International Projects

International Projects
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Trans-Global Executive MBA Immersion project, May, 2013. Indonesian Street Children Organization (ISCO) with faculty advisor Judith White and mentor Adriana Sandoval. 

Students worked in partnership with ISCO to provide free education for vulnerable street children in Indonesia. To support ISCO students: 1) Established a financial model for sustainability that allows ISCO to operate outside donor support; 2) developed practical training partnerships, internships and job opportunities with potential employers; and 3) identified the best organizational structure to support the growing needs of ISCO.

ISCO is a non-governmental organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of street children through education. The main goal of ISCO is to improve the quality of life of marginal communities and give them not only hope, but also the means to change their futures for the better by providing scholarhsip and educational support to children starting from pre-school until high school and, if possible, until university level. ISCO works closely with local school authorities, community leaders, and families. Roughly 1,800 children in 26 areas in Indonesia are currently sponsored by ISCO. 


Trans-Global Executive MBA immersion project, May, 2013. Dreamdelion with faculty advisor Tina Zhang and mentor Mohsen Salehi. 

Students worked with Dreamdelion to empower people, especially women, in urban slum areas of Bantaran Kali Manggarai, South Jakarta, Indonesia. To support Dreamdelion students: 1) Investigated best practices for developing employment models in base of the pyramid envirnoments for local women, with a focus on cost-effectiveness and simplicity in production; 2) identified employment potential for locals with the production of creative and useful products such as duffel bags and tote bags, accessories, ornaments and other crafts; and 3) established a financial model for sustainability that allows Dreamdelion to operate without outside NGO support and local donor money. 

Dreamdelion is intended to empower women who were previously unemployed but have a desire to undergo necessary skills training to enter the workforce. Dreamdelion helps realize and solve problems in the broader community, and twenty percent of profits are allocated to community development programs. The business was established in July of 2012.


Trans-Global Executive MBA immersion project, May, 2013. JCI Bandung with faculty advisor Yung-Jae Lee. 

Students worked with JCI Bandung to recycle local organic waste in a process that allows for the production of fertilizer, fish food and poulty food. This process will be implemented in local villages, creating jobs and reducing the need for residents to migrate to cities to seek menial labor. To support JCI Bandung, students: 1) Evaluated the viability of establishing an organic waste recycling process by analyzing best practices in similar activities around the world; 2) identified potential locals with the production of neccessary products; and 3) established a financial model for sustainability that allows for the project to operate without outside NGO support. 

JCI Bandung's first and foremost objective is to develop a model where high social impact can be achieved through implementation of commercial principles adapted to local conditions in the geographic area around Bandung, Indonesia. The organization implements sustainability in emerging markets and pairs them with global corporate interests in market positioning towards a long-term presence in the region. 


Trans-Global Executive MBA immersion project, May, 2013. The Seaweed Center with faculty advisor Yung-Jae Lee and mentor Ganesh Vishwanath. 

Students worked with the Seaweed Center to provide female seaweed farmers in Paje, Zanzibar with opportunities to improve their personal standard of living and develop economic activities that benefits the entire community. To achieve this goal, women dry their seaweed to be mechanically produced into soap. To support the Seaweed Center students: 1) Evaluated the viability of establishing a sales channel directly to the US market; 2) improved the sales and distribution models for the Zanzibar and Tanzania market, including furhter investigation with the tourist trade in the region; and 3) established a financial model for sustainability allowing the center to operate without outside NGO support. 

The Seaweed Center comprises of a facotry and a gathering site to produce soaps and creams from seaweed that are sold locally and distributed throughout East Africa. This collaborative started in 2008, and the main production facility and education center opened in January of 2012. Currently, approximately 250 members are engaged in planting, harvesting and processing seaweed into products. 


Trans-Global Executive MBA immersion project, May, 2013. Hospitality Academy with faculty advisor Tina Zhang and mentor Mohsen Salehi. 

Students supported Hospitality Academy's goal of providing ongoing vocational training in the hospitality industry for Rwandans. Hospitality Academy is an extension of the Rwandan restaurant and inn Heaven. Hospitality Academy aims to develop an onsite practical hospitality training academy that will teach staff members and Rwandans who want to learn the practical skills that will enable them to work in the hospitality industry. To support this mission students: 1) Established a financial model for sustainability allowing the Academy to operate without outside NGO support; 2) developed practical training partnerships with hospitality schools and local companies; and 3) identified the current and projected key competencies and needs in the Rwandan hospitality industry.

Construction began in 2007 and Heaven's doors opened for business in 2008. The restaurant and inn employs 18 staff directly, supports local farmers, suppliers, technicians and artists, and provides ongoing training to achieve excelllence and build future leaders in the local service industy. Heaven was born, in part, to boost the local economy by providing a new venue for tourists to enjoy during their stay. The restaurant and inn provides another way for customers to invest dollars into the economy and offers the local community a rotating gourmet menu and numerous cultural events.  


Trans-Global Executive MBA immersion project, May, 2013. Chumbe Island Coral Park with faculty advisor Jyoti Bachani and mentor Katie Cooney. 

Students worked with Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd. to assit in the conservation and sustainable management of uninhabited Chumbe Island off Zanzibar, one of the last pristine coral reefs in the region. To help Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd. achieve this goal, students: 1) Worked with the client to build an ecotourism model for Zanzibar that incorporated the sustainable practices from Chumbe Island in a manner that created jobs at the base of the pyramid for Zanzibarians; and 2) assisted in successfully completing their 1995-2016 management objectives. 

 Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd. is a non-commercial private nature reserve that was developed in 1991. Coral reefs are often referred to as the "rainforests of the sea" and rank among the most biologically rich and productive global ecosystems that provide social, economic and environmental benefit for millions of people.