How USD Students are Gaining Real-World Business Experience

During the fall 2021 semester, the Student International Business Council (SIBC) introduced nine exciting consulting projects in collaboration with both domestic and international companies across a variety of business sectors. Over the course of approximately three months, students worked closely with one another to conduct relevant research, analyze their findings, strategize for the future, and propose innovative solutions. We caught up with the project leaders of each team to uncover what drew them to their selected project, and what they learned from their experience.

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Tamarindo Foundation

“The Tamarindo project stood out to me as one that gave a real opportunity to truly help people and improve their quality of life. Becoming project lead meant that I felt even closer to the community in El Salvador and it was a role that I thoroughly cherished. I feel that my tenure as project lead has provided me with various organizational, interpersonal and communication skills that I can now bring forward into my future career.

Over the course of six weeks, our team delivered three workshops on accounting principles to a group of entrepreneurs in El Salvador. The workshops were facilitated by the Tamarindo foundation, an organization that is dedicated to breaking the chains of poverty and forced migration and improving the quality of life for the people of El Salvador. The premise of our workshops is that these entrepreneurs will take what they have learned through our workshops and apply it to their own business practices which will in turn help to grow their respected businesses.”

- Cian Condon, Business Administration ‘23

Naturway

“Naturway is a team-building, tourism company located in Lisbon, Portugal and has been an active client of SIBC for the past two years. Last year, our team focused on researching relevant Destination Management Company (DMC) contacts in the United States, and any large MICE industry events hosted in Portugal. Building off of that list and expanding our reach, our current goals for this semester are to provide our clients with an extensive list of relevant contact information for Destination Management Companies (DMC's) in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil in hopes of generating sales growth in each of those regions. We also intend to grow Naturway's social media and online digital presence in the coming semester, which our team of savvy tech wizards are all very excited about doing!

I began working on the Naturway team in Fall 2020, and have since been project leader for the past two semesters -- Spring and Fall 2021. When I first joined this team, it was because the scope of work seemed of interest to me, and the hopes of traveling to Portugal in the future were very enticing. Since my entire first year of working with SIBC was online, I sadly did not have any travel opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, I am hopeful for the possibilities of the future! I am so happy to once again be working as the project leader for the Naturway team this semester as this project and team are held very dear to my heart. Being able to transition from online to in-person SIBC meetings and presentations has been transformative for me and has helped me grow as a leader. Through this experience provided by SIBC, I have gained a broadened perspective on the cultural and generational differences between our team and our clients, as well as gaining several opportunities for me and the team to think creatively and innovatively. I hope to continue leading the Naturway team next semester, and build an even better community amongst team members and our clients than we had this semester. I feel that growing and maintaining friendships and mentorships is essential in our roles as business consultants and leaders of the Student International Business Council.

- AnneMarie Rodgers, Finance and Business Analytics ‘23

Jars of Delight

“To me what differentiated SIBC from other clubs on campus was the opportunity to gain hands on experience with a real client. As a person who hasn’t had an internship, I was keen to get some sort of experience within the field of marketing. It was especially nice to know that I had a choice in what project I chose to pursue. Out of the many fascinating projects, I decided to join the Jars of Delight team for two reasons. The first reason is that I would be helping a minority-woman owned business. The second reason is that Jars of Delight’s whole mission is promoting sustainability within the environment and the community which are things that I value. It was also a great learning experience to manage a team and maintaining the groups morale high. From this leadership experience, I’ve learned to stay organized and manage my team’s time efficiently. I would also like to mention that each team member helped me look at a challenge from a different angle. I learned so much from them on setting social media goals and the different types of content we could make that would benefit Jars of Delight. I believe this SIBC experience has helped me to be a more proactive and less intimidated person within the field of marketing. My hope is to continue learning from the remainder of this project and to of course keep promoting peace through commerce.

This past semester, I worked on creating a social media marketing strategy for a sustainable catering company known as Jars of Delight. During these past couple of months, my team and I created a customer profile, set social media goals, designed content for its social media accounts, along with a posting schedule, and a budget. Our main objective with Jars of Delight was not only to strengthen its social media presence but to also communicate its mission of sustainability more effectively to its audience.”

- Ashley Dafferner, Marketing ‘22

Atlas

“I decided to join SIBC because one of my friends was in it and could not stop raving about the business experience the club gave her. I was instantly drawn to Atlas' project scope stating research into the AI market. Every single person on my team, including myself, did not know a single thing about AI and were intrigued by this undiscovered market. My leadership experience in SIBC will help me in the future be able to talk about my leadership skills and ability to work with a deadline for a project. These skills would help me land me a good job as a project leader for the future company I wish to work for. Furthermore, the connections I have made with SIBC clients is building my network base in the business world. The goals I hope to achieve as project lead are gaining the ability to work with a large group of people, be able to use my organization skills to have the project run smoothly with deadlines clearly stated, and at the end of the project have my group tell me they enjoyed working with me.

My Project is for Atlas, which is a AI translation company based in Turkey. Atlas was established in 2004 and centers around the Automative, Legal, and Finance industries for AI translation. During this project my group has researched the AI industry, done industry analysis' for all regions of the world in the translation market, conducted a company S.W.O.T analysis, and developed a Sales & Marketing strategy for the company. The key takeaways from this project are learning the different subdivisions of AI and machine translation, how vast of a market AI is, being able to develop a S.W.O.T analysis, and learning how to outline a Sales & Marketing plan for a company.”

- Alexis Labrinos, Business Administration ‘22

Xecue Winery

“SIBC is one of the greatest opportunities within the business school to join because it allows students to gain real world experience at their own pace. This is what intrigued me about SIBC because it offered me the room and ability to explore different areas of business in application to the real world. This semester I wanted to further my commitment to SIBC and so I became a project lead. Being a project lead has been helpful in advancing my organization skills and project management skills. These were important skills to advance since they are so influential in the work place.

Currently, the project I am working on is for the Xecue Winery located in Mexico. The project has been separated into two sections, first beginning with the Situational Analysis of Xecue in the Valle de Guadalupe. The Valle de Guadalupe is a region within Mexico which contains various wineries. This section of the project includes noting the industry best practices within.the region and accumulating research surrounding unique value propositions for wineries. The second section which will be tackled next semester includes using the research gathered to form a proposed destination marketing plan for Xecue.”

- Maria Klostrakis, Marketing and International Business ‘23

Hewlett-Packard

“I decided to join SIBC because I had heard great things and am planning on going into consulting in the future. I was interested by the scope of work for the HP project and also wanted to work with a big cooperation. I learned a lot from being the team lead from organizing groups and to meeting key deadlines. I also learned a lot about myself as a leader and what I am good at and what I can improve on.

The project that we worked on was a marketing research project for HP. This was looking into their instant ink service and whether or not it would be smart for them to target college aged students with this service. We studied HP and especially their instant ink service and used this to make a survey and conduct a focus group. The key takeaways we got was that college aged students were not a good market to go into using B2C but rather targeting colleges and creating an HP partnership with them.”

- Grayson Wright, International Business ‘23

Tin Marin

“Being a Project Lead for Tin Marin has been an extremely rewarding experience. I joined SIBC my junior year during Covid. I remember I was taking a semester off and I wanted to stay on track with my career so I joined hoping I would have something to keep me going while I took personal time off. Im glad that I did! I wanted to gain some experience working with international companies, learn more about consulting, and take on leadership positions. I did not realize I would stick with it for so long and SIBC has taught me so much!

I joined Tin Marin specifically because I loved its concept, its unique story, and I loved that it is a woman owned business. I'm interested in the fashion industry and felt called to this role! When I started project lead, I hoped to gain management skills, time management skills, professional skills, and presentation skills. I definitely did and I am so grateful to my team for their input and help throughout the semester.

This semester we got to work on developing a marketing strategy and social media content for Tin Marin's current and potential costumers. We did an extensive industry analysis to highlight trends and drivers that suited Tin Marin. We accessed Tin Marin's value proposition and made recommendations on how to best suit that given proposition to truly highlight all the values of Tin Marin like its sustainability, giving back to the community, quality, and functionality.

We ran a social media, SWOT and competitor analysis and focus group and consumer survey to better understand what our approach should be for Tin Marin's marketing campaign. We also researched consumer profiles to put together the main values that three generations: Gen X, Millenials, and Gen Z have in common and what they'd like to see in Tin Marin.

Lastly, we created mock ups of content and ideas for Instagram stories, posts, product optimization, website changes, etc.

Overall, it was a great experience to be able to work with a client that is so passionate about doing good and that has such a unque concept. Our team learned so much from working with Tin Marin and we're excited to continue in the Spring!”

- Sofia Ford, International Business and Marketing ‘22

IPE

“Each year, the three universities (USD, Notre Dame and Benedictine College) that are fortunate with the privately endowed student-run Student International Business Council (SIBC), participate in an exclusive flagship event at the national level to showcase their research on a particular global issue. This year's International Political Economy (IPE) topic for USD was "how can the real estate industry can help combat climate change?" The team gathered unique insights on the subject using the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals as a guide; we also emphasized on the goals and targets the Real Estate industry should ideally focus upon to make progress by 2030. Real Estate's value-add in the context of combating climate change was highlighted using specific examples of practices adopted by sustainability leaders and expectations from the industry moving forward were discussed in line with the key takeaways from the ongoing COP26 at the time.

As the project leader for IPE, the experience was nothing but phenomenal! Undertaking this project certainly had a uniqueness to it as it was distinctive from the other projects of the semester -- with IPE, it wasn't about strategizing for a company's success rather brainstorming ways an entire industry can help contribute to a global defining issue of this era. This compelled the team to get creative but simultaneously also increased our collective environmental awareness. Being a part of SIBC surely educates one on several different topics and also provides its members with the opportunity to be exposed to multiple perspectives that they wouldn't have otherwise been offered throughout their academic courses.”

- Yashve Kalati, Business Economics ‘22

TKB Medical USA, Inc.

“I was the team leader of the TKB project. We signed an NDA so there is little that we can discuss about it but, in this project, we worked with a Japanese company that wishes to expand into the honey business. This project was very interesting since we were able to understand a lot about the honey industry, everything from production to bottling and selling, learning all about the logistics of the industry. Since we worked with a Japanese company, we were also able to study a market that I knew little about, learning a lot about the Japanese consumer culture and the market as a whole and a lot about the Japanese culture.

Having the opportunity to be a team leader, especially of such a big team (10 people) is something that is going to help immensely in my future career. Having the opportunity to learn how to lead a team during university is something that only a lucky few have the chance to, and I consider myself one of those ones. I joined SIBC with the idea of expanding my network and gain some experience and there isn’t a better way to do it than literally working with real companies in real projects, getting in touch with other students with the same interests as me and getting to know some companies and real-world professionals and learning with them. Being a project leader expands on this notion, in the sense that it helps us expand our range of skills and we can share with other people the experience that we acquired in the years before being a team leader. Being a team leader also helped me figure out some of my leadership and working weaknesses, some of those weaknesses that I intend to work on further projects as a project leader and improve.”

- Joao Pires Coelho, International Business and Supply Chain Management ‘22

Inside Look Into Spring 2021 Projects

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.

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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’

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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’

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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’

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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’

Leading a Project in the Virtual World

As the University of San Diego enters another semester of virtual learning, the Student International Business Council has continued to provide its members with real-world experience using commerce to facilitate positive change through virtual projects. Virtual learning has been a challenge for members, and maintaining a connection with their peers outside of the virtual classroom has become even more of a strain. The Student International Business Council has successfully built a virtual community for students to connect and collaborate with business leaders all over the world. Our project leaders play a key role in maintaining this community and leading their peers to successfully completing their project prompts. In this blog, you will get some insight into what it is like to lead a virtual team from current SIBC project leaders for the Spring 2021 semester.

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Secco Wine Club

“ Being a project leader for the Secco Wine Club has been a rewarding and educating experience. I chose Secco because it was an opportunity to become acquainted with market research and also to continue to involve myself in Italian culture, as I had studied abroad in Rome the previous semester. When I first started leading the market research team for Secco last semester, I was unsure where to begin such a daunting project. Throughout the weeks and with guidance from SIBC advisors, my team and I developed a framework of the topics we wanted to research and discuss further with the leaders of Secco.

We identified market segments, through a process of elimination, and with a market selection matrix, Secco could target its low-carb and low-sugar KETO wine. It was enjoyable to have weekly discussions with team members on the insights they discovered on these target markets and why they were ideal for Secco. Presenting our findings last semester was an exciting experience. The culmination of months’ work compiled in a twenty-minute presentation proved to pay off when Secco’s leaders showed their interest and gratitude over the insights and recommendations we provided for them.

In this semester, I felt more prepared as I had a greater understanding of the project leader role and was accustomed to the virtual setting. My team and I have the goal to present how to market to the market segments identified past semester. My goal is to finish what we began the previous semester, give researched and analytical recommendations on how Secco can target its brand-new product. This is an opportunity to further elaborate on what we had already established and also become more creative in our messaging.

The position of project leader reinforced the importance of time management, taught me how to delegate tasks based on team member’s strengths, and professionally communicate with business leaders and entrepreneurs. I look forward to the Secco project completion and what awaits the next academic year.”

- Ricardo Cardoza 22’

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Tamarindo Foundation

“My experience being a Co-Project leader for the SIBC has been an incredible one so far. I have had the incredible privilege to be a part of a project that is close to my heart. I am half Salvadorian, so working for the Tamarindo Foundation has allowed me to feel I am helping other women like my mother and learning more about the Salvadorian culture. Working in a virtual setting has been a wonderful experience as our workshops have allowed us to connect with others where we would not be able to physically be. The goals I want to achieve within my role as a Co-Project leader are to be able to learn, help others, and collaborate with students who have a passion for non-profits. What I have learned so far working with the Tamarindo Foundation is about how to empower women to start their own businesses and create growth in their community. I wanted to join SIBC because I took International Business with Dr. Daspro and I fell in love with the class, so I thought the club would allow me to work on projects related to that. I chose the Tamarindo Foundation because the organization was a non-profit and is aligned with the work I want to do in the future, which is to have have my own non-profit one day. “ 

- Ariadne Sambrano 22’

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Naturway

“Working with Naturway has been the first time I've led a team. My experience with the team of 10 has been absolutely fantastic! I'm so grateful to have been a part of a team wherein we're not just members working together on a project, but rather close friends who genuinely enjoyed collaborating throughout the semester. Although virtual, my team & I were still given the opportunity to gain professional experience and this allowed me to further develop and improve my leadership capabilities. 

On this year-long project, we identified market segments that would be attracted to Naturway, a tours company located in Lisbon, Portugal. It was a challenging project considering the toll COVID-19 had taken on the tours & travels industry. Nonetheless, this project compelled us to think outside the box, thus, unleashing each of our creativity. Over the past academic year, we've gained valuable insights into the tourism industry and have presented to our clients the key data we gathered via external interviews and research. 

Overall, being on this project has been a remarkable experience for me. It not only was a channel to help me recognize and improve on my leadership and organizational capabilities but also enabled me to push my boundaries. Lastly, I've truly appreciated getting to know the members of this team!”

- Yashve Kalati 22’

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JLab Audio

“ I first got involved with SIBC last spring, when an older member of my fraternity mentioned that it would be a great opportunity for me to gain some real hands-on experience going into the summer before my junior year. As it turns out, he was elected the project leader for a project with Adobe, and after joining the team myself, I learned we would be helping to streamline their executive onboarding process. As the semester went along, I really enjoyed the research we did as well as getting to work with different team members from different grades and organizations along the way. By the time our final presentation rolled around and I was able to experience how rewarding it was to create and present a quality final project to a company like Adobe, I knew I wanted to come back to SIBC and lead a project in the future. 

Due to the craziness of COVID, I decided to focus on school and my other commitments during the fall semester, but instead set my sights on leading during spring semester. When the projects finally came out, I wanted to work with a company that offered products or services I was interested in, and JLab Audio, which sells personal audio devices such as earbuds, microphones, and headphones, really stood out. After researching the company and finding out it was fast-growing and had a partnership with MLS, I became even more intrigued. Once the teams had been assembled, we learned that were being tasked with understanding the audio space in both France and Italy and identifying and recommending potential distributors for JLab's goals for future expansion into those two countries.

So far, I've learned a lot about the different types of distributors there are, the audio space as a whole in France, Italy, and other European countries, and how to effectively lead and communicate to a team. I am super grateful to have had this experience with SIBC so far and cannot wait for our final presentation in a couple of weeks!”

- Sam Stiker 22’

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Adobe

“Thus far, I have had an enriching yet challenging experience leading this SIBC project. This is my first semester as a project leader, and I continue to learn many things about my leadership style and working with teammates in a virtual setting. Being a sole project leader while trying to organize the project and scope of work as a whole has been a challenge for me, but I am learning things about myself and how to improve my project management skills. As a result, I am very grateful for this beneficial experience. Working in a virtual setting is difficult compared to being in person, however the same goes for my classes and part-time job. Since many employers are planning on adopting a hybrid working environment post-pandemic, it is necessary to learn how to manage a project team in a virtual environment.

          As a project leader, I would love to inspire my teammates and help them gain relevant business skills while boosting confidence. Additionally, I would like to improve my leadership and professional skills while learning about the tech industry. I also became a project leader because I enjoy holding leadership roles, and would love to hold a significant leadership position in my future career. My goal is to inspire people and aid them in developing their personal and professional skills. In addition to this, I am passionate about consulting and would like to pursue a career in international consulting. What I do in SIBC is what I would like to do as a career, and SIBC helped me realize that.

          I chose Adobe because it is a high profile tech company, and I believe that working on this project would provide a huge resume booster while giving me relevant professional experience. In addition, I wanted experience in management consulting prior to graduating in order to stick out from the crowd once I start to apply to full time positions. A human resources project is particularly interesting to me, and I want to expand my knowledge about different industries since it will help with my future career. So far, I have learned about hiring operations and new hire gift practices of numerous companies in the tech industry. 

          I have worked on different projects in previous semesters, and presenting to clients has been an amazing experience. I was able to travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina in January 2020 to present the Animana project to our client in person. I struggled with public speaking so this was a challenge for me, therefore it was an enriching experience. I have also worked on TL Fab and Tamarindo, which consisted of 2 different workshops, and they have been beneficial experiences as well. I enjoy presenting to and speaking with clients since I can learn something new from each client interaction. Overall, being a part of SIBC and being a project leader has been an incredible experience and I am looking forward to presenting to Adobe.”

- Salma Youssef 22’

Secco Wine Club Virtual Project

The Secco Wine Club Experience

By: Ricardo Cardoza Bejarano

This semester through the Student International Business Council (SIBC), I had the opportunity to lead a team of 10 business students of different majors on a market analysis project consulting the leaders of Secco Wine Club. Even though we worked in a virtual setting throughout the semester, we were able to provide an insightful and content-rich presentation about Secco's marketing strategy.

We had identified market segments that would be attracted to Secco’s brand new low-carb and low-sugar KETO wine. In our research phase, through the process of elimination we sorted different markets that would best identify with Secco’s product offerings and brand. Every team member researched and analyzed data behind every market to find its most appealing aspects and potential. We ended up with five market segments that we proposed to Secco’s leadership in our presentation. This was a challenging phase as every other meeting new information was uncovered that could undo our past work. We were able to push through these difficulties and provide a concise description of our chosen market segments. 

The next phase of our presentation was providing a price point analysis of Secco's new KETO wine and determining if its price would be reasonable for customers. A group within our team conducted an industry and pricing analysis of imported wine, which required providing context about the state of the wine industry in the US and how the pandemic affected its growth.

The last phase of our presentation was providing insights for social media growth which would tie with the Messaging team’s presentation. Another group within our team underwent a social media audit of Secco and its competitors. They identified which social media platforms were used and how active each business was in every one of them. They provided tools on how to measure social media growth and which platforms are most useful for a wine company. To finalize our presentation, we gave recommendations for social media collaborations and growth.

This was a rewarding experience as every team member, including myself, was passionate about the topic they researched and talked about in the presentation. Our advisor, Nena Koseva guided us through every phase and helped us keep on track before the day of our presentation. I had a great time conversing with team members and interchanging ideas about Secco’s marketing strategy.

I want to thank all my team members who arduously worked, all our advisors who guided us every step of the way, and Matt and Luca who gave us the opportunity to consult their business. I am excited to see the collaborative work that awaits us next semester.

Rewarding Experience with Adobe

Adobe Experience

By Trevor Denney

I heard about the Adobe project in the first SIBC meeting of the spring semester. I had previously worked on a project for Tesla Motors and thought this project would be an awesome progression. By early March we had a team and we started meeting weekly. The team was tasked with analyzing Adobe’s executive onboarding processes and proposing a modified, tailored solution that was globally scalable. We conducted extensive research, identified best practices within the tech industry, found opportunities for improvement in the current process, and proposed research backed solutions. Mapping out Adobe’s current executive onboarding process using a service blueprint was challenging and took longer than expected. However, it was worth the hard work, as we quickly realized we needed a strong grasp of their current processes if we were going to identify issues and come up with solutions to the issues. A couple weeks into the project our classes went remote and the project was put on hold. The team voted to continue the project through the school closure and we began meetings weekly via Zoom. Collaborating while working 100% virtually was challenging. On previous projects, team members would meet in classrooms and use the whiteboards to collaborate and quickly get things done. We ended up utilizing Google’s collaboration tools. This helped us stay organized, keep relevant documents available to the team, simplify communication and work assignments, and show suggestions on each other’s work. We found that the most effective virtual meetings were short and took care of only the essentials; the remaining work was done individually then shared and reviewed by the team outside of meeting times.

We were really happy with how the presentation of our deliverable turned out. While we were looking forward to traveling to San Jose and presenting at the Adobe headquarters, the final presentation (via Zoom) was equally as satisfying. Our full team, all of our advisors, and 6 or 7 people from Adobe were on the video call. We ran through the presentation many times, stepped up our attire, selected appropriate Zoom backgrounds, and assigned presentation segments based on our strengths. Everything went to plan and we got great feedback.

If there is one club you should join during your time at USD, it's the Student International Business Council. The real-world application of business and consulting principles is unparalleled. Between my experience on the Tesla project and the Adobe project, I have grown so much and simply wouldn't be working at the level I am today if it were not for SIBC. You should join SIBC to gain project experience and learn skills that will be useful when applying for jobs. I am an Engineering student looking to work at the intersection of business and technology. The SIBC has provided me the business experience I need to fill the gaps and make this transition in the years to come. One of the most valuable aspects of doing a project for SIBC is the opportunity to learn from professors that have years of industry experience. I worked closely with Dr. Daspro this semester and learned so much about designing a methodology and framework for these types of consulting projects. I’ll take everything I learned from her into my last year of classes at USD and into my career.

Argentina Trip: Animana Project

Buenos Aires Experience

Sydney Avery

Our trip to Buenos Aires was one for the books!! We were there for approximately five days, and we were slightly overwhelmed with what we should do to maximize our time. Kalley led the group, with research on what spots were the most sees, and at times we even asked locals where we should venture to. We saw it all, name a place, and chances are we fit it into the schedule. I remember multiple times when my jet lagged body was craving a good old nap, but my curious mind wanted to grasp the culture of the Argentina lifestyle. Out of all the sights that we saw, the Recoleta Cemetery was my favorite. I was so intrigued by the architecture, the way that you could peer into the graves, and see the time that has passed, evident from the spider webs and debris accumulated on the ground. Each grave was unique, some superior to others. The cemetery was also a maze, and we found ourselves turned around a number of times. Aside from the cemetery, another spot that we seemed to have to make a daily stop at was Tufic, a gourmet gelato shop a block away from our hotel. What luck!! We would indulge in gelato, sampling every flavor ensuring we were selecting the best flavor for ultimate taste bud satisfaction. We would then sit outside, appreciating the summer temperature and people watch, fascinated by the culture differences that we observed. All in all, this trip was such an amazing experience. It was fulfilling to see the reaction of Animana to the extensive research we had done, and to see our hard work having such a profound impact.

Argentinian Culture

Salma Youseff

The city of Buenos Aires was truly captivating, and I enjoyed experiencing the culture, food and geography. One very important aspect of Argentinian culture are the tango shows. The tango shows are exceptionally entertaining; the dancers were full of passion and skill. The female dancers dressed up in beautiful dresses, while the male dancers dressed in suits. The dancers were twirling and spinning which was very interesting to watch. There were also singers during the performance, both of whom had incredible voices. Additionally, the food tasted amazing and had a lot of variety. Beef and dulce de leche are very popular in Argentina. Many of the locals eat dulce de leche cookies called alfajores. They also add dulce de leche filling in a lot of their desserts, such as donuts and croissants. Furthermore, Buenos Aires was possibly the greenest city I have ever visited. The cobblestone streets were lined with large green trees looming over pedestrians. There were a lot of modern and hip coffee shops and boutiques as well. I absolutely enjoyed traveling to Buenos Aires and experiencing Argentinian culture.

Animana Store Experience

Julia Herold

One of my favorite aspects of our week in Buenos Aires was our experience with Adriana Marina, founder of Animana, in her store. The store was located a few blocks from our hotel in Palermo. The building itself was tidy with subtle colors, allowing bright red, purple, and teal sweaters to illuminate the space. On the last day of our trip, we had the opportunity to hear the story of Animana and NGO Hecho Por Nosotros in Adriana’s words. As Adriana introduced us to the products, she affectionately stroked intricate alpaca throws and encouraged us to feel everything. While sipping on the local tea speciality, mate, we experienced Adriana’s passion in action. It is one thing to read and research the production of sustainable fibers in Argentina yet a completely different experience to see how Adriana’s industry knowledge and creativity has produced a company that provides for her community. 

Sustainable Fashion

Kalley Kenny

With Sustainable fashion consisting of man-made, natural, organic, and recycled items,  each of these items adds to the overall growth of the industry. In just a 10 year span, the market size is expected to nearly double. As an industry, Sustainable Fashion is projected to grow by over 20 billion dollars in the next four years. Sustainable Fashion, specifically in the United States, has garnered popularity in the past couple years due to the recognition of climate change, an increase in pollution and unfair treatment of employees. As consumers become more aware, they want to purchase items that are longer lasting and use less resources to make. Small, medium and large companies have begun to adopt sustainable practices as their consumers and the state of the world offer them a will to change.

Inside New Zealand

By Kat Pereira

Even before the plane landed I knew something was different. It could’ve been the fact that we weren’t required to take our shoes off, or maybe that iced coffee cost more than a cappuccino. New Zealand was never really on my radar as I automatically associated it with Australia and “The Outback.” Even those around me in San Diego kept asking if I had seen smoke from Australia on my trip. However, I can safely say that my entire world turned around after visiting this breathtaking country. Through SIBC the University of San Diego partnered with Benedictine College and I had the privilege of working with four Benedictine students alongside fellow USD student Kyle Rutherford. To kick off our travels, myself and four of the Benedictine Students chose to stay in Queenstown. With the lush greenery and heavy prevalence of sheep, Queenstown brought us nature hikes with stunning views and peaceful vineyards for a Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tour. From eating at Fergburger, the local burger hotspot, to trying fresh baked Olive Bread from the town bakery, this breath of fresh air left us feeling happy we got the chance to visit.

Next we boarded our plane to Auckland to deliver a riveting presentation to the executive board of Attain New Zealand. The research I spent the last semester conducting helped me gain a better understanding of the consulting industry. Dividing the United States into geographical regions, I then compared the dominating industry in each region to the need for consulting in this industry, competitors, a niche market upon entering, and what type of consulting these companies are looking for. From this analysis, it was concluded that IT consulting in Silicon Valley, California would provide the most profitable opportunity for Attain. After a successful presentation in front of Sharn Piper, CEO of Attain NZ, we all went to Elliot Stables to celebrate. Having to decide between delicious crepes, fresh seafood, or warm bao buns was a challenge but one we all continued to have as the food in Auckland ceased to disappoint. Of course Auckland enriched us in more ways than through its culinary talents as we sailed under the Auckland bridge and saw the city from a new perspective. Another great thing about Auckland was its close proximity to Waiheke Island, Milford Sound, and Rangitoto Island.

Starting with Waiheke, our group ended up finding a cute little area to rent kayaks and paddle boards. Paddle boarding past the sailboats and dodging the ferry we came in on was a blast and something I will never forget. Another day we made a trek to Milford Sound in a bus which then took us out on a boat to see the several waterfalls streaming down from the natural rock that surrounded us. Apart from the cold rain and wind, the day brought excitement and adventure as we all got to drink the fresh mountain water and get close to snow-capped mountains. Overall this experience was so fulfilling as I learned more about the business world on a global scale, and how to conduct thorough market research while still managing to have the best time taking in all that New Zealand has to offer.

Thank you SIBC for this amazing opportunity!

Summary of the New Zealand Trip

By Kyle Rutherford

New Zealand through SIBC was one of the greatest experiences of my University Career. The nature and hiking that I got to observe and experience in the South Island will be remembered as some of the most beautiful places in the world. After landing in Christchurch on the South Island, I immediately drove down the island through some beautiful fields, lakes and mountains. After eventually meeting up with my team in Queenstown, we worked through the nights on perfecting the presentation and deliverables. When the time came, we flew up to Auckland and decided to work on our presentation for the rest of the day before we met with the client the next day. 

The important part of the trip, the client presentation and meeting went extremely well. Dressed to the T, we went into their downtown office and met their team. After brief small talk, we started the presentation and did a great job. After a perfectly executed 20 minute presentation, we answered some questions about the deliverables and proceeded to go get lunch. Overall, the client experience was personal and authentic. It felt very good to deliver the fruits of our hard work throughout the semester. Working with a team from all over the country can be tricky, especially with logistics, but that is what made the successful deliverables so much more satisfying.

More on the Tequila Don Javier Project

Casa Don Javier and the challenges/opportunities of selling tequila in the USA. Insights from Margaret Medina

Throughout the semester, the Tequila Project team had the task to research deeply the tequila market in the United States, specifically the challenges and opportunities of selling tequila in the USA. In our research we found that the United States is currently the leading consumer country of tequila in the world, which makes it both a challenge and an opportunity for tequila Casa Don Javier to entry the market in the United States. It is a challenge because there are significant amounts of tequila brands competing to lead in the tequila market in the United States. However, tequila Casa Don Javier shouldn’t be discouraged because it is an opportunity since the consumption of tequila continues increasing in the United States each year. Also, this tequila brand offers 100% percent tequila products, which is an advantage because premium tequilas and tequilas with ‘good quality’ are currently trending and attracting more consumers. Another challenge that Casa Don Javier is facing is that they haven’t introduced their product in Mexico due to the high price taxes of selling tequila, and consequently they haven’t built a reputation directly with consumers. However, this brand has acquired prestige and recognition by receiving awards, such as an award won at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Lastly, an additional and important advantage is that there are numerous options of entering the tequila market in the United States, such as contacting distributors in Texas, contacting distributors in California, becoming a wholesaler in California, or considering the option of online retailing.

Insights from Cesar Manzo

The Casa Don Javier project in Guadalajara, Mexico was an amazing experience for me to improve my public speaking skills, team-work and leadership. One of the things that I love about this project was the bilingual component to the presentation. It was amazing to learn about the Tequila production and how it plays a big role in the Mexican culture.  It is something to be proud for Mexico how the international recognition for tequila keeps growing and that is reflected in the demand. The culture of Mexico is amazing especially their food is something that I cannot describe with words. The historical places show how Mexico is full of history and tradition.

Tequila Don Javier Project

By Sebastian Perez

Traveling to the state of Jalisco was an eye-opening experience to say the least. Our team first arrived in the thriving city of Guadalajara. My initial reaction was disbelief. I was in awe at the captivating land and the beauty of its people and culture. As we drove from the airport to the hotel, I caught myself questioning whether we were in Beverly Hills or Mexico. The bustling nightlife and high rises outside our hotel windows distinguished Guadalajara as one of Mexico’s most prominent cities.

On the last day of our trip, we visited the city of Tequila. In this town, we had the chance to tequila tasting and explore the area on our own. My first impression was that the town was very proud of its role in the alcohol industry. I remember seeing the names of different tequila companies painted on walls as well as quotes from magnates in the industry. I was impressed that Tequila managed to maintain its cultural identity while still being a large tourist destination. 

Tequila differed drastically from Guadalajara in both size and culture. Tequila is a small tourist town whose main attraction is the production of tequila and agave. In contrast, Guadalajara is a booming metropolis attracting industries from across the globe. Either way, both cities exhibit the heart and soul of Mexico that can be found in any city regardless of size.

IPE Fall 2019 Notre Dame Experience

Iliana Portugal, SIBC Vice President

Going into my senior year I was selected to attend the International Political and Economic forum in South Bend, Indiana. The topic of the forum was current urban challenges facing the City of Albuquerque, it was fitting that former SIBC President and current Mayor of Albuquerque Tim Keller was in attendance. We presented our research to Mayor Tim Keller and SIBC benefactor Frank Potenziani, who we networked with following the presentations.

For the presentation, I was paired with two other council members from University of Notre Dame and Benedictine College. Due to the nature of the forum, we were given less than a week to prepare. We worked tirelessly to research, analyze and provide solutions to the current urban challenge of the Opioid crisis, both nationally and regionally. The prompt required us to think of creative solutions for a pressing issue that has been receiving a great deal of media attention. I pushed myself to new lengths, adapting to unexpected changes and leading individuals I had not yet met. 

This has been an extraordinary learning experience, I proved to myself that I have the skills to be successful upon graduation. I know the remaining year of my undergraduate at USD will be filled with invaluable experiences, allowing me to become a well rounded business professional. I am excited to see where my International Business degree will take me in the future.

Cesar Manzo, VP Finance

The IPE project is an amazing experience full of opportunities to reinforce your skills on public speaking, leadership, and team-work. The best part of this project was being working with SIBC students from Notre Dame and Benedictine. I believe that this project model should continue for future projects because it its similar to what the job-market wants. The different prompts assigned to this project was phenomenal because everybody was able to learn from each other about Albuquerque, New Mexico. I enjoyed being able to work in a cooperative environment rather than a competitive environment. Most of us were able to get to know each other and was easy to have fruitful conversations.

Researching Markets in Southern Europe & MENA

Demitrius Goods, Finance & Marketing Major

The experience in Greece and Cyprus was one of a kind! Being able to travel across the world to present about market opportunities in such radically different environments than the U.S. was an eye opening experience. For myself, researching the digital marketing industry in a variety of different countries really opens one’s perspective of the world. There are similarities to American marketing, but with so many factors present in the Southern European and MENA (Middle East & North African) regions that we just don’t think about everyday, researching took a lot of time and effort.

The project surrounded which countries we believed that SocialWay eServices, a digital marketing company in Nicosia, Cyprus, should enter. We based our results on the value, size, competitiveness, etc. of each market and our own evaluation of how well the company would do in each given market. My research centered around the digital advertising market in Egypt. My team and myself utilized a key statistics, trends, PESTLE & Five Force analysis to break down each market and explore the opportunities in each segment. I was blown away by the differences from the Egyptian market compared to Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus. They were all so close together geographically and even considered under one title: MENA. However, for example, Egypt is undoubtedly less free than those other countries and I didn’t realize the effect a country’s political landscape can have on an industry. There was a lot of potential in Egypt with over 101 million people and increasing use of social media, yet there was an insane grip of censorship by the government and the internet was 10x slower there than anywhere else in the country. Egypt’s untapped potential made me think of all the opportunity someone in an American market could achieve with a segment this size, yet when you look at other factors like internet penetration (49%) and the freedom rank of this country (22/100) it makes you realize that there are so many factors that play into global marketing than just having a good business idea and marketing plan. The landscape of a market plays a crucial role in company success and this project gave me a deeper understanding of how research plays a vital role when trying to expand your business.

In all, this project was a wonderful experience due to an amazing amount of work and effort put in by my team for months leading up to the presentation. Dr. Daspro was an amazing advisor that helped glue our points together and guide us on a trip of a lifetime. I am forever grateful for SIBC in giving me this opportunity to be able to enjoy this experience that I am sure I will take with me for the rest of my life.

Takeaways from Lunch with the Socialway eServices Team

By Mary Pat Abruzzo, Senior studying Communications Studies

After we completed our presentation to Socialway eServices, our client Orestis Micheal took our SIBC team and his team of four out to a traditional Cypriot lunch. I was excited for the opportunity to not only enjoy a different cuisine but to learn more from the perspective of the people whose culture and country was vastly different from my own. I sat across from two women who were in charge of social media for Socialway, both recently graduated and just starting their careers. I was able to relate to them in many ways as I am a senior at USD and recently held a social media intern position over this past summer.

We spent most of the meal comparing the similarities and differences between Cyprus and the US. “Did you bring school to lunch? Does your mom cook you dinner? What do you do for fun?” Most of these answers were the same.

We were also able to relate in terms of taste in food. “Try this one, it is the best!”,  Marakii pushed an appetizer toward me that I had never seen. “It’s a pastry filled with feta, and covered in honey. My favorite because I have a sweet tooth.”

“Me too!”, I said. We both laughed as I took two helpings of the dish.

They explained how many students will live with their parents all through college and even for a time after. They were very surprised when I explained how I had gone to college in a different state, originally being from New Mexico and moving to study at University of San Diego. Similarly, Georgia wanted to leave her hometown of Nicosia to explore new educational opportunities. She expressed her dreams of traveling to California one day and working for a big company like Google. She was inspired by Google’s mission to hire diverse and global employees. 

After sharing this meal, I was both humbled and inspired by our conversations. It gave me insight into a perspective of a woman just like me only across the world, allowing me to realize the privilege of having regional access to big companies and appreciating the importance of sharing stories with people who may seem widely different but yet have very similar dreams.

Socialway eServices: https://socialwayeservices.com/

A Cultural Comparison of Greece and Cyprus

By Mikayla Booker, Senior studying Business Administration

Initially when we embarked on the flight from LAX airport to Greece, I expected Cypriot and Greek culture to be very similar considering that the two countries are only a four-hour flight from each other. Upon arriving to Athens, the city was very lively and full of shopping and trendy restaurants. The restaurants offered a variety of selection to pick from, which was indicative of the openness of the Greek people to try things outside of their traditional cuisine. I anticipated the people to dress more conservative in comparison to San Diego summer attire, but it was relatively the same. Everyone seemed relaxed and happy to be enjoying the summer days. In terms of infrastructure, the city was covered in spray paint graffiti on almost every building. The streets were run down and there was a mix of modern and older model vehicles, but there was no apparent differentiation between economic status amongst anyone. The majority of people we encountered throughout Greece spoke English, which was extremely convenient and again surprising to learn. While visiting the popular Acropolis archaeological site it was thought-provoking to see structures that have been standing since 447 B.C. Those same structures will continue to stand long after I have passed away and it was humbling to be in their presence. Overall, Greece offered ancient history while still maintaining a modern feel. 

After spending a few days in Athens, I carried the same standard of expectations to Cyprus. Cyprus was drastically different than I anticipated in terms of the people and the infrastructure. I expected to encounter a large amount of Greeks, but it seemed to be mainly people of Middle Eastern descent. I also learned about the history of the Turkish and Greek divide over Cyprus and how that has affected the north of Cyprus dramatically. I would consider Nicosia underdeveloped in comparison to the other countries I have traveled, but according to our client the northern half of Cyprus is even more underdeveloped than the southern. It opened my eyes to see how people went about their daily life in comparison to what I observed in Greece. There were far less cars and people wandering about. The restaurant and nightlife experience were far less vibrant than in Athens. The Cypriots themselves were very welcoming and friendly to us, educating us on their traditional dishes and cultural customs. Overall, there is definitely potential for Cyprus to become a hotspot for travel considering its geographic location. I would love to visit in a few years to see if the country has made any progress in terms of infrastructure development.

Socialway E-Services: Insight from the Project Lead

By Anissa Basinger, USD Senior studying International Business

For the last few months, I was given the amazing opportunity to be selected as a Project Lead for the Socialway e-Services Digital Media project through SIBC. I was a new member of the organization, so the position of being a Project Lead was a bit intimidating at first. Nevertheless, it taught me more about the organization, leadership, and myself than I could have ever hoped for. Having first-hand experience in leading a team to successfully analyze the digital media industry in more than 7 countries was something invaluable to my undergraduate experience. This experience not only broadened my view of what my International Business degree could amount to but what it takes to be a successful leader. 

Over the course of the project we utilized multiple analytical tools to evaluate the industry such as 5 force analysis, PESTEL, and a competitive profile matrix. These tools taught me a lot about not only how to analyze a specific industry in many different ways, but also that first I had to have a complete understanding of what they were before I could expect my team to do so as well. Overall my leadership skills have improved immensely after this project because it has taught me that there is so much more to being a leader than I had imagined. Making sure your team fully understands and feels motivated to complete their tasks is a large part of what makes the team successful as a whole. I learned that a project’s end result can’t be successful, if the team as a whole isn’t successful first.

Socialway e-Services: https://socialwayeservices.com/

Tesla Project

Shared by Kevin Jerger, USD Senior

This past March, the SIBC Tesla Team had the privilege to travel to Fremont, California to present to the Sales Analytics Team at Tesla. In the Fall, we were given a two part prompt by USD Alumni, Jordan Jadallah, regarding both seasonality sales trends, and also store location optimization. Our team faced a difficult task that required a data intensive approach to solving our prompt. I speak for the entire team saying that it was an incredible experience getting to work on real world data and having the autonomy to solve the problem creatively. We utilized programs such as Tableau in ways many students do not have the opportunity to. As project leader, it was a formative experience for myself in terms of meeting deadlines and ensuring the team had the resources they needed to accomplish their tasks. 

When arriving at the Tesla headquarters, we were welcomed by the Tesla team in their executive board room. Our presentation went smoothly and was received very well by our hosts. Seeing how our work was met with their constant engagement and interaction with our presentation was well worth the hard work the team put in throughout the life of the project. It was incredible experience for the entire team to work hands-on with real sales data and analyze this data into a meaningful results for our client. We also had the privilege of enjoying an unbelievable tour of the Tesla factory to top off our trip. I am incredibly grateful to our SIBC donors, USD faculty, and the Tesla team for the opportunity to partake in this experience

International Political and Economics Forum

Written by SIBC Council Member Savannah Sambrano:

IPE was a really rewarding experience that gave me the opportunity to learn about the council and all it has to offer. Because IPE, I was able to meet the donors, understand the mission behind SIBC, become familiar with the opportunities available because of SIBC, and network with members of the councils at the Benedictine and Notre Dame, as well as with our donors. I used this project as a chance to get integrated into interpreting prompts for analysis, collaborative research, and refining information for professional presentations. As my first project in the SIBC, these were tasks that I wasn’t too familiar with, but am now comfortable with. IPE provides the students with stimulating prompts that demand the students to think critically, while still allowing room for creativity in the presentations. The donors provide helpful advice for the members to enhance future presentations, but also encouraging feedback that allow students to recognize how their hard work has paid off. I think IPE is the perfect project for anyone looking to join SIBC to start with as it is the right balance between a professional and social networking opportunity.

Urrea Global Branding Project, Guadalajara, Mexico. November 2018

The Urrea Global Branding Project in Guadalajara, Mexico, created by SIBC Advisor Professor Eileen Daspro, gave students the chance to work on a global branding project for the U.S. Market. They also worked closely with the Marketing Director Caleb Barragan and Marketing Intelligence Director Laura Krauze. After their presentation the team was invited to tour their factory, automated distribution and showroom center. Maddie Jackson, the Project Leader, shared her experience:

Traveling to Guadalajara was truly an eye-opening experience since we were exposed to Mexico’s industrial area, business district, and historic side of the city.  Our job consisted of researching the United States market on how Urrea bathroom furnishings company could enter the California, Texas, and Florida regions of the United States with their ball valves, toilets, floor drains, and sinks.  Research took over a month and many drafts of presentations to perfect the slides for presentation day at Urrea in Guadalajara. Dr. Daspro, Nick, Chandler, Jennifer, and Maddie traveled to Guadalajara late at night using the Cross Border Express, then catching a flight to Guadalajara.  Early in the morning on November 16th, the team toured family-owned Urrea company's showroom, walked around Universidad de Urrea, touched their various awards, and presented to two representatives at Urrea on how to strategically enter the US market with our assigned products. Following the presentation, Caleb gave us a tour around the Urrea factory about a half hour outside of the Urrea showroom and offices in the inner city.  The factory was expansive, and named one of the best companies to work for in Mexico. Urrea is one of the largest bathroom furnishings companies in Mexico, so the cleanliness and efficiency was extremely impressive to the team upon seeing the various robots, chemists, factory lines, and product testing. The following day the group had a private tour of the historic part of the city. We went to various churches, neighborhoods, authentic restaurants, art museums, and street stands to shop.  The contrast of seeing the modern and the traditional sides of Guadalajara made us all appreciate and respect the Mexican business culture. We wanted to thank our generous SIBC donors for this unforgettable learning experience in Guadalajara!

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Cyprus Internship Final Video

This video shows some of the fun things the interns did while in Cyprus. This experience would not have happened without M&T Trust, Frank Potenziani , and Sofia Panayides. Thank you so much to them for help fund/find this experience. 

The End of Our Cyprus Internships

We would again like to thank Frank Potenziani and M&T Trust for the ability to experience international travel and business. This experience we gained at our respective internships were amazing.

For the last blog post, all the interns created videos to give more of an insight into Famous Sports and Socialway eServices.