In today’s rapidly evolving business world, organizations need leaders who not only adapt to change but also create it. Businesses demand innovators who can drive transformation, practice foresight, and lead with sound decision-making—all while guiding teams into the future.
At the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business, innovation isn’t just a buzzword, it’s tangibly embedded into all facets of the curriculum. Haas consistently equips students with the skills needed to stay on the cutting edge and effectively lead their teams into the future with agility and foresight.
Innovative to the core
Haas’s commitment to innovation is ingrained in its culture and is exemplified within its Defining Leadership Principles: Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. These principles aren’t just words, but rather come to life in a program that challenges students to solve real-world problems through innovative solutions.
For Haas, questioning the status quo means:
We thrive at the epicenter of innovation. We make progress by speaking our minds even when it challenges convention. We lead by championing bold ideas and taking intelligent risks.
This spirit of innovation manifests in many ways throughout the school, but at the heart of any MBA program is the curriculum. After all, it’s easy to say that something is a value, but sometimes it’s a lot harder to integrate that value into the day-to-day.
With that in mind, what are the ways Haas puts this value into practice? How does the MBA curriculum provide students with the knowledge and experience necessary to challenge conventional wisdom and drive business transformation through innovation?
Let’s explore just a few of the MBA courses that bring this value to life.
Innovating for the Common Social Good
A common modern-day concern is the role of tech in our everyday lives. While the possibilities for efficiency and advancement are certainly exciting, the flip side of that coin leaves people wondering about the implications for these advancements. Especially with so many concerns surrounding the ubiquitousness of AI technology and how our devices and entertainment impact us as humans, many are asking how to keep the innovation while mitigating collateral damage.
At Haas, innovation isn’t just about keeping up with the future; it’s about shaping the future."
Enter the Haas course: “Designing Tech for Good.”
This course was co-created by Adam Rosenzweig, EMBA 19 and Dave Rochlin. Adam was inspired to launch the course based on his real-world experience in his role as senior manager of product impact at Okta and his leadership over their “tech for good” mission.
During the course, these co-lecturers guide students through group projects that task them to create ways to promote the common good within a large tech organization. In one such project, students worked with the company Electronic Arts to discover new ways to promote supportive, positive community experiences in shooter-based and sports-based video games.
Co-creator Dave said that co-teaching the course with Adam “was a dream” and noted that “many Haas students have an interest in pursuing careers in tech firms and a desire to find meaningful career work that reflects their values. It doesn’t need to be either/or.” Students leave the course with a toolkit for integrating ethical considerations into tech innovation—a highly sought-after skill.
Climate Care and Business
While “Designing Tech for Good” focuses on the social good of the digital world, another course speaks into the social good of our actual physical world. A concern on the minds of many is the good care and stewardship of our planet and its resources. Making technological advancements in and of itself is not enough if it comes at too costly of a price for the good of all.
For example, China has experienced a huge boom in economic growth and innovation. This boom has also dramatically increased their energy needs. While economic growth is desirable, how can businesses navigate these growing demands in sustainable ways? How does one balance all of these competing priorities in the world of business?
Senior Lecturer Andrew Isaacs, who experienced the devastation of the 2020 California fires firsthand, designed the “Climate Change and Business Strategy” course to empower students with the tools to integrate sustainability into every aspect of business.
During the class, students not only learn about the state of the climate in general, but study the intersection of business strategy and sustainability. The goal is for students to emerge from the class feeling empowered with education and an action plan with how they can holistically implement sustainability and stewardship principles within every facet of business and innovation.
Shaping the Future of Online Marketplaces
In the current business world, it’s crucial for students to have knowledge and experience about how to drive innovation in the online marketplace. One such course that provides this knowledge and experience is “Online Marketplace and Platform Design.”
This elective course, taught by former Silicon Valley data scientist David Holtz, “covers all aspects of online platforms—from A/B testing, network effects, and platform monetization, to reputation systems and discrimination in online marketplace.”
Typically, each class begins with a guest speaker who is a leader in business and speaks into the various nuances of online markets. Alongside guest speakers, another feature of the course is that students have several opportunities to practice pitches as they work toward their final project. Students are often split into groups, offered a case study, and tasked with creating innovative ideas for a new market mechanism—ideally a testable idea that can be proved out with data.
Professor David Holtz comes into the class with an impressive record of this kind of data-backed innovation. From studying the effects of AirBnB coupons on user reviews to the effects of remote work on collaboration at Microsoft, David brings a wealth of real-world experience to the class to help parse out the nuances of the online world.
Student Lena Corredo, MBA 25 reflects on the importance of understanding these online nuances: “This class is really eye-opening for me because it’s not as straightforward as it seems,” she says. “When you think about the different sides of a marketplace, one would think if you build it, they will come, but it’s not the case. The design elements he talks about are very important to business success.”
Navigating disruption with confidence and foresight
With the online marketplace and the ever-expanding pervasiveness of new technologies, it seems just about every industry is facing disruptions. Companies and business leaders are trying to navigate and change-manage fundamentally new ways of existing and operating within certain spheres. But with this new creation can also come chaos.
To equip students to navigate these types of uncharted waters, Berkeley Haas offers a course called “Disruptive Futures.” Students are asked to enter the class with a disruption question about a company of their choosing. Professor Olaf Groth, a seasoned executive and expert in advisor building strategies, then curates some of those questions and shapes the class around them. Students learn how to apply a decision-making framework that empowers leaders with the foresight needed to know how and when to make innovative moves.
When talking about disruption and innovation, developing that framework for foresight is one of the key factors in success. Disrupting for the sake of disrupting might not be the wisest move. But a strategic prediction model can help keep business leaders on the cutting edge of their industry while also ensuring wise and timely decision-making.
Moving forward together
At Haas, innovation isn’t just about keeping up with the future; it’s about shaping the future. As the next generation of business leaders, Haas students are equipped to lead with foresight, transform industries, and build businesses that will thrive in an ever-evolving world.
By fostering a culture that values questioning the status quo and by providing a curriculum that equips students to put that value into practice, Haas prepares students to drive business transformation and “thrive at the epicenter of innovation.”
As the future continues to unfold at an ever-accelerating pace, Haas graduates are poised to lead with vision, adapt with agility, and inspire with boldness. Are you ready to become a part of a community that's defining—and re-defining—the future of business? Join us today!
