Conservation Entrepreneurship

Conservation Entrepreneurship: Business and Management Practices in International Environmental Conservation

Conservation Entrepreneurship is a conservation skills course of the Tropical Conservation and Development Program at the University of Florida.

The central theme of this course is: “How can we apply private sector approaches to promote the goals of Tropical Conservation and Development?” It includes an introduction to both organizational management practices and income generation. A major part of the course is development of a business plan for a student-selected income-generating enterprise linked to conservation.

Key learning objectives

• Understand the requirements for successful operation of an income-generating enterprise
• Appreciate the practical challenges and difficulties of small-scale enterprises in developing countries, and consider how these can be addressed
• Learn personal skills to be a more effective team member and leader
• Become familiar with various aspects of managing conservation programs and non-profit organizations.

This is a “conservation skills” course intended for grad students with little or no business background who envision themselves working in a conservation organization or community enterprise and would like to learn business skills that will be useful in that work. “Conservation skills” courses are offered by the Tropical Conservation and Development Program to provide students with professional abilities that are essential to the effective implementation of Tropical Conservation and Development, but that would not normally be addressed in a natural or social science academic curriculum.

Course Concepts

Concepts we have covered in first 6 weeks

• What is Entrepreneurship?
  • Social entrepreneurs
• Business plans -- examples and ideas
• Understanding business
  • Brand value
  • Greening business
  • Comparison of non-profits and for-profits
• Case studies
  • Deja Shoes
  • Perez Companc -- a large holding company institutes an Environmental Management system
  • Local Gainesville social entrepreneurs: Volta coffee, Indigo green home products, Alternatives crafts from around the world
• Customer orientation / Value proposition

Upcoming topics

• Business Planning (Feb 18)
• Community enterprises from developing countries Case Studies (iFeb 25)
• Organizational management
  • working as teams
• Personal skills
  • Mission
  • Leadership
  • Time management
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Marketing

Student Interests as Expressed in First Class

CONTENT

SKILLS

History of environmental entrepreneurship Current context of "natural" products Certification/"green" market incentives Greenwashing / marketing Policy/politics Business organization Interactions between and among organizations Impact on global system Market access / socio-economic dynamics Case studies Who's buying, who's making, who's selling, where Challenges (success/failure) Rural resource management

Leadership Recruiting Involvement Teamwork Creativity Business life -- budget; team Stakeholder analysis Participatory planning Facilitation Tact / diplomacy Business plan writing Marketing Monitoring / evaluation

Table of Contents

Giand Eland, an endangered species classified by IUCN endangered. There are ongoing projects based on domestication of this meat and trophy bringing species

• Overview
  • Definition
  • Social Entrepreneur Examples
  • Local Initiatives
  • Community Projects
  • Resources

• Business Plans
  • Business Plans
    • Business Plans/Examples
    • Business Plans/Ideas

• Marketing, Branding and Communication
  • Branding
  • Communication
• Organizational Management
  • Differences and Similarities between For-Profit and Non-Profit Enterprises
  • Job Description
  • Group Dynamics

• Personal Skills
  • Personal Mission and Time Management

• Course Stuff
  • Class Outlines and Readings
  • Assignments
  • Course Policies
  • Snack List

PROJETO IAUARETÊ (Class Project)