Course Title
“Latin America’s Nascent Entrepreneurial Ecosystem”
Professors
Ramon Lecuona Torras Clinical Professor of Business Administration
Dates
March 2026
Destination Cities
Lima
Course Description
The entrepreneurial ecosystem in Latin America is far less mature than that of developed countries. If the United States is in Episode 24 of Season 10, most Latin American countries are still in Episode 7 of Season 1! This GIX is designed to give you a window into how entrepreneurial ecosystems evolve over time.
Two unique elements stand out in the Latin American context. First, the cast of characters is different: large corporations play a much more central role in shaping and supporting entrepreneurial ecosystems than they do in the U.S. Second, much of the region’s entrepreneurial activity is directed toward serving the base of the income pyramid—delivering high-quality products and services to populations that have historically been underserved.
This GIX is hands-on and will challenge you to apply what you learned in Core Strategy to help Latin American entrepreneurs sharpen their business models. You will be assigned (based on your preferences) to a venture in healthcare, food retail, finance, or education, and your task will be to deeply understand its customers, suppliers, partners, and competitors. Expect to dive into context, conduct fieldwork, and interview a wide range of stakeholders – customers, suppliers, partners, and competitors. At the end of the program, you will deliver your strategic recommendations directly to the entrepreneurs leading your assigned venture.