This semester was full of amazing projects! A couple of project leaders from Cretian Crown, Secco Wine Club, Tequila Don Javier, and Cleantech San Diego shared some insights on their project prompts and experiences. Leading a virtual team can be a challenge, however, with the motivation and dedication of our project leaders, the Student International Business Council was able to offer our members real-world virtual project experience for the 2020 to 2021 school year.
Cretian Crown
“We are working on brand identity and outbound sales in SD. Our group is timely on getting tasks completed and we have decent communication. Everyone is engaged in the project and goes above and beyond in their work. I am impressed with them team and happy everyone is excited about the project. We have started the powerpoint slides and all need to individually add our parts to it and polish it prior to the mocks. I would like to continue being organized and all being on the same page and sharing our ideas with the group. I have learned that Cretian Crown does not have very strong presence in stores and online and could use some assistance in creating their brand. My goal is to lay a foundation and propose goals for Michael and his team to consider adding to their strategy. I chose to join SIBC because i was an international business major, then switched to real estate. I still very much have a passion for international business and communicating and working with other individuals. I loved the platform and projects SIBC works on and the creativity it allows be to share with others. I applied for the project lead role because I have a lot of time on my hands and being a senior I thought this would be a good time to supervise a team and act as a leader to younger students. I chose Cretian Crown because I love olive oil and have never been to Greece and wanted to learn more about it. I also was interested in how much work is to be done and how much flexibility and creativity Michael has allowed us. My previous experience presenting to a client was always intimidating because we are so young and do not have as much experience as them, and Im sure they've heard our ideas before. Speaking to a professional or higher up of a company always scared me, and I believe SIBC has helped me face that fear and strive. “
- Natalia Crescitelli 21’
Secco Wine Club
““As a project lead for Secco Wines, I have surprised myself in finding a deeper appreciation for the wine industry. Not only have I gotten to work with amazing USD students, but I have also had the chance to meet with three members of the Secco Wine team. In our meeting, it was very evident how much passion it takes to produce such a product. A lot of love and hard work goes into a family winery that strives to produce wines that fit a healthy lifestyle. Secco Wine Club produces clean wines in Tuscany that are low in both carbs and sugar, making them especially appealing to keto and paleo consumers. I specifically worked as the project leader for the Paleo segment. Although working in a virtual setting is not my preferred way of communication, I always looked forward to meeting with my team every week. It was exciting to see new faces, as I usually only get to interact with my four roommates! As a leader, I wanted to ensure that I made everyone on the team feel comfortable to share their ideas and be creative. It’s harder to read people’s emotions over zoom meetings, so getting everyone excited to interact with one another about the project was my main goal.
Our mission this semester was to develop a multi-channel social media strategy for each target segment, where we leveraged the company’s existing customer base to boost revenues.As we worked towards our mission, it has been an amazing experience getting to know so many other great students, each of whom has such unique perspectives and valuable insight to contribute to our project. Every member has a passion for wine or a healthy lifestyle, which has allowed this project to be that much more enjoyable. My favorite part has been acting as though I’m a wine connoisseur and pairing Secco wines with paleo and Meditteranean diet meals. We have learned a great deal about the wine industry and enjoy coming together as a team to put forth creative ads for our target markets. Our team continues to work diligently to ensure that we may help contribute to Secco’s success within the wine industry.
Having these experiences so far has solidified how beneficial joining SIBC has been for me. I was inspired by my teacher, Dr. Daspro, to join. Going into it, I was a bit nervous. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to contribute. So, I thought I might as well jump right into it and apply to be a project leader. I chose Secco Wine because my father works for the wine industry, and I see everyday how much joy it gives him. I didn’t think I would be the one to want to follow in his footsteps, but we all surprise ourselves at some point! Although it was my first semester being a part of this club, I can see why so many students speak so highly of it. I am proud to be able to say I can now spread the word about my experience with SIBC as well. “
- Jackie Newlin 22’
Tequila Don Javier
“ This semester, I have been able to continue working with Tequila Don Javier and learn more about the tequila industry. Leading this SIBC project for two semesters has been an awesome experience. Not only am I working with motivated and hard working students, but I am gaining real-world experience around consulting and project management. Further, being able to present our project in a professional setting to the client last semester was great experience that I know I will take with me to a job in the future.
As an international relations major, SIBC has allowed me to greatly expand my skill set to include the skills necessary for business consulting. Not only have I been able to learn about liquor distribution and market trends in relation to tequila, this semester we are working on a social media marketing strategy for the client. In today's digital world, this is integral experience that has allowed me to further broaden my skill set. SIBC is unique in that it gives students the opportunity to work with real clients and work on projects that will have real impacts on these companies. I will be sad to graduate in May, but I am thankful for my time with SIBC. “
- Morgan Kern 21’
Cleantech San Diego
“For the SIBC-CleanTech project, my group has been researching and analyzing impact investment funds to help Cleantech San Diego potentially construct a Southern California-based, clean energy impact investment fund. This is a type of investment which focuses on creating a social or environmental impact as well as financial returns. We have been researching the organization and benchmarks of other funds through online resources and meetings with other companies to identify the best practices for creation of a new fund.
I chose to work with Cleantech because I am passionate about clean energy and the positive impacts it creates in the world. Cleantech San Diego works with a network of other companies in Southern California to generate innovative and collaborative solutions to environmental, economic, and community issues and this seems exceedingly relevant in business today.”
- Shannon Daley 21’