This course is meant for students in engineering and other disciplines who seek a challenging, interactive, team-based, and hands-on learning experience in entrepreneurship and technology. In this highly experiential course, students work in simulated start-up teams to create products or start-up ideas to address a broadly-defined need of an industry partner or social challenge.

Big Data, machine learning and AI are well understood technologies, yet their applications in business are dominated by a small group of uber-practitioners, as exemplified by Amazon and Google. What do these companies know – and practice – that others do not? The Amazoogle class is an introduction into the strategy and technology of modern data-driven business models. Beyond its application in well-known business sectors, the Amazoogle model now holds particular promise in delivering social equity in a range of fields, including healthcare, education and financial access. How could these lessons also be applied to one of the most pressing challenges of our times – Climate Change? Students in the class will learn and subsequently build, in collaboration with a small team of fellow students, a software application to deliver positive impact to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Students will leverage Big Data, machine learning and behavioral economics in the full Amazoogle model, with a constant eye on technology ethics. Students from all majors, both undergraduate and graduate, are welcome to join as teams will be encouraged to assemble interdisciplinary skills to develop a software application for their final projects. A passion for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/) is preferred but not a pre-requisite. More Information: https://scet.berkeley.edu/students/courses/challenge-labs/amazoogle/

This course counts towards the SCET Certificate in Technology and Entrepreneurship. Additional information: https://scet.berkeley.edu/certificate-in-entrepreneurship-and-technology/. Questions about SCET course enrollment or certificate can be directed to lee.2293@berkeley.edu.

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