The Financial Empowerment Lab NYC, is a “hands-on” course for MBA and law students that focuses on financial health and empowerment in underserved NYC communities, including Harlem and Washington Heights. Teams of 3-5 students (with at least one business student and one law student in each) partner with local non-profits and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) on a semester-long project that culminates in a pre-specified deliverable. In the process, students will be exposed to clients of the organization, develop a personal understanding of the financial and legal challenges facing underserved populations, and work on a project that will help the organization better fulfill its mission.
This course emphasizes practical learning, innovative problem-solving, and strategic collaboration, enabling students to apply their skills in a meaningful context that contributes to economic justice and positive social change.
This course emphasizes practical learning, innovative problem-solving, and strategic collaboration, enabling students to apply their skills in a meaningful context that contributes to economic justice and positive social change.
This course will be co-taught by Professor Ed Morrison, Charles Evans Gerber Professor of Law Columbia Law School, Professor Stephen Zeldes, Frank R. Lautenberg Professor of Economics and Public Policy Columbia Business School and Adjunct Professor; Board Member, Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Policy Daniela Tisch.