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Green Entrepreneurship Proves Profit in Sustainability

Green Entrepreneurship Proves Profit in Sustainability

In his Green Entrepreneurship course this spring, Professor Jeremy Dann will teach students that sustainability isn’t just necessary; it’s also profitable.

by: Alexander Bernard
11.15.24
istock graphic of green earth

Jeremy Dann is showing students the profitable side of sustainability.

[USC Photo / David Sprague]

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For the students in BAEP 476 Green Entrepreneurship, sustainability is just as much about creating revenue as reducing pollution and saving the Earth.

Jeremy Dann, professor at the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, is entering his fourth year teaching the course that will be offered in the upcoming spring semester. Housed within Marshall, the class is open to all USC students.

With the climate in flux, Dann, an expert on sustainability and entrepreneurship, says the class comes at a critical time for the environment, but he also admits that there are business-first benefits to founding green companies.

“Green Entrepeneurship is not in any way a ‘do-gooder’ class,” Dann explained. “If you know the true value of resources, you can create product designs and business models more in harmony with this natural capitalism. You’re going to have a profitable business model for a longer period.”

The professor is referring to numerous industries that can both preserve the Earth and offer entrepreneurial opportunities to his student founders. Whether it be erosion prevention, water filtering, or food and fiber production, Dann tries to show his students that green entrepreneurship is wide, varied, and even lucrative.

“We make sure to look at [green entrepreneurship] through a natural capitalism perspective, which is ensuring that students see the Earth as something that is not just this pristine thing to be protected, but something that provides trillions and trillions of dollars of what are called ‘services of nature,’” Dann explained.

Through BAEP 476, Dann and his students explore the ins and outs of green entrepreneurship. Together, they dissect the complexities of resource availability, regulatory models, cost, and shifts in the global climate. Through emerging technologies and environmentally-friendly products, the class works to build businesses that can last and grow while also addressing key sustainability needs.

Students have three options for the final course project — among them is an opportunity to launch a micro business that capitalizes on the sustainability principles learned throughout the semester. Dann emphasized that the project isn’t just an outline or a business plan. On the contrary, students are expected to have their startup running and getting results by the end of the semester.

According to the professor, the array of businesses developed in Green Entrepreneurship has ranged from event promotions to food manufacturing to fashion companies. In many cases, founders come to class with a startup already launched and use Dann and BAEP 476’s lessons to transition to more sustainable means. Dann says this desire to grow and learn is pivotal to the success of the entire class.

“You have to realize, as the professor, you only hold a part of the solution,” Dann said. “Students, whether they’re from Marshall or other programs, have expertise. They have projects they’re bringing to bear already that help educate the class.”

If you know the true value of resources, you can create product designs and business models more in harmony with this natural capitalism. You’re going to have a profitable business model for a longer period.

— Jeremy Dann

Professor at the Greif Center

As part of the course’s commitment to sustainable practices, Dann and his students keep up to date with emerging technologies, new government policies, and the most recent science. Because of these constantly shifting landscapes, the curriculum must also change from year to year. Each semester, he incorporates new, cutting-edge case studies that offer the most relevant data for students to launch their startups.

For example, over the next few years, Dann anticipates that the political environment will create a higher bar for entrepreneurs to explain their business case and value proposition to investors. He plans to incorporate this new reality into their discussions. 

“We want to try to integrate new information quickly,” Dann explained. “This is a rapidly evolving field because of the technologies, the consumer sentiments, and, as we’ve seen, the governmental response.”

In addition to case studies, Dann often invites guest speakers to share their perspective on each week’s subject matter. In past semesters, the class has welcomed founders of sustainable food companies like Barnana, circular green fashion businesses, and electrical recreational vehicle companies. According to the professor, his class often engages these experts in lively debates and offers up hard-hitting questions.

In the past, Dann has also brought his students around campus, including to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for a tour of their sustainability operations. Naturally, his class couldn’t keep from pitching new environmentally friendly ideas to the Coliseum staff on improving their recycling protocols through new product development.

The world of sustainable entrepreneurship can be challenging, but over the years, Dann is consistently surprised by the level of commitment and enthusiasm his students have for the material.

“Students understand that we should be questioning things in order to build real businesses that can be both environmentally sustainable and sustainable in terms of profits and their longevity,” Dann said. “We’re not doing anyone any favors by creating products and services that are too expensive to roll out in a big way.”

Dann says their passion speaks to the urgency of the moment and the necessity for his students to seize the opportunities in front of them.

“There’s real money that’s been put into play and a real benefit that has spread throughout the economy,” Dann said. “It’s not just entrepreneurs — it’s communities and households. It is families and the children who can have healthier air around them. It is the union workers installing hundreds of billions of dollars of equipment that’s a part of the energy transition. This [course] is one of the broader swath impacts we can do.”

Green Entrepreneurship is limited to just 40 students. All USC students can register for the course here.

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