Build the capabilities to transform how your company competes.
Generative AI, supply chain upheaval, and rapidly evolving customer demands are forcing leaders to rethink how their companies create and capture value. Success requires both strategic vision and the organizational capabilities to make it happen. Yale’s Leading Business Model Innovation program will equip you to lead that transformation.
Over five intensive days, you’ll learn to spot opportunities to change your business model, design a viable solution, and confront the messy realities of implementation. Led by Professor of Operations Management Sang Kim, this program will help you tackle the human side of innovation: how to get buy-in, overcome resistance, and embed change into your company’s DNA.
You’ll examine how other companies have succeeded and failed, connect with other leaders facing similar challenges, and leave with a practical roadmap for your own organization.
About the Program
What to Expect
- Design business models that create new revenue streams using insights into market shifts, emerging tech, and customer needs: You'll learn to architect the key components—value proposition, revenue model, customer engagement, and operational structure—in ways that are strategically coherent and built to last. Through real-world examples and frameworks, you'll discover how to create innovations that are not just creative, but viable and scalable for your market reality.
- Develop processes and foster a culture that align with the strategic vision for business model innovation: You'll explore how to translate promising concepts into actual products and services, scale them effectively despite resource constraints, and build operating systems that support sustained growth. Whether leading a startup or an established company, you'll learn to overcome organizational inertia and create the conditions where innovation can thrive in daily operations.
- Cultivate the leadership mindset for driving transformational business model innovation: You'll develop the ability to spot opportunities where others see only disruption, assess when transformation is necessary, and maintain focus on long-term value creation even when facing short-term pressures. You'll leave with renewed confidence and clarity about your role in leading change.
- Strengthen your ability to effectively lead organizational change efforts, including how to engage skeptical stakeholders and avoid common missteps: You'll learn to assess readiness for change, build coalitions for innovation, and overcome the resistance that derails most transformation initiatives. Through practical strategies and real cases, you'll master how to make change stick in your organization.
Who Should Attend
This program is designed for mid- to senior-level professionals who are experiencing pressures like:
- Strategic Mandate Without Clear Direction: You’re tasked with finding new growth opportunities or driving digital transformation, but you're unsure where to start or how to prioritize amid competing demands.
- Market Disruption on the Horizon: You see competitors with different business models gaining traction, new technologies threatening your core offering, or customer preferences shifting in ways that challenge your current approach.
- Innovation Theater vs. Real Change: Your organization has run plenty of innovation workshops and pilots, but little has scaled. You need frameworks that move beyond brainstorming to actual implementation.
- Margin Pressure Requiring New Approaches: Cost-cutting has reached its limits, but revenue growth from your current model is plateauing. You need to identify new ways to create and capture value without massive capital investments.
Job titles may include:
- Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, Chief Digital Officer
- VP/SVP of Business Development, Corporate Strategy, or Innovation
- Division President, Business Unit Leader, General Manager
- Product/Portfolio Leaders responsible for P&L and growth
- Leaders in strategy consulting or corporate development roles
Curriculum
Leading Business Model Innovation will cover the following areas:
Diagnosing and Discovering Business Model Opportunities
Opportunities for business model innovation arise when market dynamics shift due to technological advances, evolving customer needs, or competitive disruption. From startups to established companies, leaders must be able to critically assess the strengths and limitations of their current business model, identify emerging gaps or inefficiencies, and recognize patterns that signal opportunities for transformation. Participants gain frameworks and tools to analyze their existing business models and uncover innovation opportunities that align with strategic intent.
Designing a Winning Business Model
Business model innovation does not come in a uniform shape or form. To develop and commit to a business model that will succeed and endure, it is critical to architect its components—value proposition, revenue model, customer engagement, and operational structure—in a coherent and strategically aligned way. Participants explore frameworks and real-world examples to design innovative, viable, and scalable business models tailored to their strategic goals and market realities.
Operationalizing and Scaling Innovation
Many great ideas for business model innovation fail to take off because resource constraints and scaling challenges are often underestimated. While startups may be nimble, they often struggle with market penetration; established companies, though well-resourced, may find it difficult to overcome entrenched norms and organizational inertia. Participants explore the execution side of business model innovation: how to translate a promising concept into a viable product or service, scale it effectively, and build an operating system that supports sustained growth and consistent value delivery.
Aligning the Organization for Innovation
Even the most promising business model innovation can falter without effective change leadership. Participants will examine the human and organizational factors that determine whether innovation efforts gain traction or lose momentum. They will learn to assess readiness for change, engage key stakeholders, and cultivate a culture that supports new ways of working. The emphasis is on practical strategies for overcoming resistance, sustaining progress, and embedding innovation into daily operations—ensuring that change is not only implemented, but endures.
From Insight to Action
Participants will reflect on their own business model challenges and opportunities, clarify priorities, and define next steps for applying new ideas within their organizations. The goal is to leave with a clear sense of direction, renewed leadership focus, and a practical roadmap for driving business model innovation in their own context.
Agenda
Below is a sample of what you can expect in Leading Business Model Innovation.
Content and schedule are subject to change.
Day One
- Systematic Approach to Creativity and New Idea Generation
- Creating a Compelling Business Proposition
- Business Model Ideation
Day Two
- Architecting a Winning Business Model
- Case Discussion: Business Model Innovation at GE
- Lean Startup
Day Three
- Leveraging AI for Advanced Customer Management
- Scaling Innovation in an Established Firm
- Business Model Refinement
Day Four
- Leading Organizational Change
- The Global Landscape of AI and the Future of Business
Day Five
- Business Model Pitch
Applied Learning Project
Working in teams, participants will tackle a real-world business challenge in an industry facing major disruption. Each team will take on one of two roles—either leading transformation from inside an established company or entering the market as a new competitor.
Teams will brainstorm, refine, and test business models that fit their chosen role. The project wraps up with team presentations, expert feedback, and group discussion about what makes innovation and business models succeed.
Faculty Director
Sang Kim
Professor of Operations Management and Senior Associate Dean for Centers and Executive Programs
Areas of Expertise: Analytics, Manufacturing, Operations, Operations Research, Service Operations, Strategy, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Technological Innovation
Read the full bio
Professor Kim specializes in supply chain management and service operations, with a particular interest in management of business process failures. He develops analytical models based on operations research and game theory to study practice-driven problems. His recent research interests include managing low-probability/high-impact disruptions in supply chains, sustainable operations, and social responsibility in supply chain management. Using the risk management framework, he has studied problems in application areas such as aftermarkets in the aerospace and defense industry, environmental regulation, and social enterprises in developing economies. Kim’s research has been published in top management journals including Management Science, Operations Research, and Marketing Science. Currently he serves as an associate editor at Management Science and Manufacturing & Service Operations Management. Professor Kim received his PhD degree in Operations and Information Management from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, MS in Scientific Computing & Computational Mathematics from the Stanford University, and BA in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Faculty
Julia DiBenigno
Professor of Organizational Behavior
Areas of Expertise: Collaboration, Diversity and Inclusion, Health Care, Leadership, Organizational Behavior, Organizational Design, Organizational Ethnography, Work and Occupations
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Julia DiBenigno is an organizational ethnographer and field researcher. Professor DiBenigno’s scholarship seeks to advance our understanding of topics related to the sociology of work and occupations, collaboration between professional groups, upward influence and voice, and change in organizations. Her research has appeared in Administrative Science Quarterly, Organizational Science, and the Academy of Management Annals and has won multiple best paper and best dissertation awards.
Professor DiBenigno specializes in qualitative, ethnographic methodologies (e.g., observation and interviewing). Using these methods, she immerses herself in the social worlds of those she studies to develop novel organizational theories while addressing pressing problems ranging from improving soldier mental healthcare delivery to supporting frontline caregivers combating COVID-19.
She received her PhD and MS in Work and Organization Studies from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Before that, she worked as a consultant for Deloitte's Organization and Change practice and received a BA in psychology from Columbia University.
Kyle Jensen
Shanna and Eric Bass ’05 Director of Entrepreneurial Programs; Associate Dean; and Professor in the Practice of Entrepreneurship
Areas of Expertise: Analytics, Big Data, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Innovation, Product Management, Startups, Technological Innovation, Venture Capital
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Kyle Jensen is an entrepreneur, developer, and scientist. Before joining Yale SOM, he co-founded Rho AI, maker of machine learning software for professional motorsports teams (acquired by GM); PriorSmart, a patent analytics provider (acquired by RPX); and Agrivida, an ag-biotechnology company (acquired by Novus International). Kyle also worked previously at the non-profit PIPRA, helping universities in developing economies establish technology licensing offices and helping scientists commercialize their research. Kyle’s research interests include entrepreneurship, intellectual property, and innovation.
William Putsis
Professor of Marketing, Economics and Business Strategy at UNC; former professor at the Yale School of Management
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Dr. William Putsis (Bill) is a Professor of Marketing, Economics and Business Strategy at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and teaches on Executive Programs at the Yale School of Management and DukeCE. He is also President and CEO of Chestnut Hill Associates, strategic consulting firm he founded in 1995. Additionally, Dr. Putsis runs Knapp Capital Management, a Commercial Real Estate venture launched in 2024. He is also a co-founder of The Paradox Team, a consulting and Executive Development company centered in Business Paradoxes and leadership.
He has worked with companies throughout the world, most recently developing strategies in China and Europe as well as the United States. His consulting clients have included companies of all sizes such as the Boeing Company, BASF, SAS, Owens Corning, John Deere, Verizon, Textron, Baker Hughes, Lincoln Industries, World Kitchen, The Wercs, Globe Union, Aviall, Insitu, Underwriter’s Laboratory, Knauf, MagniX and many others. Specializing in all aspects of business strategy, he has also published over 30 scholarly articles in top peer-reviewed academic journals and is the author of two books, Compete Smarter, Not Harder (John Wiley & Sons, 2014) and The Carrot and the Stick (University of Toronto Press, February 2020).
Gal Zauberman
Joseph F. Cullman, 3rd Professor of Marketing
Areas of Expertise: Behavioral Economics, Consumer Behavior, Creativity, Decision-making Methodology, Online Marketing
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Professor Gal Zauberman studies judgment and decision making, and behavioral economics. He has researched the factors that affect individuals' evaluations, preferences, and choice, with specific interest in the role of time in decisions and experiences. He has published articles in leading marketing and psychology journals and received international media coverage, including the New York Times, Scientific American, and others. He won numerous awards, including the William O’Dell and the Paul Green best paper awards, and the Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions to Consumer Psychology.
Application Information
Program Details
Application Deadline: March 13, 2026
Program Dates: May 4–8, 2026
Location: On campus
Program Fee: $12,000 – Fee includes lodging and most meals
Contact: Joanne Legler, Senior Director of Learning Partnerships
How do I explain the benefits of the certificate program to my supervisor?
Download the sample justification letter.
How to Apply
Interested applicants will need to submit:
- A current résumé. This can be uploaded as either a PDF or word document to the application form.
- Short answers to the following questions:
- What motivated you to apply to this program? Please describe any opportunities or challenges within your organization that influenced your decision to pursue this learning experience. (250 words)
- How will participating in the Leading Business Model Innovation program contribute to your short-term professional growth? (250 words)
- What unique perspectives or experiences do you hope to share with your cohort? (150 words)
Professional achievement and organizational responsibility are the main criteria for admission. There are no previous formal education requirements for admission. Acceptance is subject to the approval of the Yale SOM Executive Education Admissions committee.
Applications are reviewed in the order they are received. If you have any questions about applying, please contact Joanne Legler, Senior Director of Learning Partnerships.
Program Fee Assistance
Download the sample justification letter to guide conversations with an employer about fee assistance.
Yale SOM Executive Education offers a 15% reduction in program fee for:
- Those who work in the nonprofit sector. (Apply NONPROFIT code at time of registration.)
- Those who work in government. (Apply GOV code at time of registration.)
- Yale University alumni. (Apply YALEGRAD code at time of registration.)
- Groups of 3-6 participants. Groups can be from an organization or be self-formed.
- Those who have previously participated in a Yale Executive Education program with Yale SOM or 2U/GetSmarter.
Discounts cannot be combined.
Refund & Cancellation
Refunds are allowed for live online and in-person programs if requested in writing to the Yale Executive Education Registrar. The Yale Executive Education Cancellation Terms are as follows:
| Request for change in registration/cancellation | Refund provided |
|---|---|
| 30 days, or more, prior to Program start date | 100% Program Fee Refund Provided |
| 15-29 days prior to Program start date | 50% Program Fee Refund Provided |
| 14 days, or less, prior to Program start date | No Refund Provided |
Yale reserves the right to cancel or reschedule programs if enrollment is deemed insufficient or health and safety would otherwise be jeopardized. Yale School of Management is not responsible for any travel or incidental costs incurred by a registrant if a program becomes canceled. If a program is canceled by Yale, a full refund of fees paid will be processed within 30 days.
While it is our goal to deliver our programs as scheduled, we may postpone programs, deliver them online, or cancel them. If one of our programs has a scheduling change, we will notify those affected as soon as possible.