The CSUF Social Entrepreneurship Course is a free, self-paced learning experience offered by the Conrey Center for Entrepreneurship at California State University, Fullerton. This seven-module series guides aspiring founders through every stage of building a mission-driven venture — from understanding social enterprise to launching, scaling, and sustaining yourself through the emotional realities of entrepreneurship.
The course is taught by Victor Macias — serial entrepreneur, Shark Tank alum, and CSUF Startup Incubator mentor.
What You’ll Learn
Module 1: Introduction to Social Enterprise
• What social enterprise is and how it differs from traditional businesses
• The Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet, Profit)
• The entrepreneurial journey and defining your “Why”
• Key founder traits and examples of successful social enterprises
Module 2: Identifying a Social Problem
• What makes an issue a true social problem
• Why great ventures start with problem discovery
• Research methods, stakeholder interviewing, and crafting a problem statement
• Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Module 3: Designing a Social Enterprise Solution
• Brainstorming solutions and evaluating feasibility
• Designing sustainable business models
• Lean Startup methodology and MVP creation
• Crafting your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)
Module 4: Validating Your Idea (MVP)
• What an MVP is and why validation reduces risk
• Finding early adopters and defining core features
• User testing methods and high-quality feedback collection
• MVP tools and key early-stage metrics
Module 5: Funding Your Social Enterprise
• Startup funding needs and typical early costs
• Bootstrapping, friends & family, grants, loans, crowdfunding
• Equity financing, impact investors, and crafting a compelling pitch
• Funding strategy and financial readiness
Module 6: Launching and Scaling Your Business
• Pre-launch planning and market readiness
• Launch strategy, marketing, and brand building
• Tracking KPIs and measuring social impact
• Stages of growth and challenges of scaling responsibly
Module 7: Overcoming Challenges and Staying Motivated
• The emotional reality of entrepreneurship — stress, burnout, and self-doubt
• Founder mental health: depression, overwhelm, decision fatigue, imposter syndrome
• Strategies for staying motivated: reconnecting with your “why,” celebrating wins
• Building support networks, setting boundaries, routines, mindfulness practices
• Embracing failure as an opportunity for growth
Course Materials
All worksheets (view-only):
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fZmuuv4fQI5sbBEJI_Ld2So5sA4y16tv?usp=sharing
About This Course
This course was originally hosted on another platform the Center no longer supports, so it is now provided free on YouTube.
Some videos reference a certificate of completion. Certificates are no longer issued, as we cannot verify course progress.
To connect with the Conrey Center for Entrepreneurship or learn about programs, events, or the CSUF Startup Incubator, contact:
cce@fullerton.edu