Blockchain is influencing strategic conversation across industries, but separating real value from noise and technical complexity is difficult. This course prepares you to evaluate opportunities, challenge vendor claims, and determine where blockchain matters for your organization.
Participants will engage in a structured exploration of blockchain and decentralized technologies over four weeks, with emphasis on their applications in business contexts. Learn to critically assess use cases, risks, and emerging models, and develop an evidence-based perspective on the role of blockchain in organizational strategy.
This course introduces blockchain and decentralized technologies through a strategic, business-focused lens — not a technical or developer one. You will examine how blockchain underpins cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and emerging business models, and assess where it creates genuine organizational value, where it falls short, and how to make informed, defensible recommendations.
Topics include practical use cases in payments, asset transfer, and NFTs, alongside a critical look at risks, regulatory trends, and ethical considerations. The goal is not to evangelize blockchain — it is to equip you to evaluate it clearly and act with confidence.
This course can be taken as a stand-alone course or as part of the four-course Executive Certificate in Digital Leadership and Innovation.
What you will learn
- Understand how blockchain fundamentally differs from traditional systems and why it matters for your organization
- How blockchain underpins cryptocurrencies, digital assets, NFTs, and emerging business models
- Practical use cases across industries including supply chain, finance, healthcare, and real estate
- How to evaluate blockchain opportunities, assess vendor claims, and identify strategic relevance
- Risk, regulatory, and ethical considerations associated with blockchain adoption
- How to develop and communicate a critical, evidence-based view of blockchain value in your organization
Skills you'll gain
- Strategic evaluation of blockchain opportunities and vendor proposals
- Critical assessment of business value versus noise in decentralized technologies
- Risk identification and feasibility assessment for blockchain initiatives
- Ability to articulate blockchain's organizational implications to leadership and stakeholders
- Informed decision-making on blockchain adoption, governance, and regulatory compliance
Who should enrol
- Mid-to-senior level professionals responsible for evaluating emerging technologies without technical expertise
- Strategy managers, innovation leads, product managers in fintech or digital services,
- Finance leaders, and consultants
- Senior leaders in industries where blockchain is remerging, including supply chain and logistics, health care, real estate, and energy.
Not designed for developers, engineers, crypto traders, or investment-focused learners. This course is business strategy-focused, not investment or development-focused.
Course instructor
Dr. Doug Sparkes, P. Eng
Course Instructor | Founding Faculty Member, Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, University of Waterloo
Dr. Doug Sparkes has more than 30 years of experience in academia, consulting, government, and industry. He is one of the founding faculty members of the University of Waterloo’s Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, which is part of the Faculty of Engineering and provides entrepreneurship education and support across all faculties. He has been responsible for the initial development of the school’s undergraduate education programs, as well as being involved in programs and competitions focused on fostering student entrepreneurship.
Sparkes is an electrical engineer and entrepreneur who has been involved in several technology start-ups, in addition to his own company, in the Ottawa and Waterloo regions. He has also worked for the National Research Council of Canada and Stelco Inc. He is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and is active in local minor sports.
Certificate and Academic Recognition
Upon successful completion of this course, you will receive a professional certificate from the University of Waterloo. This course is also recognized for academic credit within the University of Dubai’s MBA Digital Leadership specialization.
Other courses in the Executive Certificate in Leadership and Innovation
Internet of Things (IoT): Connected Business and Data Strategy
Understand how connected devices drive operational performance and learn to justify IoT investment with clear ROI.