Engagement Campaign - MDGs
MBAs Without Borders is launching a National Engagement Tour across major business schools in Canada during the Fall of 2008. Tal Dehtiar, Co-Founder and President of MWB, will be speaking at a range of business schools across the country about the important role of the private sector and business leaders in supporting the Millennium Development Goals. To read more about the Millenium Development Goals visit here. 
The MDGs are a set of eight goals that were agreed to by all member-countries of the United Nations in the year 2000. The Goals are designed to focus attention on the most pressing issues faced in developing countries with a deadline of 2015. While progress has been made towards the Goals, forecasts show that without continued action we are likely to fall short of reaching the targets.
In conjunction with the tour MWB will also be launching a business plan competition where students will be presented with a scenario from the developing world and will be encouraged to develop new solutions to this problem. Participation will be encouraged through prizes that will be awarded to the winning teams at a weekend event following the competition.
For more details and to apply, please email Scott Drover at scott.drover@mbaswithoutborders.org.
Speaking Tour – Description, Audience and Key Dates
The on-campus speaking tour will happen mainly during the months of September and October,
when students return to campus to begin their academic terms. Our belief is that students will
be most captive early in the term before they become inundated with school work and other
activities.
It is our expectation that the average audience size for the speaking tour will be close to fifty
people. The majority of those in attendance will be current MBA students with the remaining
attendees consisting of university faculty and administration, students from other disciplines
and media. In addition to these attendees, we would be very happy to welcome employees of
our sponsors thus giving representatives of your company an opportunity to interact with event
participants.
Thank you to our Sponsors!
If you are interested in being one of our Sponsors, please contact Scott Drover at scott.drover@mbaswithoutborders.org or John Ko at john.ko@mbaswithoutborders.org. Or you can call us at 1.613.482.9483.
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Board
Board of Directors
Tal Dehtiar
Co-Founder & President
Director, MBAs Without Borders Canada & USA
Tal Dehtiar received his MBA from DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and has a BA from the University of Western Ontario. Tal has a diverse background which includes previous work in the Healthcare and Mining industry in Canada. He has worked on a number of international projects as well, prior to starting MBAs Without Borders, including launching an agri-business to support rural communities in Belize, creating a small-scale volunteer program in Costa Rica and starting-up and producing a radio show in Singapore.
Tal is a recipient of the 2004 Ontario Global Trader Award, 2005 Arch Award, was nominated for the 2005 YMCA Peace Award and Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, was named one of the International Youth Foundation’s Young Social Entrepreneurs and was selected a n Echoing Green Semi-Finalist in 2008.
Stephen Jones
Co-Founder & Partner, RPO Management Consultants
Director, MBAs Without Borders Canada
Stephen Jones is a founding Partner with RPO Management Consulting. He has over fifteen years of consulting experience – for much of which he has led large-scale strategy and business transformation projects. He has a broad base of project experience with public and private sector clients spanning healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, energy, primary resources, transportation and manufacturing industries.
Prior to RPO, Stephen was a co-founder and Associate Director of the Centre for Operations Excellence (COE), an industry partnership organization between the University of British Columbia and a number of leading North American businesses. While at the COE, he directed a wide variety of projects to develop and implement operations transformation solutions for COE partners, as well as original, applied business research and analysis.
Stephen holds three graduate degrees in Economics, Finance and Business from the University of British Columbia and McGill University and has conducted original research and published numerous papers in the areas of finance, economics and operations.
Anthony Ostler
Senior Vice President and Director, Group Risk & Capital Management, Canaccord Capital
Director, MBAs Without Borders Canada
Anthony Ostler is Senior Vice President and Director, Group Risk & Capital Management at Canaccord Capital, Canada’s largest independent full service investment dealer. The investor relations function reports to Mr. Ostler. He launched Canaccord’s new Group Risk & Capital Management function in 2006, and has been involved with a variety of key projects since joining the firm for its IPO in 2004.
Prior to joining Canaccord, Mr. Ostler held three roles at RBC Financial Group including Senior Manager, Investor Relations - where he was the co-recipient of multiple awards for best practices in disclosure - and two positions in the Corporate Treasury department.
Mr. Ostler holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, where he graduated with distinction and the honour of Ivey Scholar for achieving the Dean’s Honour List for both years of the program. He holds a BA in History from the University of Western Ontario, is a CFA charterholder, is a Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and is an Associate of the Institute of Canadian Bankers (AICB).
In addition to his Board of Directors role at MBAs Without Borders, Anthony is the Treasurer of Family Services of Greater Vancouver, a not-for profit society with $22 million annual budget, and is on the Board of Directors of the Ivey Alumni Association.
Greg Hogan
Partner, Cassels Brock Lawyers
Director, MBAs Without Borders Canada
Greg is a partner in the Securities Group at Cassels Brock. His practice is focused primarily on securities transactions with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance transactions, and corporate reorganizations. Greg provides advice to senior management and boards of directors on the negotiation of key transaction documents, compliance and corporate governance matters, and corporate law issues.
He routinely acts for issuers and investment dealers in both private and public financings including structured products. He has worked on transactions in many industries including mining, oil and gas, utilities, telecommunications, financial services, retail and chemicals. Greg joined Cassels Brock after spending more than seven years at two other national law firms with offices in Toronto.
Maria Thomas
Chief Operating Officer, Etsy
Director, MBAs Without Borders USA
Maria is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Etsy. Previously, Maria was the vice president and general manager for NPR Digital Media, where she was responsible for the development and delivery of NPR content on new media platforms, including npr.org and mobile devices. In late 2001, Maria spent three years at Amazon.com where she played a key role in the launch and management of Amazon.com’s camera and photo store, including forging its partnership with Ofoto, a company engaged in the online photo services business. From 1992-1999, Maria worked as an investment officer with the World Bank’s private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Her career at the IFC culminated with an appointment to the position of special assistant to the CEO. Maria holds a M.B.A. degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.S. in accounting from Boston University.
Clemens Kaiser
Executive Vice-President & Chief Marketing Officer Isotechnika
Director, MBAs Without Borders Canada
Before joining Isotechnika as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer in October, 2007, Clemens Kaiser was the Chief Executive Officer of Exatec LLC (a joint venture of GE Advanced Materials and Bayer Material Science). Before that, Mr. Kaiser has held numerous executive and international leadership positions within the Bayer since commencing with that company in 1984. Clemens has had major senior management responsibility in various Bayer business areas and held positions in the Philippines, South Africa, Canada, Greater China and Germany. His particular interest has always been in global markets, international business development, innovation and the use of science and technology to develop new products and markets. During the course of his various assignments he was involved in developing international HR policies and recruiting globally deployable Management personnel. Clemens (Kaiser) has a degree in Business and Economics from the Free University of Berlin.
Michael Brown
Consultant, Independent
Co-Founder, MBAs Without Borders
Director, MBAs Without Borders Canada
Michael is based in Germany. Co-founding MBAs Without Borders, Michael Brown is a graduate of the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University with a specialization in the Management of Innovation and New Technology. He also holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Management. Michael is a recipient of the 2005 Arch Award and was nominated for the 2005 YMCA Peace Award and Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.
Michael has experience with large international corporations in technology strategy and operational development. In addition, Michael has worked as a consultant and teacher to non-profit programs that promote education in science and technology.
Liz Wald
Founder, Economic Development Imports
Director, MBAs Without Borders USA
Liz Wald is the founder and managing partner of Economic Development Imports LLC (EDImports) a Fair Trade import company that sources household goods, fashion accessories, jewelry and more from several countries in East and West Africa. Prior to founding EDImports in 2003, Liz spent ten years in strategic consulting and retail management. Liz’s professional history also includes work with The Disney Stores and Nike Inc., where she opened the first Nike Town superstore and developed procedures for launching and managing retail outlets nationwide. Liz holds a master’s of business administration (MBA) in marketing and finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School, and a BA in sociology from Harvard University. A natural explorer, she has traveled to more than 50 countries gathering knowledge and experiences that have enhanced her global perspectives and shaped her desire to use her business talents to create positive social change. Liz also sits on MBAs Without Borders USA’s Board of Directors.
Board of Advisors
John Hatch
Founder, FINCA International
John Hatch is the founder of FINCA, one of the world’s leading microcredit institutions with programs in 23 countries and over one million low-income families assisted since its inception in 1984. John is also known as the father of “village banking”, a group loan methodology now replicated by over 800 micro-credit programs in 60 countries. John’s economic development career spans 44 years, during which time he was a Peace Corps volunteer and staff member (1962-64) Fulbright scholar (PhD. Univ. Wisconsin, 1973), economist, and a consultant to small farmer development projects in some 50 countries (1973-83). He has given microcredit workshops at universities at home and abroad, while also teaching microcredit at George Washington University and Johns Hopkins SAIS. John now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he pursues a lifelong interest in water coloring, has finished a screenplay, and is supporting a variety of nonprofit programs.
Bruce McNamer
President & CEO, Technoserve
Bruce McNamer is President and CEO of TechnoServe, a non-profit economic development organization that helps entrepreneurial men and women in the developing world to build businesses that provide jobs, income and economic opportunity. Before joining TechnoServe in 2004, Mr. McNamer’s career spanned the public and private sectors. Mr. McNamer was COO of Verified Identity Pass, Inc., CFO of Appfluent Technology, and VP of Business Development at Varsity Group. He has also worked as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Mr. McNamer was a White House Fellow and a Director at the National Economic Council from 1998-1999, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay. He has an AB from Harvard and a JD/MBA from Stanford.
Olana Khan
COO, Kiva Microfunds
Olana currently works as COO at Kiva Microfunds, a non profit microfinance organization based in San Francisco, California. She is responsible for scaling and managing Kiva.org’s core operations. Prior to joining Kiva, Olana worked at Google Inc. for over 6 years, overseeing the International Sales Professional Services team and developed deep expertise in scaling teams and operations in rapidly changing environments. Olana’s work background also includes positions at The Economist, Netscape and AOL. She co-founded OZ Ventures in 2005, a technology venture fund focused on seed round funding. Olana currently serves on the board of directors of several U.S. based organizations. She also consults on philanthropic strategies to family foundations. Olana graduated from the University of Michigan Honors Program with a B.A. degrees in Asian Economics and Psychology. Olana lives in Palo Alto, California.
Jennifer Anastasoff
CEO, BuildingBlocks International
Jennifer Anastasoff has served as CEO of BuildingBlocks International since 2001. BuildingBlocks International (BBI) is a San Francisco based nonprofit that is working with multinational corporations to develop what Business Week calls a corporate “Peace Corps” and what we call corporate service fellowships. Ms. AnastasoffÕs prior work includes teaching in the classroom through Teach for America, serving as an analyst in the California Legislature, and working in a for-profit education corporation. She has been a speaker at Harvard Business School, Harvard University, and the University of California at Berkeley, and has presented papers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and at the Comparative International Education Society Conference. Ms. Anastasoff has a Masters in Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where she received the prestigious Public Service Fellowship.
Malcolm Moffat
CEO, St. John’s Rehabilitation Hospital
Malcolm Moffat has been President and CEO at St. John’s Rehabilitation Hospital since March 24, 2003. Malcolm is a seasoned administrator, with over 20 years experience in health care. He has a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology, from McGill University, and a Masters of Health Science in Health Administration, from the University of Toronto. Malcolm has held various positions in health care, including Facilities Planner at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Administrative Director of Surgery at Sunnybrook, and Chief Operating Officer at the Toronto Bayview Regional Cancer Centre. Malcolm has been actively involved with the Greater Toronto Area Rehabilitation Network since its inception in 1999 as well as the Acquired Brain Injury Network since its inception in 1995. Malcolm is particularly interested in health care systems, and in ensuring that patient care needs are met in a timely and effective way along the full continuum of care.
Paul Bates
Dean, DeGroote School of Business
Paul Bates, Dean of the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University is also a successful author. Following service on the boards of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Canadian Investment Dealers Association, in 2003 Bates was appointed as a part-time commissioner to the Ontario Securities Commission, the largest securities commission in Canada. Mr. Bates has held the president’s office at four major brokerage and investment firms, most recently at the helm of Charles Schwab Canada. He has been recognized as the Most Influential Broker of the Year by Investment Executive Magazine in 2000 and was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for community service. He is the board chair at the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation and lends time to Evangel Hall, a Toronto shelter for the homeless and working poor. He is married and has three daughters and a grandson. Bates’ hobbies include sailing, horseback riding and marathon running.
Yann Risz
COO, The Next Practice
Yann is a Managing Director at Tendris USA, a cleantech investor and operator with activities in Europe, the US and India. His focus is to scale breakthrough clean technologies and business models around the world, with a particular interest for India, where he has worked over many years, including a close collaboration with management guru C.K. Prahalad. Yann has held several leadership roles, as an entrepreneur, a Fortune 500 company executive, a UN Director and a McKinsey strategy consultant, across 30+ developed and developing markets. Yann has an MBA from Harvard Business School, is a Charter Member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) and a frequent lecturer at various Universities.
Buy Clothes
MBAs Without Borders has partnered with Me to We (Responsible Style) to bring you 100% organic MWB Clothing.
GOBI BAMBOO TEE $25.00
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AMAZON JERSEY TEE $30.00
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cotton
Lightweight, opaque fabric
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AMAZON JERSEY TEE $30.00
100% organic, ringspun combed cotton
Lightweight, opaque fabric
Fitted cut
Ribbed cotton collar
Reinforced shoulder construction
Durable double-stitched bottom hem
SKEENA LONG SLEEVE TEE $40.00
100% organic, ringspun combed cotton
Lightweight opaque fabric
Fitted cut
Loose, open long sleeves
Ribbed cotton collar
Reinforced shoulder construction
Durable double-stitched bottom hem
SKEENA LONG SLEEVE TEE $40.00
100% organic, ringspun combed cotton
Lightweight opaque fabric
Fitted cut
Loose, open long sleeves
Ribbed cotton collar
Reinforced shoulder construction
Durable double-stitched bottom hem
Field Partners
Magazine
MWB’s new magazine, M&D (Managing & Developing) is a wealth of information on the fields of international and sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. Thanks to the contributions of NGOs, corporations, governments and individuals working in the field, M&D is effectively communicating to MaBAs that they do not need to compromise corporate ideals to contribute to non-profits and businesses in developing countries; they can do well while doing good.
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of M&D, please read the guidelines and contact the editors:
View 2008 M&D Magazine
For advertising advertising@mbaswithoutborders.org
For article submission
magazine@mbaswithoutborders.org
To Contact MWB’s M&D Editor, email Catherine at: catherine.awad@mbaswithoutborders.org.
People
John Ko
Executive Vice-President
John Ko is the Executive Vice Presi>dent, responsible for ongoing business development efforts for MBAs Without Borders. John has worked extensively in international development including most recently at World Vision, where he was the National Manager. He was responsible for overseeing various marketing and advocacy programs in Canada, including youth engagement, volunteer management, and corporate partnerships.
John also holds a computer engineering degree from University of Waterloo and he has spent over 8 years in global high tech sectors ranging from wireless telecommunications to enterprise applications.
Throughout his career, John has gained in-depth experiences from various developing countries including Tanzania, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
John can be reached at: john.ko@mbaswithoutborders.org.
Omar Yaqub
Director of Innovation
MBA University of Alberta
Omar has worked in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Canada at the intersection of business, innovation, and development. He pitched, built, and maintained the first adult education campaign to use Nollywood (the world’s third largest film industry), researched new malaria fighting technologies, and independently built a network of 30+ NGOs, private enterprises, and charities.
Omar earned his MBA from the University of Alberta, with a specialization in technology commercialization. Before this he completed his BSc in Computing Science. He is currently following social entrepreneurship, and multi-disciplinary results based approaches to development.
Omar was the third MBA sent abroad by MBAs Without Borders and is presently responsible for helping MWB leverage new technology, build their web presence, and grow in new ways.
Omar can be reached at omar.yaqub@mbaswithoutborders.org.
Catherine Awad
Editor-in-Chief, M&D Magazine
Catherine is Editor-in-Chief for MWB’s magazine Managing & Developing (M&D). Currently pursuing the MBA at McGill University, Catherine holds an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and her professional background is in B2B marketing in the telecommunications industry. At a start-up high-tech firm, Catherine held the roles of product manager and marketing communications specialist where she focused on branding, public relations and creating customer co-marketing programs.
A passionate traveler, Catherine is fluent in English, French, Arabic and Spanish. She took part in McGill’s Canada-Brazil exchange program and also volunteered with the NGO Coptic Orphans in a high-poverty area of Egypt.
Catherine can be reached at catherine.awad@mbaswithoutborders.org.
Tal Dehtiar
Co-Founder & President
Tal Dehtiar received his MBA from DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and has a BA in Communications from the University of Western Ontario. Tal has a diverse background which includes previous work in the Healthcare and Mining industry in Canada. He has worked on a number of international projects as well, prior to starting MBAs Without Borders, including launching an agri-business to support rural communities in Belize, creating a small-scale volunteer program in Costa Rica and starting-up and producing a radio show in Singapore.
Tal has traveled, worked, studied or lived in over 50 countries and speaks English, Russian, Hebrew and Spanish. He is a recipient of the 2004 Ontario Global Trader Award, 2005 Arch Award, was nominated for the 2005 YMCA Peace Award and Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2005 and 2006. In 2007, was named one of the International Youth Foundation’s Young Social Entrepreneurs and was selected a n Echoing Green Semi-Finalist in 2008.
Tal can be reached at: tal.dehtiar@mbaswithoutborders.org.
Scott Drover
Manager, Planning & Development
Scott Drover joined MBAs Without Borders in the spring of 2008 to develop and manage a public engagement campaign designed to build awareness of MWB and the role of business in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In addition, he is also responsible for increasing MWBÕs presence in the corporate world through building new strategic partnerships with the private sector.
Scott earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mt. Allison University in New Brunswick and is nearing the completion of his MBA at the DeGroote School of Business. He has also spent time studying and working in France. Prior to joining MWB Scott worked for several years in the financial services industry with a number of different institutions.
Scott can be reached at: scott.drover@mbaswithoutborders.org.
Contact
We welcome suggestions, feedback, inquiries, and questions about MBAs Without Borders’ work bridging entrepreneurs and MBAs around the world.
cforms contact form by delicious:days
Our Supporters
MBAs Without Borders is working with Deloitte USA to bring three of its recent MBAs (Lara, Ling Ling and Dana) to Swaziland to work in the field with MWB field partner, Gone Rural. We look forward to growing this initiative as Deloitte continues to demonstrate its commitment to social responsibility while developing the skills and opportunities for its MBAs.
Talisman Energy is an independent upstream oil and gas company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Talisman has operations in Canada and its subsidiaries operate in the UK, Norway, Southeast Asia, North Africa and the United States. Talisman is committed to conducting its business in an ethically, socially and environmentally responsible manner. The Company is a participant in the United Nations Global Compact and included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index.
We would like to thank Aeroplan who through their in-kind donation of 150,000 Aeroplan Miles have helped make the National Student Engagement campaign possible. This contribution demonstrates another innovative way in which Business can do amazing things!
Canadian Tire is one of the most recognized and trusted companies in Canadian business. Today, the company operates an inter-related network of businesses that meet life’s everyday needs, including general merchandise and clothing, petroleum and financial services. With more than 57,000 Canadians working across the organization, Canadian Tire is committed to the growth of its employees, lifelong learning and giving back to the community. MBAs Without Borders is proud to welcome Canadian Tire as a bronze sponsor for the National Student Engagement Tour and Business Plan Competition.
International Youth Foundation (IYF) is working in more than 70 countries and territories to improve the conditions and prospects for young people where they live, learn, work, and play. IYF supported MWB and it’s Co-Founder, Tal Dehtiar, by recognizing him as one 2007 Young Social Entrepreneurs via its Youth ActionNet Fellowship.
DeGroote has been a strong supporter of MBAs Without Borders from the start. Co-partnering with initial seed-funding to help send MBAs Without Borders first MBA to Tanzania, DeGroote continues to support MWB as it builds better business in developing countries with marketing support and financial support. Dean Paul Bates sits on MBAs Without Borders Board of Advisors.
The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is Canada’s lead agency for development assistance. CIDA has supported MBAs Without Borders throught it’s YEP internships and has provided funding for MWB’s 2008 Public Engagement Campaign.
Wyeth Canada, in collaboration with the DeGroote School of Business provided seed funding to MBAs Without Borders as it sent it’s first MBA, Arif Shivji to help develop programs for CSDI in Tanzania.
Via Google Grants, Google has helped build MBAs Without Borders website clicks by 400%.To date, Google has donated in-kind advertising of more than $24,500USD.
Barrick Gold Corporation is the world’s largest gold producer, with 27 operating mines and many advanced exploration and development projects located across five continents. Our vision is to be the world’s best gold company by finding, acquiring, developing and producing quality reserves in a safe, profitable and socially responsible manner. MBAs Without Borders is proud to welcome Barrick Gold as a Gold Sponsor during the 2008 MWB Public Engagement Campaign across Canada.
Founded in February 2005, YouTube is the leader in online video, and the premier destination to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. YouTube selected MBAs Without Borders (MWB) as its first Canadian receipient of YouTube Grants providing donated advertising space to MWB while visitirs view videos on the YouTube website. MBAs Without Borders is the most subscribed all-time Canadian non-profit on YouTube.
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is a global law firm with 980 lawyers in North America, Europe and Asia. Orrick provides MBAs Without Borders with pro bono legal support and guidance as we look to expand official operations into the Unites States, Australia, Europe and Africa.
(ATIO) is the oldest organization of translators, conference interpreters, court interpreters and terminologists in Canada. ATIO provides MBAs Without Borders with French translations for its documents including MWB’s 2008 Public Engagement Campaign
MBA-Exchange.com is the international marketplace for top business talent. Business school students and alumni explore international career opportunities while employers recruit mid- and top-level managers. MBA-Exchange.com provides MBAs Without Borders with unlimited access to it’s job boards and online recruitment tools. Working together to attract the most unique MBAs, MBA-Exchange.com’s partnership has been invaluable.
Other MWB Partners
La Senza Lingerie is the ultimate shopping destination for a vast array of exclusive high quality branded lingerie at affordable prices. Since the first store opening in 1990, La Senza has maintained a focused vision of excellence.
Skura Corporation (www.skura.com) was founded with a singular mission: ‘Solve business problems for customers who we respect and value. We will achieve this by surrounding ourselves with people we both respect and trust and who will encourage each other to reach beyond their limits.
Get Involved
MBAs
MBAs Without Borders is always recruiting for a number of challenging and new positions in Africa, South-East Asia, South Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean.
We are continuing in our pursuit to bring MBAs to developing countries to aid local businesses, international business and NGOs by providing business solutions, education, and community assistance that will contribute to the sustainable development of social and economic life.
See the Projects section of this site for more information about current and past projects. New projects are added frequently. If you’d like to stay informed please sign up for our e-newsletter using the form at the top of this page.
You can always submit your CV for general consideration using our Contact form. We’ll notify you when we find a posting that may suit your talents.
Business+NGOs
MBAs Without Borders (MWB) is an international not-for-profit organization that strives to contribute to the business and social development of upcoming nations through work rotations of MBA (Master in Business Administration) business volunteers.
Partnership Proposal
We partner with international and local businesses and not-for-profits working towards the better good of developing countries and we recruit MBAs who best support such organizations. We match highly qualified MBA volunteers who provide business assistance with finance, accounting, marketing, operations, strategy, business development, etc.
How Can our MBA Volunteers Help?
MWB’s volunteers provide a wide range of business support. This includes, and is not limited to,
providing training to management and staff in finance, accounting, strategy, marketing, human resource, business development, etc. Our MBAs can also provide support such as developing and implementing business plans to launch products and services to new markets, building sales and distribution channels within country, developing fundraising strategies and managing projects in the field.
About our MBA Volunteers
Our MBAs are on average 32 years old, speak multiple languages and have extensive experience in business and understanding the needs of businesses and organizations in developing countries. For each project, we recruit from the over 400 MBA communities from around the world including Australia, Canada, Europe, India, Mexico, South Africa, USA, etc. With a database of 5,000+ MBAs. 40,000 monthly website visitors we received 50-100 MBA applicants per position.
Where We Work
Primarily we focus our work in five areas: Agriculture, Health, Finance, Income-Generation and the
Environment. We are also pleased that our MBA volunteers are helping to build up businesses in some of the most challenging and exciting countries around the world. To date we have worked in:
Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Cost Sharing Arrangement - Everybody Benefits
The cost-effectiveness of our volunteers is where an organization really see its return on investment. MWB, as a charitable not-for-profit organization, has a policy of maintaining low project overhead costs in an attempt to send as many MBA volunteers to as many organizations as possible. When partners cannot afford the full costs of our MBAs, MWB works to raise remaining funds. Below is a generic cost breakdown of expenses for an average MWB volunteer.
If you are a small business or NGO/NPO workin a developing country and interested in partnering up with MBAs without Borders, please Contact Us and request our “Partnership Questionnaire.”
Donate
Donate today and help MBAs Without Borders continue to show business can do amazing things!
Donate on the Web
Donate by Mail
Canada
MBAs Without Borders
302-50 Old Mill Road
Oakville, Ontario L6J 7W1
Canada
Charitable Number: 84547 1341 RR0001
USA
MBAs Without Borders USAc/o BBI
323 Geary Street, Suite #418
San Francisco, California 94102
USA
Charitable 501c3: 26-0316136
Donate a Laptop/Notebook
Our MBAs are provided with a laptop/notebook to assist with their assignments. These are usually refurbished, off-lease or bought on eBay. If you would like to donate your laptop/notebook that is less than 4 years old please contact us.
Partners
Nicaragua
Agora Partnerships is a non profit, social mission organization dedicated to providing talented entrepreneurs in developing countries with the tools, networks, and financing necessary to launch successful, socially responsible businesses - the kind that can fight poverty, provided needed goods and services, and help build a sustainable society. Agora has launched operations in Nicaragua and is preparing to scale regionally.
India
All India Artisans & Craftworkers Association is a membership-based apex body for the handloom and handicraft sectors. Similar to an industry association such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), AIACA seeks to represent a range of organizations in the handloom and handicrafts sector and to engage in policy advocacy activities aimed at increasing the domestic market for handloom and handicraft products and improving the standard of living of craftworkers.
Nicaragua
blueEnergy is a nonprofit organization that provides a sustainable solution to the energy needs of marginalized communities through the construction, installation, and maintenance of hybrid wind and solar electric systems. blueEnergy manufactures wind turbines and other key components locally, near their point of usage, to create the capacity needed to support the long-term operation of the systems. blueEnergy’s approach creates employment where it is desperately needed and ensures sustainability, the most critical factor in keeping the life-cycle cost of the energy service affordable.
Swaziland
Proyecto Tití is a multi-disciplinary in situ conservation program that combines field research, education initiatives and community programs to make the conservation of natural resources economically feasible for local communities in Colombia. The program is designed to provide useful information to assist in the long-term preservation of the cotton-top tamarin and to develop local community advocates to promote conservation efforts in Colombia.
Haiti
Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) is a model for health care facilities in developing countries around the world. An integrated rural health system, HAS provides medical care and community health and development programs for more than 300,000 impoverished people in the Artibonite Valley of central Haiti. Visiting medical professionals from North America and abroad work with a permanent Haitian staff of almost 550. Financial support comes from partner organizations and private individuals around the world.
Kageno’s MISSION is to transform communities suffering from inhumane poverty into places of opportunity and hope by identifying and delivering actionable programs. Kageno builds Innovative Community Centers that provide access to clean water, food, sanitation, health care, education, and income generation.
India
The Micro Insurance Academy is a Delhi-based charitable trust dedicated to evidence-based studies, training and advisory services for microinsurance units serving the poor.
Community-based micro health insurance units represent the highest hope for the extension of insurance coverage among the uninsured poor. However, microinsurance schemes need help in customizing their insurance to the risks and conditions they face, at affordable premiums, through a process that they trust. The MIA offers innovative, context-specific solutions to meet those needs.
Kenya
One Acre Fund is a 501c3 non-profit organization started in January 2006, with the goal of completely re-thinking how to solve the chronic hunger problem in Africa. We don’t give food away – handing out food will never solve hunger for more than one meal. Rather, we are pioneering a tiny investment package that will enable farm families to grow their own way out of hunger, permanently.
Colombia
Proyecto Tití is a multi-disciplinary in situ conservation program that combines field research, education initiatives and community programs to make the conservation of natural resources economically feasible for local communities in Colombia. The program is designed to provide useful information to assist in the long-term preservation of the cotton-top tamarin and to develop local community advocates to promote conservation efforts in Colombia.
Africa
TransFair USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is one of twenty members of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), and the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. We audit transactions between US companies offering Fair Trade Certified™ products and the international suppliers from whom they source, in order to guarantee that the farmers and farm workers behind Fair Trade Certified goods were paid a fair, above-market price. In addition, annual inspections conducted by FLO ensure that strict socioeconomic development criteria are being met using increased Fair Trade revenues.
Rwanda
WE-ACTx is an international community-based initiative that was launched in fall 2003 by frontline AIDS physicians, activists and researchers with extensive experience in caring and advocating for HIV-positive women. Our primary goal is to increase women’s and children’s access to HIV testing, care, treatment, support, education and training in resource-limited settings at the grassroots level.
Haiti
Yéle Haiti is a foundation started by Grammy-Award winning musician, producer, social entrepreneur and Haitian Goodwill Ambassador Wyclef Jean that is changing thousands of lives in this poor but optimistic nation. Through Yéle Haiti, Wyclef supports projects that are making a difference in education, health, environment and community development.
Global
The Grassroots Business Fund is a not-for-profit organization that aims to provide sustainable economic opportunities to poor and marginalized people in developing countries as entrepreneurs, producers and consumers. GBF is being established through the restructuring of the International Finance Corporation’s Grassroots Business Initiative.
Guatemala
Mercado Global is a non-profit fair trade organization that links the world’s most rural and economically-disadvantaged cooperatives to the U.S. market through a model that provides both fair wages and investments in community’s long-term development
Haiti
Meds & Food for Kids (MFK) is leading the charge to cure child malnutrition in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere.
Our goal is “Alive at Five”: to ensure that children remain well-nourished and healthy through the toddler years, giving them a chance for normal growth and development into adulthood.
Ecuador
Organic Blooming’s mission is to become the leading producer and exporter of organically certified cut-flowers in Ecuador. This start-up company aspires to be environmentally conscious and socially responsible, while contributing to the well-being of the local community. Organic Blooming grows organic calla lilies on its farm, Hacienda El Manantial, and plans to expand into other cut-flowers and produce.
Colombia
Low-income children in Barranquilla, a city in the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, do not have mentors, have a lot of free time, suffer from violence within their families, and do not have acces to after-school programs. They are in constant risk of drug addiction, alcoholism, criminality and gangs.
Futbol Con Corazon (aka Soccer for Peace Foundation) will a contribution in achieving higher levels of peace and equity in Colombia using the power of soccer and its value-centered methodology.
Zambia, Tanzania
Two of the biggest threats facing humanity today are climate change and global poverty. SolarAid helps to combat both, simply by bringing clean, renewable power to the poorest people in the world. Solar power can enable poor people to cook food, pump clean water, run fridges, light homes, schools and hospitals, farm more effectively, and much more.
PATH (Vietnam, Cambodia)
Nigeria, Sierra Leone & Pakistan
Vestergaard Frandsen is a rapidly growing international company. VF is committed to the goal of basic disease prevention by providing safe drinking water and protection from malaria and other vector-borne diseases. Over the years, it has been associated with many non-governmental organisations and UN agencies, as well as ministries of health in countries worldwide.
Tanzania
The “Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair” jointly organized by Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, Tanzania Tourist Board together with the Ministry of Natural Resource and Tourism, is a four day International Travel and Tourism Fair which is held at Magereza open grounds Arusha Tanzania. The Fair has since grown into East Africa’s biggest tourism event of the years. This event has been conducive to informal networking and getting to know each other better among all stakeholders on Tourism industry.
India
Streetwires focuses on the unique and dynamic genre of wire art, and, through its Proudly South African project, is providing the skills training, support and raw materials necessary to enable over 100 formerly unemployed men and women to earn a constant income. Streetwires currently exports to 14 countries and also supplies to several large domestic retailers.
Haiti
Since 1952, CHF International has worked in more than 100 countries worldwide. Currently we work in an average of 30 countries per year. Our mission is to be a catalyst for long-lasting positive change in low- and moderate-income communities around the world, helping them to improve their social, economic and environmental conditions. Each day, CHF International transforms promise into progress. CHF International is successful because it brings together the people, organizations and resources necessary to ensure steady, sustainable change.
Guatemala
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights champions the human rights and improves the lives of men, women, and children who are threatened by poverty or danger. For more than 100 years we have been providing solutions—both through services and policy—that move individuals from crisis to stability and on to success.
ECATH (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda) – www.ecatradehub.com
The TRADE initiative was launched to assist African businesses take better advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), passed by Congress in May 2000. The Act establishes a framework of incentives to encourage greater economic growth and self-reliance through enhanced international trade and investment in Africa.
The East and Central Africa Global Competitiveness Hub (ECA AGCI Hub) in Nairobi, Kenya is one of three trade hubs established by USAID.
Ecuador
Terrafertil is located at 3200 meters above sea level, next to lagoons which were formed out of the thaws at Andean snow-capped mountains, occupying a unique and privileged place, given it’s ecological surroundings. Our approach aims at keeping artisan processes in order to assure high quality in all our lines of production. Terrafertil is a pioneer in the market of exotic products in Ecuador. Our products are intended for both the final consumer and the food industry, which may use them as intermediate raw materials.
Mexico
Proteak Renewable Forestry began its commercial operations in 2006 following six successful years of operation as a forestry company along Mexico’s Pacific coast. During those six years, Proteak transformed itself into the major grower of teak in Mexico and one of the largest in the western hemisphere. With over seven thousand acres under cultivation, Proteak is positioned to be the most reliable source of sustainable plantation teak and teak wood products for years to come.
Haiti
Fonkoze is Haiti’s alternative bank for the organized poor. In fact, it is a family of three institutions working together shoulder-to-shoulder towards a single compelling mission: building the economic foundations for democracy in Haiti by providing the rural poor with the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty. This mission is reflected in our name, Fonkoze, which is an acronym for the Haitian Creole phrase “Fondasyon Kole Zepòl” meaning “Shoulder-to-Shoulder Foundation.”
Uganda
The mission of Centre for Entrepreneurshp in Internatioanl Health & Development
(CEIHD-pronounced “seed”) is to improve the health of low-income families in developing countries by drawing on the power of science and entrepreneurship to deliver health-enhancing products and services at affordable prices. As a nonprofit with close ties to the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, CEIHD provides thought leadership, tools and case studies to the field. CEIHD acknowledges the importance of scale in creating measurable change in health status at a population level and chooses its projects with this overarching objective in mind.
Annual Report
MBAs Without Borders is dedicated to demonstrating to our partners, MBAs and donors where and how our money is spent. Incorporated as a not-for-profit charity in Canada, we take this privilege very seriously. As we continue to move forward, Annual Audited Statements will be posted in this section. With special thanks, we appreciate the time and hard work of our friends at Flax Spitzen LLP.
MBAs Without Borders 2005 Annual Audit:
In outs first full year of operations, MBAs Without Borders sent one MBA abroad, Arif Shivji to Tanzania to work with CSDI. Total revenues/contributions for the year was $25,861 (Canadian Dollars) with expenses of $19,984 (77.3% of total revenue) and a net expenses over revenue of $5,877. 100% of donations in the first year went to direct program expenses as partner fees and awards contributing to administrative costs.
2005 MWB Audit Completed by Flax Spitzen LLP
MBAs Without Borders 2006 Annual Audit:
In 2006, MBAs Without Borders supported businesses and not for profits in Haiti, Mexico, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Vietnam and Poland. Revenue was up 428% to $110,746 (Canadian Dollars). Total program expenses were at $89,027 (80.4% of total revenue) with a net expenses over revenue was a loss of $1,228. 100% of donations in the first year went to direct program expenses as partner fees and awards contributing to administrative costs. Net Assets at end of year were $4,649.
2006 MWB Audit Completed by Flax Spitzen LLP
Impact
The business support provided by our MBAs is having a tremendous impact. It is dramatically increasing the sustainability of our field partner organizations as well as the quality of life of their community members. As a secondary benefit, the success stories of our MBAs is inspiring and mobilizing a new generation of MBAs who are passionate about leveraging their business savvy to make a lasting difference in our world!
Here is a sample list of tangible results thus far:
- Working with fair trade coffee producer, Sidama, certified 31 local co-ops with fair trade certification, making them the largest fair trade producer in Ethiopia
- Initiated the enrolment of 4,000+ HIV positive patients into the membership of a national community-based health insurance plan in Rwanda
- Increased women micro-credit customers from 150 to 3,000 for local micro-finance institution in Kenya with Faida Biashara Ltd
- With MBA’s “toolkit binder”, a local agri-business NGO launched into its second district of operations, which in under six months already counts 14 new employees serving 1,200 clients
- Developed a branding strategy to attract new patients to a local hospital in Madurai, India
- Trained 2 staff members in supply chain management and helped increase local workforce from 8 to 170 people by partnering with local co-ops to support MaliChic, a local Handicraft group in Mali
- Trained 20 local staff and implemented new process controls, resulting in an increase in income for 700 rural handicraft producers that work with Gone Rural in Swaziland
- Developed Market Research Report on the local cashew market in 10 West African countries for use by local producers as part of their export plans
- Managed and supported social marketing campaign for distribution of 1million+ malaria bed nets across Sierra Leone
- Developed supply strategy to grow local women’s cooperative labor base from 35 to 80 people, to increase production of environmentally-friendly eco-mochilas in Colombia
- Increased the product line development for a local environmentally-friendly Teak company in Mexico
- Using product placement in Nollywood (Nigeria’s film industry), introduced a creative malaria net campaign that was featured in 20 soap operas and television shows across Africa reaching millions across Nigeria and Africa
About
MBAs Without Borders (MWB) is an international organization that empowers local entrepreneurs in developing countries by matching them with top MBA leaders around the world. We believe that business can do amazing things and when channeled appropriately, it can have an incredible lasting impact in communities
Key aspects of MWB’s work:
- We focus our efforts with grass roots entrepreneurs in developing countries. We believe that small businesses are a critical piece to create sustainability particularly in under-served markets
- All project requirements come directly from our field partners. This ensures that we address the needs as identified by local owners and experts
- Our field partners contribute towards the cost of sending an MBA abroad. This confirms the need and value of our MBAs and it also helps establish ownership - a key ingredient to every project’s success
- We recruit our MBAs from around the world. The MBAs selected often have extensive professional experience in an international context
Why do we focus on small businesses?
Small businesses are critical for creating a thriving and sustainable local economy, especially in developing countries. Small businesses create opportunities for more people to participate in the formal economy, so they help reduce poverty by creating jobs.
In many developing countries large businesses have access to formal, bank-based credit and capital markets while households and micro-entrepreneurs have access to micro-loans. This leaves a massive gap known as the “missing middle.” While small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in rich countries represent over half of GDP, they are largely absent from the formal economies of developing countries.
Socially responsible grassroots entrepreneurs in developing countries provide goods and services to the poor and create sustainable jobs. They are on the front lines in the fight against poverty and environmental degradation, but too often they are alone. MBAs Without Borders responds to this need in the “missing middle” by providing critical business support to local entrepreneurs.
MWB’s Sector Focus:
Agriculture, Health, Handicrafts, Micro-Finance and Environment
MBAs Without Borders focuses on the areas of agriculture, health, handicrafts, finance and the environment. MWB believes that small businesses can have a significant impact in these sectors and lead by example by helping farmers market their crops, increasing access to health care services, creating profitable micro-lending models, and even introducing renewable energy products to the market.
MWB’s Countries:
Bolivia, Cambodia, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mexico, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Ukraine.
