Teaching tool

Entrepreneurial Sustainability Canvas

A systems-oriented teaching tool for making sustainability part of entrepreneurial judgement and venture design.

SystemsWhere does the venture operate?

RelationshipsWho participates in creating value?

AssumptionsWhat requires further learning?

ExchangeHow is value created and sustained?

Venture DesignConnect judgement, learning, and responsible action.

Sustainability is treated as part of the venture rather than as a final checklist.

Sustainability as part of the venture

The Entrepreneurial Sustainability Canvas helps students and founders consider how a venture creates, exchanges, and sustains value across connected stakeholders and systems. It is designed to move sustainability from a final checklist to an integral part of entrepreneurial reasoning.

Using the canvas

A structure for discussion, reflection, and iteration

Who it is for

The Canvas is intended for entrepreneurship students, educators, early-stage founders, and workshop participants who want a structured way to discuss venture design and sustainability together.

Frame the venture

Establish a shared view of the venture and the systems in which it operates.

Examine relationships

Consider connected stakeholders and the value relationships that make the venture possible.

Identify assumptions

Participants use the Canvas to frame a venture, consider the systems in which it operates, examine value relationships, and identify assumptions that require further learning. The process supports discussion, reflection, and iteration rather than prescribing a single solution.

Teaching · Workshops · Team conversations

Teaching and workshops

The Canvas can support classroom exercises, facilitated workshops, and team conversations about responsible venture development.

Open resource

Download the Canvas

The Entrepreneurial Sustainability Canvas is available as a five-page Version 2.0 PDF. You are welcome to use it for teaching, workshops, and venture-development conversations. Please cite the resource and share feedback through the short questionnaire below.

Download ESC Version 2.0 (PDF) PDF · 5 pages · Citation requested

How to cite

Please acknowledge the Canvas when you use it

APA style

Wu, X. (2026). Entrepreneurial Sustainability Canvas (Version 2.0) [Teaching tool]. https://xiaoguangwu.com/esc

BibTeX

@misc{wu2026esc,
  author = {Wu, Xiaoguang},
  title = {Entrepreneurial Sustainability Canvas},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Version 2.0, teaching tool},
  url = {https://xiaoguangwu.com/esc}
}