At Berry College, learning comes to life when classroom concepts connect with real-world impact. Entrepreneur-in-Residence Courtney Cash brings decades of nonprofit leadership and a passion for social entrepreneurship to the classroom.
He also shows how to apply theory and expertise in real time. While teaching nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship, Cash designed the strategic architecture for World Shoe, which manufactures antimicrobial, biodegradable footwear in Ghana. He went on to serve as its president.
A community-based nonprofit model
World Shoe’s mission focuses on local production, job creation and sustainable retail with humanitarian distribution. The shoes reduce the occurrence of neglected tropical diseases, keep children in school and accelerate economic mobility in African communities.
The idea went beyond the buy-one-give-one enterprise. Cash aimed to change the way we look at global aid strategy. And he invited students into the process.
“In class, we would talk about what social enterprise looks like,” says Cash. “Then students would see it happening. They would watch the decisions, the challenges and the innovation unfold.”
They also learned why community ownership matters and how to bundle interventions. For example, World Shoe combines public health, education and economic opportunities to transform lives.
Students develop their own projects
In Cash’s social entrepreneurship course, teams form businesses tackling chronic and preventable social issues. They develop strategies, assign leadership roles and pitch their ideas in a class competition. Projects have ranged from poultry feed solutions for farmers in Tanzania to co-op models for single mothers in Guatemala.
Ja’Niya Daniels ’25 called the experience eye-opening. She’s a finance and international business major who’s now a student accounts assistant at Augusta Technical College.
“Working with Dr. Cash was amazing,” she says. “World Shoe showed me how important it is for communities to be in control of the initiatives that build them up, rather than relying on donations. Seeing that in action changed how I think about nonprofit work.”
Cash gives undergraduates and MBA candidates the practical skills, global perspective and confidence to solve complex problems.
“Here, Berry students don’t just learn about business,” he says. “They learn how business principles can change lives.”
Learn more about social entrepreneurship and MBA studies at Berry.
