovation, as the delivery system for critical goods and services at scale, as the stewards of our cultural heritage, and as advocates for a more just and inclusive society. About 12% of HBS alumni currently work full-time in the social sector, and about 85% will serve on a non-profit board at some point, and almost all of you will be donors to, investors in, or volunteers for a rich diversity of social sector organizations over the course of your lives. This SIP will take a closer look at how to be an effective and strategic partner to the rapidly evolving social sector, be that as a philanthropist, impact investor, board member, employee or corporate partner. Whether you plan to invest your money or your time (as a volunteer, board member or employee), the SIP will use a mixture of readings, role-plays, and class discussions, combined with perspectives from a range of alumni active in the philanthropic and social sectors to help you define your own strategy for effective engagement and prepare for the field's rapidly evolving future.Combining the tools of philanthropy, business and advocacy (or mission, margin and mandate), social entrepreneurs have tackled long-standing societal issues like teacher training, college access, global public health, renewable energy and sanitation. Social entrepreneurs seek to maximize social impact while sometimes satisfying a financial return; some use purely charitable approaches while others build attractive for-profit ventures. And yet others rely on the government to scale up through advocacy or political change. These hybrid organizations are blurring traditional organizational boundaries while reshaping a diverse number of fields. But who are these social entrepreneurs? What’s in their DNA? Are the organizations they start traditional non-profits, but just bringing business discipline into their management? Or are they traditional for-profit companies that have spotted new markets and opportunities in the delivery of social or environmental benefits? Or, are they something entirely new? And what kind of capital-from grants to guarantees to social venture capital-is being used to fuel these nonprofits, companies, and campaigns as they grow from early stage ideas to national or international demonstration models?Co-taugh with Prof. John KimThis course provides students an opportunity to use the discipline of entrepreneurial management, innovative design thinking as well as business tools and techniques to address social innovation topics that attempt to improve the quality of life of low-income and poor individuals and households anywhere in the world (including USA). For example a past year’s team explored a potential business model to deliver nutritious and affordable groceries in poor neighborhoods. The course will also accept projects that attempt to solve a strategic problem for a client organization in the social sector. For example a past year’s team developed a national scaling strategy for an urban youth services organization. Topics on education, impact investing, financial technology, among others are all topics which previous teams have worked on.Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Social EnterpriseMy teaching focuses on innovation and effectiveness in the social sector. My principal course is on Social Entrepreneurship & Systems Change, and it tries to understand how small teams launch new initiatives to solve big, global, systemic problems. I also teach Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA) in the required curriculum.
- Awards & Honors
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Selected for the Henry Crown Fellowship Program at the Aspen Institute in 2010.Selected for the Kauffman Fellowship Program in 2009.
- Additional Information
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Additional Harvard Roles
- Areas of Interest
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- nonprofit
- social change
- social enterprise
- social entrepreneurship
- sustainable and impact investing
- business and poverty
- capital markets
- corporate social responsibility
- education
- emerging markets
- entrepreneurial finance
- entrepreneurial management
- entrepreneurship
- ethics
- financial innovation
- healthcare ventures
- international entrepreneurial finance
- international finance
- philanthropy
- private equity
- small business finance
- sustainability
- venture capital
- education industry
- emerging market private equity
- health care
- private equity (other)
- service industry
- venture capital industry
- India
- Pakistan
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- United Kingdom
- United States
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