Let me introduce myself. My complete name is Jean-Gardais Monfiston but I go by Dèdè. My name seems to be French, and dèdè which is the translation of daisdais in my mother tongue comes from Gardais (daisdais and dèdè sound same.)

A little bit about me! My educational background is made of a combination of credentials in Veterinary Medicine, Agribusiness, and an MBA in International Management. While my experiences range from technical and supervisory to management and leadership positions, I have worked in hotel industry, agribusiness, international development, and education. I have had the privilege to enjoy a multicultural background and knowing a couple of languages.

Learning about and from others is my passion. I am glad to be with you all. We will be conversing around!

Maria received an MBA degree from EAE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. She also holds a BSc. in Management from Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia where she directed her efforts and knowledge on projects related to public management and was a participant of an international internship program in the Unites States for a period of one year.

For the last 6 years she was living and working between Spain, Croatia and Colombia, creating her own e-learning company and managing e-learning startups projects.

She is hoping her experience in managing start-ups and passion for social entrepreneurship will be useful to Agora partnerships on Bambucasa project in Managua, Nicaragua. Bambucasa uses sustainable techniques to harvest bamboo and convert it into affordable building materials for both the high and low-ends of the housing market.

Leslie attained an undergraduate degree in economics and sociology from Dartmouth College and a MBA from the Wharton School with a concentration in global corporate strategy. Her studies abroad have included Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Israel and Australia. Prior to Wharton, Leslie spent time consulting microenterprises in Ghana, focusing on women in business.

As a Program Officer for the Merrill Lynch Foundation, Leslie was responsible for partnership building, strategic planning, and project management for the Global Ambassadors signature programs. Her efforts helped prepare tomorrow’s global citizens by exposing youth to world issues, intercultural exchanges and the dynamics of a global economy. Prior to this role, Leslie was a Fixed Income Research Analyst at Merrill Lynch covering various sectors and rotated through ML’s London office for credit derivatives research.

Beginning in March, Leslie will join AIACA in Delhi, India, where she will lead the business development team and manage the process of consulting work with craft producer groups.

Parker A. Harvey received his MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, his MSc in Social Policy from the London School of Economics, and his BA in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin.

Parker has a background ranging in areas as diverse as international political economy and insurance. He has lived, worked, and studied in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Parker is currently an MBA sent abroad by MBAs Without Borders and is working as a micro insurance associate in New Delhi, India.

Ari is an MBA/MPP dual degree student at the Ross School of Business and Ford School of Public Policy at Michigan. Prior to grad school he directed a documentary film entitled “Rivers, Wats and Riots” and consulted for USAID in Cambodia. Ari has worked for the Chicago Tribune in China, conducted a renewable energy feasibility assessment for a mining company in Mozambique, and worked as a Marketing Associate for GlaxoSmithKline. He hopes his experience, tenacity and passion for business in emerging markets will serve him well as a Business Development Associate in Lagos, Nigeria.

Ari’s hobbies include filmmaking, listening to African music and learning new languages. He will begin working for a global consumer packaged goods company as a product manager in August.

1. Please describe what the organization/company you work with does, how it is set up and where it is located?

International Finance Corporation (IFC) is the private sector development arm of The World Bank Group. IFC invests in a variety of businesses through debt and equity, and provides advisory services to businesses and government with the aim of raising knowledge and competencies, and improving the business climate.

Within the Advisory Services group, one business line is the ‘Business Enabling Environment’ (BEE) which works on policy matters to alleviate restrictive regulatory barriers which hinder Ukraine’s investment climate. Projects include reforms of tax laws, permits system, inspections procedures, and approximation to international best practices.

IFC headquarters is located in Washington DC. There is a regional head office in Moscow, Russia, and a country office in Kyiv, Ukraine along with field projects in Vinnytsya and Mykolayiv, Ukraine.

IFC work environment
-Open office, (with very nice Herman Miller chairs as of last week).
-Driver available for official meetings/work related events, though sometimes it is faster to take the metro.
-The Business Enabling Environment team is young, 12/14 members are between 25-35
-Very friendly team, but busy and not sociable outside office hours (almost all have their own families)
-The BEE team generally starts late but also stays late (generally 10am-730pm, but there will be different members working until 9pm regularly)
-There will be some early meetings, 8:30am, and some weekends, once every few months.
-It is very possible to take work home to do over weekends, though I prefer the office.
-IFC provides cell phone (mainly for work use, but limited personal use ok) and business cards.
-IFC has access to e-versions of all major newspapers and magazines.
-Travel within Ukraine may be necessary, though this depends on the assignment (BEE holds regular press conferences and data gathering trips, about once every 6 weeks).
-Team members also regularly attend events out of country (since I was here, various members have gone to: Minsk, Moscow, Stockholm, Capetown, DC, Istanbul, Cairo, Baku, Magadan, and Tbilisi). Again, this depends on whether you can be useful there.
-Many opportunities to attend training sessions at IFC or World Bank in Kyiv

2. What is the organization/company doing well?

IFC overall has had a strong fiscal year in 2007, with solid returns on investment portfolios. On the advisory side, IFC has been working to make it’s collective knowledge more accessible to employees through knowledge centres, information bulletins and training sessions.

The BEE team in Ukraine has been quite successful at creating awareness through media appearances and at getting the government’s attention – including submitting draft laws that have a high chance of being passed by Verkhovna Rada (Parliament).

The BEE project has been successful in soliciting funding and building a solid team (from a handful of people a year ago, to 14 currently, and aiming for 2-3 more).

The BEE project manager has been successful at creating buy-in from other business lines and cooperating with other projects, which is quite progressive in a large institution. This makes work quite dynamic.

3. Where could the organization/company improve?

With rapid growth, planning, organization and communication between different components of the project become a challenge. Clear task division (and more detailed individual task division) and a detailed project plan will be crucial in the near future. Planning tools such as Microsoft Project should be introduced, and more frequent meetings and feedback from the Project Manager would be helpful for new staff and to make sure that individual components are on track.

4. What are some aspects of the local cultural that should be understood when foreigners consider doing business in this country?

Establishing a business is especially tough in Ukraine. This project may be unique, in terms of MWB projects, because it is working on the other side of the fence – attempting to alleviate barriers. There is much literature on the business environment in the country. Potential investors would be better off digesting that, than this list. In short, barriers include:

* A huge shadow economy of unofficial businesses
* Ineffective regulation that makes intellectual property difficult to maintain
* A tedious registration process that involves many ministries and an inordinate amount of paperwork (Ukraine is ranked 139 of 178 countries in a worldwide Doing Business study)
* Corruption in government requiring unofficial payments and knowledge of the local system
* An underdeveloped consumer market that may not put a premium on quality and safety of products
* An unsettled political system, where governmet policies may change radically with little notice
* An ineffective judicial system that cannot adequately and equitably resolve disputes.
* Because of the divergence of domestic law with internationally-accepted best practices, exports from Ukraine are almost non-existent in value-added sectors such as food processing and finished products.

Again, it is advised that potential investors or entrepreneurs familiarize themselves with:

World Bank Study, Doing Business 2008: http://www.doingbusiness.org/

IFC SME Policy Project report, Ukraine Business Environment Survey 2007: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/UKRAINEEXTN/Resources/BusinessEnvironmentSurveyReport_2007_Eng.pdf

European Business Association Analytical Paper, Barriers to Invesment in Ukraine:

http://www.eba.com.ua/files/Investment_paper/Inv_Paper_2007_ENG.pdf

There are additional materials, but potential investors should be able to absorb the macro-topics from there, and should thereafter target their research to specific industries.

5. What are some aspects of the local business environment (e.g. registration of company, government’s role in business, business items unique to this country) that should be understood when foreigners and locals consider doing business in this country?

Again, it would be presumptuous to deal with this in this context, but in general, the government still has huge authority over businesses, and often the laws and policies governing business are vague and outdated (many standards, for example, were developed in the Soviet times and do not reflect international best practices).

Registration procedures and the permit system is still followed ‘vertically’ – that is, they can be very different for different types of businesses. Therefore, there are no clear guidelines or documents for starting a business in Ukraine. It is seriously advised to contact a local expert.

6. What were the direct and indirect results/deliverables as a result of your placement? Please be as specific as possible. Please provide both soft and hard examples. Hard examples include number of clients/people trained, dollars raised, people impacted, etc)

Direct:

o Inventory of Ukraine legislation and International legislation concerning food safety (EU, WTO and international standards from Codex Alimentarius and ISO) – over 500 laws catalogued
o Policy Paper on Diary Industry in Ukraine, focusing on food safety – 35 pages
o Internal memo on market information for a potential IFC food safety pilot project (approved and to be launched in 2008) – 15 pages
o Coordination document for CIDA involving the agribusiness component of this BEE Project, and another CIDA funded project dealing with modernizing food safety inspections laboratories – 2 pages
o Preparation of presentations for IFC international conference, and for CIDA – 3 presentations
o Review of documents and materials for external use (papers, brochures, PowerPoint, correspondence) – over 20 documents
o Attendance at industry meetings and committees (American Chamber of Commerce, European Business Association) – 5 events.
o Visits to 3 cities in Ukraine to gain first hand knowledge of issues facing entrepreneurs in agribusiness

Indirect:

* Raised external awareness of BEE project participation in agribusiness (other international donors and
* Coordinated and developed relationships with 4 other IFC agribusiness projects in Ukraine

7. Are there opportunities in this field (e.g… health, agriculture or finance) for local and international entrepreneurs?

As an emerging market, and recent member of WTO, there are many opportunities for international entrepreneurs who are familiar with the culture and language, and who have a long-term horizon. Recent acquisitions have placed large international food processors in the Ukraine market, but exports are currently minimal.

The even larger opportunity may be for entrepreneurs who are interested in importing into Ukraine. As growth continues, a strong middle-class is developing and consumes may soon demand the quality and variety offered by international goods and services.

Therefore, in both imports and finance, the opportunity is there.

With agriculture, the situation is different at present. Though Ukraine has an abundance of fertile land and a large rural population, there is a moratorium on agricultural land which makes buying and selling land ‘legally’ impossible This has stifled the market for years. There is talk that this moratorium may soon be lifted (by the new government – the third in three years), so the situation may develop.

Questions about Personal Experience:

1. Why are you interested in international development and private sector development?

International development has interested me from a social perspective for a long time, and more recently from a business perspective because of it’s potential to solve far-reaching global issues. It provides a challenge, and an opportunity to interact with the global community that most other career paths would not allow.

2. Originally, why did you want to participate in this program?

In Vancouver, I had a very rewarding experience with a non-profit organization where I was given the opportunity to plan and execute many initatives. I was originally interested in joining an entrepreneurial project with MWB to be given a wide scope of responsibility that most companies in Canada would not allow.

Second, I had studied international law previously and in the MBA program at Sauder globalization was a much-hounded topic, so I wanted some first hand experience in an international environment with a set commitment (I was looking at the 2-3 month projects).

3. What were your main challenges, both personally and professionally?

Personal challenges

This was my first time off of the continent, which means it was my first time operating within a completely unfamiliar language. The level of English in Kyiv is almost non-existent, which made doing simple things like grocery shopping, or figuring out directions very difficult. It also limited things like meeting people, going to movies and attractions (museum descriptiosn are in Ukrainian, opera is translated into Ukrainian). Luckily, the city is a vibrant city and there is much to ‘see’.

Professional challenges

Working in a Russian/Ukrainian team environment where I do not understand 75% of the information in emails and in meetings.

Coordinating a long-term (6-month) component (assessing and scoping the agribusiness industry in Ukraine) that is new to the project (very little previous sector knowledge meant that I could not ask team members for assistance)

The procedure for this component was also untested, since previous components dealt with horizontal topics that affected many sectors (like taxes, or fire inspections), and my component was vertical, assessing only the agribusiness sector. Therefore, finding expertise externally was a challenge, since the team had not developed any contacts in the industry.

4. Was the monthly stipend of $1,000US/month sufficient and how, if needed, would you change the way and what MBAs Without Borders financially covers?

The stipend was sufficient to live comfortably in Kyiv. However, Ukraine is going through rapid inflation – over 17% in 2007, and likely much higher within Kyiv city limits (from what I’ve seen inflation in Kyiv of about 30% in 2007 is about right). It is the most expensive city in Eastern Europe and consistently ranks in the 20s (of 144) countries in terms of cost-of-living in the Mercer annual surveys. As a comparison, no Canadian city is even in the top-50.

In addition, in taking the position, I had to take into account bank loans used towards MBA tuition. With the rise of the Canadian dollar, and inflation in Kyiv, my projections from July were up to 30% off at one point (20% in exchange; 10% inflation) in November. Currently, the stipend is worth 18% less than in July.

I personally wasn’t as prepared as I would have liked for this situation and I would advise participants with financial commitments in their home country (especially outside US) to take currency and possibly rapid inflation into account when planning.

5. What would have made this experience even better for you?

Language lessons and/or personal contacts in Kiev! Without speaking the language, getting to know people is very difficult, which can make weekends less than eventful!

More luggage: bringing clothes for a professional environment where there are regular visits from executive management and meetings with government officials, and clothes for a Kyiv winter leaves little room for other personal items.

That said, neither lack of those would be a deal break – they would just make this experience more comfortable.

Overall, I rank this experience with a respected international organization in an emerging country as an indispensable opportunity, both personally and professionally. Given the length of the contract (6 months), it would be nice to have a week or two of break in the contract, either to go home, or to explore. I was lucky that IFC is flexible and my boss was extremely accommodating (in fact telling me I should leave for longer than I asked for) and encouraging me to travel over Christmas.

6. What advice would you like to offer future MBAs who work abroad for MBAs Without Borders?

Get to know the organization and how, exactly, your skills will be used before accepting a position. Make sure that there is a fit and that you can make a valuable contribution, otherwise there is a very real possibility that both sides will be disappointed.

For example, though I have a background in law and strategy, and I have taken part in policy analysis in the past, the level that IFC operates on is quite different. My law background was very North American-focused, and with EU legislation, a CIVIL law system, and laws written in UKRAINIAN, my utility in this regarded was limited to transferable skills (documenting and basic analyses).

Fortunately, the project manager was proactive had prepared me for this limitation during the interview. He updated the job description to use me in more of a coordinating role, where I was able to work with a team member who could fulfill that tasks I wasn’t able to. I was also given small ad hoc tasks where my skills could contribute.

7. Why would you recommend others to participate on MWB programs?

I believe that the list of reasons are obvious enough, so this may not be news:

- opportunity to break into international development, which is rare in any developed country (with the exception of certain cities like Ottawa, NY, Washington DC, London, Brussels or Geneva, among a few others).

- opportunity to see the flip side of the world and gain international experience which, at the very least, makes an interesting talking point on the resume (it will also show dedication, flexibility in schedule and ability to pick up knowledge quickly and deliver in an unfamiliar environment).

- opportunity to immediately make practical use of business school skills

- opportunity to deliver service to an organization that might otherwise not be able to get it (that doesn’t really apply in my case with IFC)

8. What are some of your goals and aspirations (i.e. job, personal, etc), that you are planning for once this placement has concluded

Goal is to use this as a spring board for continued work with The World Bank Group, preferably in an office where I speak the main language. Given the competition for World Bank positions, I am also targeting private sector consulting or positions with other large international organizations.

I plan to maintain my interest in international law (through continued professional development courses) and stay involved with non-profits on a volunteer basis wherever I end up.

Though I would enjoy continuing international development at the entrepreneurial or non-profit level in the future, in the near-term, the cost of the law degree and MBA needs to provide my financial institution with some real returns!

Elayna Yussen has a BA in Sociology and received her MBA with focus on Marketing and Strategic Management from the University of Minnesota. She has over six years professional experience creating and implementing innovative marketing plans, developing business plans, managing partnerships, and launching products. In addition to a year of study abroad in Jerusalem, Israel, Elayna has traveled through numerous countries in Europe, North Africa, Central America, and the Middle East. She is fascinated with people and cultures and has a love of sports and outdoor adventure.

Beginning in March, Elayna looks forward to joining KARIBU in Arusha, Tanzania where she will assist in the setup of company structure and develop strategic plans with KARIBU as they work to promote global tourism in East Africa.

Please describe what the organization/company you work with does, how it is set up and where it is located?

One Acre Fund (OAF) is an NGO that works with small-scale farmers in East Africa (currently Kenya and Rwanda). The organization operates like a business. It provides loans of farming inputs, such as seed and fertilizer, to farmers at the beginning of the growing season. Farmers receive training from OAF field staff on land preparation, proper use of the inputs, and cultivation to ensure a bountiful harvest. When the crop matures, the farmer repays the loan with a portion of the harvest. OAF consolidates the harvest and sells it on the open market to the highest bidder. Primarily local staff runs the day-to-day operations. The founder is American and manages the programs and fundraising. Skilled foreigners are recruited to work on special projects.

What is the organization/company doing well?

The organization does a good job of working with local people and resources to meet its goals. Working through locals has proven to be the most effective method of gaining buy-in from customers leading to better results. The organization also benefits from a professional and committed staff. Many staff members are related by marriage or otherwise and this has actually been very successful and beneficial to OAF.

Where could the organization/company improve?

Organizational processes and communication between employees could be improved upon. The organization is still quite young and, consequently, is still learning the best methods for how to operate.

What are some aspects of the local cultural that should be understood when foreigners consider doing business in this country?

The local culture is very warm and inviting. One aspect that needs to be considered by locals wanting to do business is that you will likely be perceived as being wealthy. People often ask for money or assistance with material goods. This is probably a result of the history of numerous well-funded (and most likely well-intentioned) NGOs bringing money and goods to try to uplift the standard of living. The NGO completes its project and the money and goods eventually run out leaving the locals back in the same position they were in when the NGO arrived.

Another problem that exists in Kenya is tribalism, which recently exploded following dubious presidential election results. While most Kenyans are very friendly, this is something to keep in mind when doing business.

What are some aspects of the local business environment (e.g. registration of company, government’s role in business, business items unique to this country) that should be understood when foreigners and locals consider doing business in this country?

Although I do not know the statistics on this, it appears the majority of businesses are owned by Indians, foreigners and Kikuyus, the largest tribe in Kenya. That being said, if one has access to capital, there is really no limit to doing business. If you want to be legitimate, you probably have to go through some sort of registration process. All businesses are required to display their license to operate along with a photo of the current president.

What were the direct and indirect results/deliverables as a result of your placement? Please be as specific as possible. Please provide both soft and hard examples. Hard examples include number of clients/people trained, dollars raised, people impacted, etc)

My final deliverable was a binder of materials designed to allow a newly hired field director to launch a new OAF site. This binder (two actually) included high-level narratives that explained the purpose of each phase of launch, training scripts for training staff, handouts for staff and customers, and tools for the director to use. The bulk of the materials surrounded the recruitment, hiring, and training of field staff.

This manual was utilized to launch sites in two other regions (another district in Kenya and a site in Rwanda). The materials were translated into Kirwandan and French for the Rwanda program. The result of the Kenya expansion resulted in 12 new hires from a pool of 37 candidates. The 12 new hires were tasked with recruiting 100 new customers each for a projected total of 1200 new customers.

Are there opportunities in this field (e.g… health, agriculture or finance) for local and international entrepreneurs?

The model that OAF uses suggests a market exists in Kenya for entrepreneurs to provide goods/services in the field of agriculture.

Questions about Personal Experience:

Why are you interested in international development and private sector development?

I enjoy working with people from different cultures and experiencing life outside of North America.

Originally, why did you want to participate in this program?

I wanted to utilize my skills to assist an organization working at a grassroots level and this opportunity seemed like a perfect fit.

What were your main challenges, both personally and professionally?

Initially, it was challenging to understand my role, but after a week it became clear what was needed. Personally, it was challenging being away from family, but 3 months is such a short period of time and the experience is so enriching and worthwhile.

Was the monthly stipend of $1,000US/month sufficient and how, if needed, would you change the way and what MBAs Without Borders financially covers?

The stipend was fine for the area of Kenya in which I was working.

What advice would you like to offer future MBAs who work abroad for MBAs Without Borders?

Keep a sense of humor and try to be patient; things will not happen overnight.

Why would you recommend others to participate on MWB programs?

I would recommend MWB because I had an incredibly rewarding experience. This program allowed me to utilize the skills gained academically and professionally to assist my host organization.

What are some of your goals and aspirations (i.e. job, personal, etc), that you are planning for once this placement has concluded?

I am conducting market research to determine whether local food distribution is being served adequately. I want to be part of the local food economy providing goods from local farmers to restaurants, grocery stores, and institutions within a 50-mile radius.

Petra is a business strategist with extensive experience in strategy, business development, marketing and financial analysis. She has worked with large multinational companies as well as start-ups and she held consulting roles. Most recently she has been working with SLC Consultants on several business strategy consulting projects in various industries including construction, medical devices and others. Prior to that, Petra was with Concert Communications, where she held a financial role within Concert’s Network Infrastructure Investment Division and with Lucent Technologies where she, most notably, led a team of market and product specialists to develop a new cohesive international strategy for all of Lucent’s regions and led a European market development effort for its Optical Networking Division.

Petra has a strong international profile and experience and is fluent in French, English and Czech.

Petra has an MBA from the Kenan Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and an undergraduate degree in business from the “Ecole Superieure de Commerce” de Dijon, in France.

Starting in July 2007, Jaime worked with Gone Rural providing direct business support as it looked to develop its sales network, pricing strategy and efficiency in its cost of goods sold.

Questions about the organization/company and local economy:

1. Please describe what the organization/company you work with does, how it is set up and where it is located?

Gone Rural is a handcraft design and export company that outsources part of its production to nearly 700 women in rural areas from Swaziland. It is located in the beautiful valley of Malkerns, Swaziland. They have a spin-off NGO called Bomake that works with the communities that are involved in the Gone Rural supply chain, providing health, education, and water services.

2. What is the organization/company doing well?

Gone Rural has identified the need to focus their strategy on product development and market diversification. In this sense they’ve prepared a very sound Strategic Plan along with a very usable Marketing Plan and they are sticking to it.

3. Where could the organization/company improve?

The company can optimize its production programming process to enhance lead time.

4. What are some aspects of the local cultural that should be understood when foreigners consider doing business in this country?

It’s important to realize that things take longer than in developed countries. This is a Kingdom, so you need to get acquainted with the values of the Royal Family to understand the dominant values in the country.

5. What are some aspects of the local business environment (e.g. registration of company, government’s role in business, business items unique to this country) that should be understood when foreigners and locals consider doing business in this country?

Registering a company is easy and has a low cost. Businesses are regulated through a 1912 act, which is in current revision, and allows much interpretation, which can be confusing at the beginning. International trade is done mainly through South African or Mozambican ports.

6. What were the direct and indirect results/deliverables as a result of your placement? Please be as specific as possible. Please provide both soft and hard examples. Hard examples include number of clients/people trained, dollars raised, people impacted, etc)

Through excel reports connected directly to the company’s accounting software, product trends and sales performance is monitored. This has allowed reducing SKU’s from over 3000 to 700 which in turn has enhanced the company’s capacity to control their stock and to monitor their production ordering needs. It has also allowed setting sales targets to the international reps, and taking actions to achieve these targets in a timely manner.

The overall process revision has allowed for a better, more structured communication between departments, minimizing errors and eliminating redundant documents. Having identified the company’s value chain has helped in allocating resources and monitoring these resources per activity.

The legal and capital structure revision allowed identifying the need for a restructuring of the company’s dividend policy and funding needs. Financial Statement projections are being used to make managerial decisions targeted at achieving financial sustainability eliminating the need for external aid for current operations in the near future.

The implementation of a modified Balanced Scorecard has helped in monitoring strategic objectives, such as number of rural women impacted or average income generated for the rural women.

All of the above impact the lives of the 20 staff members, the nearly 700 women in rural areas and each of the average 8 dependents per woman (adding up to roughly 5,500 beneficiaries – 0.5% of the country’s population). This impact is measured by the average income that has doubled form F06 to F07 and that will keep growing as the company achieves sustainable growth.

7. Are there opportunities in this field (e.g… health, agriculture or finance) for local and international entrepreneurs?

This kind of business model is much needed in Swaziland where there is a great need for economic engagement of the traditionally economically excluded population.

Questions about Personal Experience:

1. Why are you interested in international development and private sector development?

I believe that to effectively address poverty and social injustice, the traditionally economically excluded population should have access to markets and money flow. The involvement of the private sector in this quest is crucial, since it has shown to be the most stable type of organization. Donor funded organizations and NGO’s lack the drive for efficiency and continuous growth that people need to develop. The role of these organizations is to compensate for poorly managed governments that don’t provide for the basic needs of their citizens, but for them to be empowered, their entrepreneurial capacities need a market place, which can be provided with the help of the private sector.

2. Originally, why did you want to participate in this program?

I was in contact with the Bottom of the Pyramid concept and models such as the Sustainable Local Enterprise Networks during my MBA course. This made me rethink my childhood dream to “work for a better/fairer world”. I ran a search through different organizations that would allow me to use my business knowledge and experience to serve this purpose, but as most MBA graduates, I have school loans to pay, so volunteering was not an option. I found MBAs Without Borders and it allowed me to do what I wanted to do without compromising my financial obligations.

3. What were your main challenges, both personally and professionally?

Being away from my wife was the biggest personal challenge. The biggest professional challenge was to constantly take into the equation the social impact orientation of the company when reviewing processes and trying to maximize efficiencies.

4. Was the monthly stipend of $1,000US/month sufficient and how, if needed, would you change the way and what MBAs Without Borders financially covers?

I think the monthly stipend plus the covering of living expenses is a great financial support model for recent MBA graduates.

5. What advice would you like to offer future MBAs who work abroad for MBAs Without Borders?

Come prepared to learn as much as to provide your input. Grassroots businesses don’t behave like big corporations, human resources are scarce, but energy and motivation are always high. Be creative and make sure your work doesn’t end when you leave, the organization must not need you by the end of the placement. Open you mind to cultural differences and remember you can always learn new ways of doing things!

Enjoy!

6. Would you recommend others to participate on MWB programs?

Deffinitely.

7. What are some of your goals and aspirations (i.e. job, personal, etc), that you are planning for once this placement has concluded?

I’ll keep engaged in sustainable development and the role of the private sector in empowering the traditionally economically excluded population. I hope to join an organization that shares my values and aspirations to “work for a better/fairer world”.

1. Please describe what the organization/company you work with does, how it is set up and where it is located?

Proyecto Tití is an ‘in situ’ conservation organization with a tripartite mission that addresses scientific research, local economic development, and education programming. In essence, Proyecto Tití takes a very holistic and progressive approach to the preservation of endangered species and the conservation of their habitats. The non-profit’s name comes from that of the Cotton-top Tamarin, an endangered species of primate indigenous to Northwest Colombia. Its local nickname is the ‘Tití.’ Proyecto Tití has an administrative base in Miami, Florida, USA, field research facilities in Atlántico and Bolivar Departments, and a partnership agreement with the Barranquilla Zoo, which actively participates in a number of joint initiatives.

In striving to ensure the continued survival of the Cotton-top Tamarin, Proyecto Tití has created a comprehensive mission that promotes local participation in the protection of the Tití and its environment. The organization designs, sponsors, and delivers environmental oriented educational programs to communities in Northwest Colombia, emphasizing the value of the Tití’s role in the Colombian ecosystem. Through observation and tracking studies, field scientists conduct research aimed at better understanding the Tití’s behavior and movement. Finally, Proyecto Tití has created the artisan cooperative ASOARTESANAS, which produces fashionable handbags and shoulder bags made from 100% recycled plastic. The bags, called Eco-Mochilas, are loosely based upon the Mochila, a traditional Colombian shoulder bag made from either cotton or wool.

With P. Tití support, ASOARTESANAS (ASO) provides new economic opportunities to rural residents living near the Tití’s habitat, therefore discouraging the capture and illegal sale of Tamarins on the black market. ASO members source their own materials, typically by collecting used grocery bags from nearby communities, and weave them using a labor intensive method similar to crochet. The result is a very durable and attractive product of world class quality currently in high demand both domestically and internationally. In making the bags, ASO members keep the Tití’s habitat free of plastic-based garbage. Proyecto Tití helps to market and distribute Eco-Mochilas under its own name in Colombia and abroad, thereby communicating the organization’s over-arching mission with each and every sale.

2. What is the organization/company doing well?

From a business perspective, Proyecto Tití has performed very well in establishing, in a relatively short amount of time, the production of an attractive, high quality product of export value. The non-profit has also identified the Eco-Mochila as an easy medium for promoting the overall organization. Proyecto Tití simply sells the Eco-Mochila, and the Eco-Mochila sells the story and mission of Proyecto Tití. Proyecto Tití has also done well in identifying and narrowing the range of Eco-Mochila product sizes and designs that appeal to export markets.

Additionally, the relationship with ASOARTESANAS, which provides Proyecto Tití with the finished product for export, is very dynamic, respectful, and mutually beneficial. ASOARTESANAS members determine their own wages based on fair trade principles while Proyecto Tití dictates what kind of Eco-Mochilas are produced. The majority of Eco-Mochila proceeds are reinvested in ASOARTESANA organizational sustainability and expansion, while a portion of the proceeds are used to support other Proyecto Tití initiatives. The relationship is highly symbiotic, as ASO needs Proyecto Tití for exporting, sales, and financial purposes, and Proyecto Tití needs Eco-Mochila products to spread the gospel of its conservation efforts.

3. Where could the organization/company improve?

Because of the multi-faceted nature of Proyecto Tití’s mission and the geographic dispersion of its staff members across two countries and three sites, communication is often difficult. In the short term, Proyecto Tití needs to focus on information sharing among its three sites. Organizational leadership needs to better communicate the research, educational, and business goals to the entire staff in order to increase understanding and participation across functions.

There is currently no designated business program manager responsible for Eco-Mochila order fulfillment and production growth. Proyecto Tití spent the better part of 2007 studying the market and considering various export and marketing strategies. 2008 should be the year of implementation, but it will require the effort of a full time business manager, and not a short term volunteer.

4. What are some aspects of the local cultural that should be understood when foreigners consider doing business in this country?

Colombia is a South American country, and as such subscribes to business principles common throughout the Latino world. Colombians prefer to conduct business with strangers after being introduced through a friend, family, or partner. Colombian business culture discourages “ir al grano,” or getting straight to the point. Much like in Asia, it is very common to spend a disproportionate amount of time getting to know potential clients and business partners before discussing the transaction at hand. The steadfast lines drawn between personal and professional worlds are not so distinct in Colombia, so foreigners should be prepared to discuss all aspects of life.

North Colombia, or ‘la costa’ as it is more commonly known, is another beast. The heat, humidity, and deep set appreciation for Caribbean culture create a very relaxed atmosphere which may not always reflect business practices found in the country’s interior. Business hours of operation are more varied along the coast, while communication is less formal. Deadlines are rarely set in stone, and scheduled appointments are not always honored. That said, much business takes place outside the office, under the roof of a local restaurant, bar, or café. Flexibility with regard to time and place are crucial to being successful along Colombia’s Caribbean coast.

5. What are some aspects of the local business environment (e.g. registration of company, government’s role in business, business items unique to this country) that should be understood when foreigners and locals consider doing business in this country?

Colombia is notorious for the sheer amount of paperwork required to formally register a profitable organization and ensure that it is conducting business in a legal manner. At times, the taxation laws are difficult to understand, and so it is common to find well established, reputable businesses operating in less than full compliance. Oftentimes, it is more important to establish a positive relationship with the proper government officials than attempt full legal and fiscal compliance. Both foreign and local interests should demonstrate a good faith effort to satisfy commonly accepted regulations while recognizing the dynamic environment in which they function.

Unique to Colombia is the mass cultivation and production of cocaine. While the drug trade’s presence is more common in the interior’s urban centers and fertile countryside, its influence and economic power are felt everywhere. Almost half of the country’s GNP is spent battling the narcotics trade and terrorism. This fact prevents government monies from developing the country’s physical infrastructure and social services that would make it a more competitive and attractive environment for foreign investment and increased global commerce. Corruption is also rampant at all levels, and so consideration should be made at times for periodic, one-time write off costs.

6. What were the direct and indirect results/deliverables as a result of your placement? Please be as specific as possible. Please provide both soft and hard examples. Hard examples include number of clients/people trained, dollars raised, people impacted, etc)

As a result of my placement, Proyecto Tití now has a structured development strategy for increasing Eco-Mochila production in the short term while reducing costs and increasing revenue in the long term. Assuming that Proyecto Tití and ASOARTESANAS can reach reasonable quantity production goals by 2008, the effects of my deliverables include:

• Establishment of an automated Eco-Mochila e-commerce page within the umbrella Proyecto Tití website enabling organizational leadership to focus on more value-added work.

7. Are there opportunities in this field (e.g… health, agriculture or finance) for local and international entrepreneurs?

Yes, there are opportunities in the area of artisan goods production and exportation for international entrepreneurs. The organizational and market linkages involving non-profit organizations present unique challenges, but the variety, quantity, and quality of the country’s products are very attractive. Entrepreneurs wishing to specialize in the exclusive distribution of a niche product, or in the consolidation and sales of a variety of artisan goods, should take advantage of this apertura, or opening, before others exploit it.

Questions about Personal Experience:

1. Why are you interested in international development and private sector development?

I find international development (ID) to be the perfect extension of my own professional background as an entrepreneur and small business manager. ID gives me the chance to share my own experiences of operating an SME (small and medium sized enterprise) while improving my knowledge of ‘universal’ and ‘unique’ challenges to small businesses across the globe. For me, finding that successful fusion of business best practices and culturally sensitive implementation is more satisfying than more traditional MBA employment. As well, ID has numerous field positions, and so working directly with clients in their own back yard is much more stimulating than the office cubicle.

2. Originally, why did you want to participate in this program?

I had just graduated months earlier with my MBA in global marketing and supply chain management from Thunderbird School of Global Management. I wanted the opportunity to gain some short term consulting experience while using my Spanish language skills before moving onto my first post-MBA full time position.

Having spent three months studying in Mexico during my MBA program, I wanted to put my knowledge of Latino business to good work. Obviously, Colombia isn’t Mexico, and the regional differences presented me the chance to learn about and appreciate one more country while on assignment. I’ve gained valuable experience communicating with and managing people of a different culture, as well as expanding my knowledge of Latin American markets and consumer behavior.

3. What were your main challenges, both personally and professionally?

When it comes to business, I am by nature very direct, thorough, and precise. I had to learn how to better control my inclination to ‘talk numbers’ and relax a bit. Colombia is just as interested in business as the next country, but family and leisure play a greater role in daily life. So I struggled to hold back that initial desire to dive right in and talk about Proyecto Tití, Eco-Mochilas, and quantity discounts.

Instead, I often found myself talking about Queens, New York (where Colombia’s largest expatriate community resides), the popularity of plastic surgery and Lasik in South America, and local fruit juices. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn how little reluctance there was in terms of doing business with a gringo American.

Many Colombians perceive ‘work’ as a physical and temporal means to an end. They don’t see it as a creative, dynamic process resulting in a better quality of life, both materially and spiritually. I struggled to communicate my motivation for volunteering. ‘ASOARTESANAS already has a great product, but nobody knows about it. We just need to communicate their work to the rest of the world. Many people will buy the Eco-Mochilas…the community will have more work, more money, and a better future…’ More often than not, the response was a shoulder shrug and mild indifference. Sharing and communicating vision is a challenge for any business venture…but in Colombia, change…and the kind of optimism that drives change… comes slowly.

4. What advice would you like to offer future MBAs who work abroad for MBAs Without Borders?

An MWBs volunteer should conduct thorough research on the country and region prior to departure. Expect and prepare contingency plans and approaches for your assignment when work does not materialize as planned. Accept the fact that the results of your hard work may not reflect your original efforts, and focus on making improvements to your host organization regardless. Whether such improvements are realized by the time you leave is less important than making a positive and lasting impression through your hard work, dedication, and positive attitude. Change may not occur during your tenure, but when it does, the host organization will recognize your contribution in absentia.

Enjoy your surroundings. Travel on the weekends. Explore new places and opportunities. You may find reason to stay in the country long term, return home with a new business idea, or help others in ways unimaginable. Make friends and document your experience well. In spite of all the imperfections of life in emerging markets, time still passes quickly.

5. Why would you recommend others to participate on MWB programs?

There’s always somebody with an idea, a product, a business in need of your skills. At the end of the day, you’re there to help, to learn, to share.

6. What are some of your goals and aspirations (i.e. job, personal, etc), that you are planning for once this placement has concluded

After having spent five of the last eight years studying, working, and living abroad, I am ready to stay put in one place. Professionally, I would love to work with a small organization enabling the next generation of students and young professionals to go abroad and bridge that ‘have/have not’ gap. Personally, I look forward to raising my first puppy since childhood and cycling North America as time permits.

1. Please describe what the organization/company you work with does, how it is set up and where it is located?

Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Center (MMHRC/MMH) was started almost two decades ago by its charismatic founder, Dr. N. Sethuraman, who is the current Chairman. The hospital has transformed to become a major multicare facility in the state of Tamil Nadu and is by far the largest in Madurai. Today, it ranks among the best and largest hospitals in South India, has over 1500 full-time employees, and through university partnerships and runs many academic programs in nursing and health sciences and is engaged in many areas, such as of public health care and microfinance.

2. What is the organization/company doing well?

MMHRC is able to provide a highly skilled clinical workforce for health care delivery at a large scale. Because of its skilled base, it enjoys a respectable position in Tamil Nadu. It has been able to provide free and subsidized medicine for many of the poor constituents through cross subsidization and fundraising. Through foreign donations it has been able to work in the eradication of cleft lip/palate, emergency disaster planning, and many other public health and disease eradication programs.

The hospital has a sister organization in microfinance with over 250,000 members and has met with a high level of success in the area.

It is one of the biggest sources of employment in the region.

3. Where could the organization/company improve?

The senior most managers should consider making long-term strategic plans. Things are done on an ad hoc basis and this can be risky for a hospital which is experiencing competitive pressures to not have a long term version.

4. What are some aspects of the local cultural that should be understood when foreigners consider doing business in this country?

India is diverse in its offerings and Madurai is a classical example. The country has progressed immensely in the areas of technology, business and education. However, a city like Madurai is caught up in time, and the people are quite conservative in their views of marriage, caste, and male-female relationship.

On the other hand, most people were quite open to new ideas and were willing to accept the changes occurring in the city, India, and the world. People are changing their attitudes about the world.

5. What are some aspects of the local business environment (e.g. registration of company, government’s role in business, business items unique to this country) that should be understood when foreigners and locals consider doing business in this country?

India is open for foreign investment. However, for small businesses and personal entrepreneurs, the challenges are plentiful in every aspect, from language, rules, and the mentality that westerners have more wealth, and it is okay to extract anything from them, by fair or foul means. It is likely that anybody from the west gets charged a lot more for almost everything, such as taxis, shopping or for that matter, almost anything. Furthermore, because English is not the local language in Tamil Nadu, navigating around for business is difficult.

The country is open to the idea of large companies making large investments.

6. What were the direct and indirect results/deliverables as a result of your placement? Please be as specific as possible. Please provide both soft and hard examples. Hard examples include number of clients/people trained, dollars raised, people impacted, etc)

It is quite hard for me to put my work into numbers because I was working on a brand strategy project. However, apart from this very demanding project where I spent most of my time and resulted in deep insights for marketing strategy, I was able to work in many assignments: Among them:

Major Project (65-75 % of time)
o Branding study (60-70% of project)

Side Projects
a. Surveys
- Madurai Survey design for assessing consumer perception of hospital brand
- Hospital inpatient quality of service exit survey –
- Why patients don’t get their treatment here survey

b. Websites
- Developed prototype of the hospital’s website for fast content updates
- Design of the Smile Train website (www.smilemmhrc.org)
- Comprehensive website FAQ for all the hospital’s stakeholders

c. Fundraising
- Acquired permission to put charity boxes in many area retail establishments
- Assisted in public relations by attending many of the events and meeting current and prospective donors

7. Are there opportunities in this field (e.g… health, agriculture or finance) for local and international entrepreneurs?
•

There are many opportunities in all these areas for international entrepreneurs. More Indians have more disposal income than ever before and the huge population mass opens business opportunities.

Questions about Personal Experience:

1. Why are you interested in international development and private sector development?

I was born and brought up in a very rural setting and feel fortunate to have access to higher education and opportunity, both in the east and west. But this privilege also comes with personal responsibility. I had been indirectly engaged in development projects. This time, I was able to take some time off from work and be actively engaged.

2. Originally, why did you want to participate in this program?

One of my friends (an exchange student at RSM from Ivey) had joined MWB and had been sharing stories and pictures of his work in Africa. I liked the work MWB was doing around the world and I wanted to be a part of that circle of MBAs who are trying to make a difference in the world.

3. What were your main challenges, both personally and professionally?

Because some of my projects were dependent on the input of my colleagues, there were times my own projects got delayed. I wanted to accomplish a lot more because I felt that I was there only for a few months.

I really enjoyed my stay in Madurai and had an excellent time at work and community. There were times I wished that I lived in a larger city where everybody I could have the personal space and freedom. Madurai has a lot of inhabitants, but still, its mentality is that of a big village. Because of my physical appearance compared to the local populace it was hard not to be conspicuous.

4. Was the monthly stipend of $1,000US/month sufficient and how, if needed, would you change the way and what MBAs Without Borders financially covers?

The money was more than sufficient for me as food and housing was already provided. At times, I wished I had just taken a new laptop that MWB had offered me.

5. What would have made this experience even better for you?

My analysis was complete on schedule and it took the executive team several weeks before they could see the presentation. Had they reviewed the project in time, more could have been achieved.

6. What advice would you like to offer future MBAs who work abroad for MBAs Without Borders?

You have your whole life ahead to work for a corporation, and postponing your desired career path for a few months won’t make such a big difference when you look at things in hindsight. If you are unable to take time out to work in international development, it is unlikely you ever will. Just make the time now and pursue your passions!!!!!!

7. Why would you recommend others to participate on MWB programs?

This experience will give you a chance to get an insider’s view of the developing world, develop goodwill between your country and your host country, between you and the people that work with you, and give you a chance to use your business and personal skills which needs the most help. You will surely make a positive impact when you roll your sleeves and get down to work.

8. What are some of your goals and aspirations (i.e. job, personal, etc), that you are planning for once this placement has concluded

I intend to complete an entrepreneurial project in Kathmandu and then pursue full-time employment in the United States.

Please describe what the organization/company you work with does, how it is set up and where it is located?

I worked with Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (SCFCU) which is a coffee farming union setup by the Ethiopian government in 2001 to organize and represent 47 cooperatives and 87,000 small farmers. Our main office is located in Addis Ababa and our farmers are located in the southern region of Ethiopia called Sidama.

What is the organization/company doing well?

The Sidama Union exports roughly 4000 tons of washed coffee each year making it the second largest coffee union in the country. The process of organizing 87,000 farmers is a very difficult task and with only 13 staff members Sidama is doing an admirable job. Most importantly, Sidama has helped their farmers receive higher prices for their coffee through various certifications including organic, fair trade, UTZ-Kapeh, C.A.F.E. and others.

Where could the organization/company improve?

Overall, Sidama is understaffed and under-resourced. The management is continuously playing catch-up and planning activities are rarely possible. In 2006, Sidama’s Fair Trade certificate was suspended for a number of violations. The Fair Trade certificate was later reinstated but with a number of requisite corrective actions. I successfully worked with Sidama to address these corrective actions and to expand their fair trade certificate to an additional 31 cooperatives. However, their current infrastructure in all areas including accounting, IT, cooperative support, finance and others need to be upgraded to be able to support the additional demands of fair trade.

What are some aspects of the local cultural that should be understood when foreigners consider doing business in this country?

Ethiopia suffers from many of the common African business hurdles – slow response times, heavy bureaucratic processes and a general lack of infrastructure. Moreover, Ethiopians communicate in a far more subtle and gentler manner than Westerners. Particular attention needs to be paid to how one interacts with others and especially when it comes to showing respect for those in positions of authority. If one demands things and acts temperamental, constant road blocks will appear. However, Ethiopians are notorious procrastinators and sometimes a little soft force is needed. The ability to get what you want depends on being able to walk that delicate line of being understanding, persistent and insistent when needed.

What are some aspects of the local business environment (e.g. registration of company, government’s role in business, business items unique to this country) that should be understood when foreigners and locals consider doing business in this country?

Not that long ago Ethiopia was ruled by a communist government. Certain industries are still government controlled and all industries are heavily regulated. For instance, there is only one Internet provider and one cell phone provider, the government. The service is beyond awful but there is no recourse.

What were the direct and indirect results/deliverables as a result of your placement? Please be as specific as possible. Please provide both soft and hard examples. Hard examples include number of clients/people trained, dollars raised, people impacted, etc)

My main focus was on Sidama’s Fair Trade certification. When I arrived, Sidama’s certification had recently been reinstated after previously being suspended for a number of serious violations. As a result, my first task was to help Sidama comply with the existing 23 corrective actions and conditions. In doing so, Sidama upgraded their reporting and compliance systems and in August 2007 during its annual inspection was able to certify an addition 31 cooperatives from its previous 8. While Sidama still has a number of corrective actions to fulfill, Sidama with its 39 certified fair trade cooperatives now represents the largest fair trade coffee producer in Ethiopia and among the largest in Africa.

Are there opportunities in this field (e.g… health, agriculture or finance) for local and international entrepreneurs?

There are certainly opportunities for an entrepreneur looking to start a business in Ethiopia in the coffee industry and in other areas. In fact, any entrepreneur that can bring good management skills and capital will be very successful.

Questions about Personal Experience:

Why are you interested in international development and private sector development?

For me, international development means helping others better organize their economic systems so that they can increase their standard of living. The two key components are helping and working with people in other countries. I enjoy both of these immensely.

The private sector tends to align individual’s incentives with the success of the organization better than the non-profit or government counterparts. Meaning, economic development comes down to creating more appropriate, efficient and equitable economic systems and the private sector tends to be stronger in these areas.

Originally, why did you want to participate in this program?

MBAs Without Borders offers quality projects with good financial support. I already knew that I would enjoy the work and MWBs seemed like a great organization to get involved with.

What were your main challenges, both personally and professionally?

I had expectations of having a great impact on the organization I was working for.

It is rather simple exercise to see what is wrong with an organization and to understand how to fix it. The ‘doing’ is the hard and complicated part. While I feel that I accomplished my primary goal, I would have liked to contribute in a greater way. Part of the challenge was a result of the short time period I was involved, but also the nature of the organization was a bit more static than I expected.

Was the monthly stipend of $1,000US/month sufficient and how, if needed, would you change the way and what MBAs Without Borders financially covers?

The monthly stipend was sufficient and MWBs was excellent about payments. I would not change a thing.

What would have made this experience even better for you?

Everyone involved from MWBs, Transfair and Sidama Union were really great and supportive.

What advice would you like to offer future MBAs who work abroad for MBAs Without Borders?

Be gentle in your approach, most MBAs are very smart but places like Ethiopia operate more on relationships than on intelligence or being right. Respect your colleagues and try to help when you can but let go when things become too much.

Why would you recommend others to participate on MWB programs?

MWB programs are some of the most interesting and supported short-term development projects in the world. If someone is able to be involved, they should consider themselves fortunate and do all that they can to help the organization they are working for and also to give back to MWB.

What are some of your goals and aspirations (i.e. job, personal, etc), that you are planning for once this placement has concluded

I expect to continue working in the development field but not in a traditional sense. For me, development transcends economics and the real problem is a lack of understanding and compassion between people in affluent and developing nations. If a greater respect and caring can be established, economic problems become far simpler and quicker to solve.

1. Please describe what the organization/company you work with does, how it is set up and where it is located?

Hopital Albert Schweitzer, Deschapelles Haiti

2. What is the organization/company doing well?

Providing health care in the Abortinate valley, able to perform operations.

3. Where could the organization/company improve?

Overall management and systems control.

4. What are some aspects of the local cultural that should be understood when foreigners consider doing business in this country?

Learning the language is important, it goes a long way to being accepted by locals. Understanding their perspective of life is important.

5. What are some aspects of the local business environment (e.g. registration of company, government’s role in business, business items unique to this country) that should be understood when foreigners and locals consider doing business in this country?

There is lots of opportunity for investment in Haiti. Although with an unstable political environment in the past, the future holds promise for the country. Another peaceful election will go a long way in giving comfort for companies to invest in Haiti.

6. What were the direct and indirect results/deliverables as a result of your placement? Please be as specific as possible. Please provide both soft and hard examples. Hard examples include number of clients/people trained, dollars raised, people impacted, etc)

Main deliverables were systems review, producing ½ year financial expenses, budget/grant update, employee payroll review. Due to the unexpected departure of the finance director, my focus was shifted to ensure financial operations were continued until a replaced could be found.

7. Are there opportunities in this field (e.g… health, agriculture or finance) for local and international entrepreneurs?

As it is a hospital institution, not really applicable for entrepreneurs. In Deschapelles it would be difficult to do business, as the current road to the hospital is in horrible condition. But multiple opportunity working with the hospital on partner projects as their strength is in the infrastructure. A partnership would be more favourable.

Questions about Personal Experience:

1. Why are you interested in international development and private sector development?

It’s not as evil as working for an oil company. The chance to do something good for people makes me feel good too.

2. Originally, why did you want to participate in this program?

I was looking for an experience, something different before I started my career/after finishing school.

3. What were your main challenges, both personally and professionally?

Professionally was adapting with the work team’s culture. I spent much time speaking and interacting with my coworkers. Personally was the new feeling of working in a foreign country in a foreign language.

4. Was the monthly stipend of $1,000US/month sufficient and how, if needed, would you change the way and what MBAs Without Borders financially covers?

Housing can be expensive, I stayed in the guest housing, at $350/month, a third of the stipend. But money was not the reason for going to Haiti or joining the MWB program. I think it is sufficient.

5. What would have made this experience even better for you?

Tough question, maybe a detailed work outline. Overall a great experience.

6. What advice would you like to offer future MBAs who work abroad for MBAs Without Borders?

Keep an open mind and engage with the local people. Listening to the people is the best learning experience for me.

7. Why would you recommend others to participate on MWB programs?

If you want to have an international experience using your business education, and make a difference in an organization, this is the way to go. It’s not for everyone, but personally the reward is great.

8. What are some of your goals and aspirations (i.e. job, personal, etc), that you are planning for once this placement has concluded,

I am planning to return to HAS and continue where I left off. In the future I would like this experience to lead into other international opportunities. I will always take from this the value of helping organizations.

October, 2007

What’s New This Month…

MWB to co-host 2008 MBA Games with DeGroote School of Business
The Quick Update
Social Network Counter
Latest Postings on MWB Job Board
MWB Spotlight!

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Welcome back….updates and your support is needed today!

This past month, we reached some great milestones. MWB Canada turned 3 years old, MWB USA received 501c3 charitable status, MWB sent it’s 30th MBA abroad, MWB partnered with the DeGroote School of Business to co-host the 2008 MBA Games, MWB made its first TV appearances, MWB attended the Clinton Global Initiative in New York and MWB was invited to present at November’s Net Impact Conference in Nashville.

While we continue to make important strides, the next coming months, I will be focusing my attention to raising funds. We know MBAs want to go on our projects since we get 50-100 applicants per position. We know businesses and NGOs working in developing countries want our MBAs because we have more project requests than we ever imagined. However, cash is king and well, frankly, we need your support to make sure we can continue to send even more MBAs to even more projects that need business support on the ground.

Every time MWB sends a MBA to the field, MWB needs to raise $10,000 to support a local business or NGO. For every 100 people that donate $100, for every 400 people that donate $25, for every 1,000 people that donate $10 and for every 10,000 people that donate $1, MWB can support another business or NGO in Africa, Asia or Latin America. If everyone of our members (~5,000) donates $10 per month we could hit $500,000 and send 50 MBA volunteers to help businesses and NGOs in 2008. That means every 100 people could support 1 MBA volunteer and help a business or NGO in Africa, Asia or Latin America.

You can donate online at www.mbaswithoutborders.org/donate or contact MWB to make your donation by phone at +1.613.482.9483. Join the cause and show the world…business can do amazing things!

I thank you in advance for your continued support,
Tal Dehtiar
Co-Founder & President
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MWB Partners with DeGroote to co-host 2008 MBA Games
For the first time, the MBA Games will be talking about international development!

Drum roll please…..MWB is honoured to announce that it has been selected by the DeGroote School of Business to co-host the 2008 MBA Games (Canada) to be held January 3rd-5th, 2008 in Hamilton, Ontario. For the first time ever, the MBA Games will focus on the theme of international development.

The National MBA Games are a Canada-wide competition that brings together MBA students from across Canada. The Games were originated 20 years ago by Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and the trophy given to the winning team is still called the Queen’s Cup. There are three major areas of competition: academic, athletic, and spirit. Last year the games were held at the University of Alberta, the Games were the largest gathering of MBA students in Canada, with 15 schools and more than 300 students participating. This year over 500 MBA students are going to smart, run and show their spirit and support that…business can do amazing things!

For more information, please visit:
http://www.business.mcmaster.ca/mbagames2008/index.htm

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What’s New - 30 day update

Global TV - Everday Hero

MBAs Without Borders’ Omar Yaqub was featured on Global TV’s Everyday Hero last
Friday. You can check it out here

Breakfast Television
MWB President, Tal Dehtiar was featured on Breakfast Television.

MWB USA Receives 501c3 status
On September 21st, 2007, MWB USA received its charitable status allowing us to issue tax receipts and accept donations in the USA. Call us at 1.613.482.9483 to make your US donation today!

MWB & Clinton Global Initiative
With last minute funding from a donor, MWB was able to attend the invite-only CGI event in New York. Attended by Heads of States, CEOs, Presidents and other leaders, the concept and model of MBAs Without Borders gained great momentum and we hope to be announcing our CGI commitment shortly.
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Social Network Counter

Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, b2d!

Keep spreading the word and join in…

July August September

Facebook 1,490 1746 1834

MySpace 611 602 625

LinkedIn 397 439 465

B2D 61 352 396

Current Discussions on b2d:

Africa Contacts
Upcoming Courses in…
How can Institutes produce…
How best can you change…
If you had a millio dollars…
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Latest Postings on MWB Job Board
Apply today!
Micro-Insurance Associate
MBAs Without Borders
New Delhi, India

Business Support Advisor
MBAs Without Borders
Nairobi, Kenya

Franchise Partner Manager
Scojo Foundation
New York, New York

Speciality Foods Internship
CARANA Corporation
Dakar, Senegal

Global Fellowship Program
Acumen Fund
Kenya, Pakistan, India,
South Africa, Tanzania

Program Associate
Ashoka
Arlington, Virginia

Post your Job for only $30 and help support MWB. Post today at: http://projects.mbaswithoutborders.org
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MWB Spotlight in Rural Kenya!

Annabel Khouri, MBA @ One Acre Fund

Annabel Khouri (MBA - The American University) is working with One Acre Fund (OAF) in Bungoma, Kenya to support OAF’s program in developing the agribusiness capabalities of local farmers.

What does Annabel have to say about his experience thus far…

I arrived in Bungoma on Monday and since then have been working with the founder of One Acre Fund as well as the other staff. There are about 5 expats working for the organization and a number of local staff.

My main project is to develop and implement a local staff recruitment and selection process as well as revise the existing orientation/training curriculum and performance management systems that the organization already has in place.

It is ambitious work and is currently the top priority for the founder. I am excited to get started. Currently, I am meeting with some local staff to define best practices for sourcing local talent and documenting the task lists of current staff to develop comprehensive job descriptions. Additionally, we are trying to develop innovative ways to interview potential candidates. This deliverable will become the HR guide for the organization and is planned for use in a program in another location within Kenya and in a new program in Rwanda.

To read more and about Annabel’s experience and our other MWB’s MBAs past experiences visit our Case Studies Section at www.mbaswithoutborders.org .

Don’t forget…you can follow Michael (Colombia), Andrew (Kenya), Jaime (Swaziland), Ben (Ethiopia), Suraj (Nepal), Alasdair (Ukraine), and Jesse (Nepal) as they post updates and pictures on their MWB blogs.

Murielle graduated in International Relations and specialized in Central and Eastern Europe at BA level. Starting shortly, she will be working as a Business Analyst with a Ukrainian NGO, the Agency for Rational Use of Energy and Ecology (ARENA-ECO), active in consulting, engineering and business development. Along with promoting business opportunities and helping to develop partnerships between Ukrainian and Canadian firms in the field of environmental industries, she will assess the overall performance of the sector to find areas of improvement.

While working in the European Business Development Division at International Trade Canada, she became involved in environmental industries and strategic markets development projects. She also helped promoting business opportunities in Zambia. Her specific knowledge and interest in Ukraine flows from an international conference she organized in the country on behalf of the European Economic and Social Committe to support the democratization process. Though not fluent, she can work proficiently in Russian.

Martin is working with East West Management Institute/PFS Program, in Warsaw, Poland. The Partners for Financial Stability (PFS) Program is a P3 established by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the East-West Management Institute. PSF goal is to work with Central Eastern European countries and South East European countries to accelerate financial sector development and reform based on best practices as well as international standards, promoting integration into the European and international economic systems. As a research associate, Martin is responsible for providing the needed research and reports for the 9th Semi-Annual Regional Survey of Reporting on CSR by the Largest Companies in the 11 CEE Countries in comparison with peer companies in Brazil, Russia, India, China and Ukraine.

Lawyer by trade, Martin has been called to Quebec Bar after receiving an LL.L. in Civil Law from the University of Ottawa. Also, he is a recent MBA graduate (strategy and international business) from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business during which he spent a semester at the Warsaw School of Economics in Poland. He has a Graduate Diploma in Management from HEC-Montreal. He is currently an MPA candidate from ÉNAP. During his MBA studies, Martin did an internship as Policy Analyst in the Fiscal studies department at The Fraser Institute, a think-tank, where he co-authored The Canadian Provincial Investment Climate Report – 2007, which goal is to evaluate public policies and allocation of investment capital that create and sustain positive investment climates.

In addition, he acted as Vice-President Policy and Partnerships at the Board of Trade of Montreal where he conducted a comparative study, The Montreal Health Report - 2005, regarding the attraction, education and retention of talent in Montreal. Previously, he also worked as Political Advisor to the Mayor of Montreal and in a prominent Canadian law firm. He has also been political staffer for many Quebec MLAs and has been one of the Vice-President of the Quebec Liberal Party. He also served as Political Analyst for the most listened to French-speaking private news radio station in Canada during the US Presidential Election of 2004.

September, 2007
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Happy Birthday MBAs Without Borders Canada!

On September 24th, 2007, MWB Canada will officially turn 3 years old. As the time continues to fly by and MWB USA only begins its journey, we are proud of our past successes and are committed moving forward to partner even more MBAs with businesses and NGOs in developing countries.

Over the past years, we have sent 29 MBAs to over 15 countries and reached over 5,000 MBAs world-wide. While not quite there yet, we are on our way to send over 150 MBAs to over 25 countries and reach 20,000 MBAs by 2010.

On this joyous occasion I just wanted to take some time to thank all of you for your continued support and donations.

To being 3 years old and remembering…Business Can Do Amazing Things!!!
Thank you,
Tal Dehtiar
Co-Founder & President

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MWB in the News

CBC.ca - Tools for Change
Ottawa-based MBAs Without Borders is a charity that matches business experts with
non-governmental organizations.(courtesy MBAs Without Borders)

Edmonton Journal - Saving Lives Promoting mosquito nets to prevent malaria and save lives requires “the same marketing principles as selling Pepsi,” Omar Yaqub discovered while working in Nigeria after earning his MBA degree.

CNNExpansion.com
Se trata de la organización MBA Sin Fronteras (MBA Without Borders, MWB por sus siglas en inglés), fundada en Canadá en 2004 y que ya ha enviado 10 graduados a 11 países en vías de desarrollo.

CNN.com
Take 24-year-old Nicolas Boillereau, who, through an MWB program in Ghana, managed nine people and implemented a 10-nation study of cashew sales in Africa with the goal of boosting exports. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Social Network Counter

Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and now…b2d!

Keep spreading the word and join in…

Current Discussions on b2d

Starting in South Africa
Proyecto Tit Needs Your HELP
Investment in Risky Areas Zimbabwe
Can microfinance help the United States in Iraq ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Latest MWB Postings
Apply today!

Business Development Manager
OLAM West Africa
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

Business Analyst
ARENO-ECO
Kyiv, Ukraine

Micro-Insurance Associate
Micro-Insurance Academy
New Delhi, India

Post your Job for only $30 and help support MWB. Post today at: http://projects.mbaswithoutborders.org
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Shop & Donate to MWB

Hotels.com, eBay, Staples, Expedia
Now you buy your favourite things online and donate to MWB at no extra cost. MWB has partnered with Freepledge and once you register at: http://mwb.freepledge.com, the next time you shop at amazom.com, ebay.com, expedia.com and hundreds more stores, a % of your purchase will go to MBAs Without Borders.

After you sign up through freepledge you just visit and buy from your favourite stores, enter your normal username and passwords and voila…a % of your purchase goes to MWB.

You must remember to enter the Freepledge site first before you go shopping. Doing this enables Freepledge to code your shopping so that MWB receives your donation. For more questions, please visit Freepledges’s FAQ for MWB.

If you ever lose the link, you can also visit: http://www.mbaswithoutborders.org/donate/shop-donate/

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MWB Spotlight in Ethiopia!
Ben Mandell, MBA (Columbia) @ Transfair USA

Ben Mandell (MBA - Columbia School of Business) is working with Transfair USA to work with Ethiopian fair trade coffee cooperatives to help analyze their supply chain, develop better financial planning and design a long-term strategic plan.

What does Ben have to say about his experience thus far…

One of the main focuses of my work is to help Sidama comply with the FLO Fair Trade requirements. In doing so, I have helped them address a number of Corrective Actions including documenting and sharing how Fair Trade premiums are being spent, health and safety planning, minority reports and more.

In addition, each year Sidama goes through an inspection to verify their compliance to the Fair Trade standards. Well, the inspector is here and visiting farms in the Sidama region. Needless to say, we have been busy preparing and we are now holding our breadth for a good report. In addition to the renewal inspection, we are trying to certify an additional 31 farming cooperatives which is a lot, but so important for the farmers and for the coffee buyers.

To read more and about Ben’s experience and our other MWB’s MBAs past experiences visit our Case Studies Section at www.mbaswithoutborders.org.

Don’t forget…you can follow Michael (Colombia), Andrew (Kenya), Jaime (Swaziland),
Ben (Ethiopia), Nevin (Haiti), Suraj (Nepal), Alasdair (Ukraine), Annabel (Kenya)
and Jesse (Nepal) as they post updates and pictures on their MWB blogs .
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Donate Today and show that MBAs can make a difference!
If you believe MBAs can make a difference, help today by supporting MBAs Without Borders.

With every dollar, we are continuing to bring better business to developing countries and showing that… business can do amazing things!!

DONATE TODAY with $10!
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MBAs Without Borders | Station B #1377 | Ottawa | K1P 5R4 | Canada

Annabel Khouri received her MBA from The American University in Washington, DC. For the past three years she has been working as a consultant with both small and medium sized businesses and with the Department of Defense on various web-based applications that support business processes.

Before earning her MBA, Annabel worked in international development as a program manager for projects in Tanzania and South Africa. She served for two years as a small business advisor in Kenya with the Peace Corps and will return to Kenya this fall to work with One Acre Fund. Coincidentally, One Acre Fund is based in the village in which she served.

One Acre Fund’s goal is to eradicate the chronic hunger problem in Africa by providing an investment package that enables farm families to grow their way out of hunger, permanently. Instead of giving handouts, One Acre Fund provides farmers with the education, farm inputs and market access necessary to become self-sustaining and never go hungry again.

Jesse earned his BBA in Marketing from Bishop’s University in Canada and his MBA in International Business from the Asian Institute of Technology combined with an exchange program at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. After business school, Jesse worked in both the public and private sectors, most notably as a marketing manager for an E-Commerce start up company in Cairo, Egypt.

In August, Jesse travels to Nepal to join Ecosystems Pvt. Ltd, a private company that develops transport and energy systems that are safe, efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally sound. There, he will provide support in business planning, licensing, and marketing.

Alasdair is working with The World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation, in Kyiv, Ukraine. IFC’s mandate in Ukraine is to create an enabling environment that encourages private sector enterprise. As a business policy analyst within the SME Policy Project, Alasdair is responsible for the assessment of Ukraine’s agribusiness regulatory scheme. Working with a legal consultant and technical expert, he will coordinate the priorities of the project, analyze focus group data and legislation and author the proposed action plan.

A native of Vancouver, Canada, Alasdair has been involved in finance and strategy consulting projects for SMEs, not-for-profits, and professional associations. He completed his MBA at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, where he was a scholarship recipient specializing in Strategic Management. He also holds a first class B.A. and a law degree.