Strengthening social enterprises through global consulting
From Cambodia and Thailand to Argentina and South Africa, Fisher students spent the summer exploring the world, learning new cultures and making an impact on small nonprofit organizations in critical need of business expertise.
For two weeks, Fisher students served as business consultants at companies and organizations in remote regions around the globe as part of the Connor Scholars program. The program, funded by Chris (BA ’78) and Sara (BS ’80) Connor and offered through Fisher’s Office of Global Business, provides funding for the students to gain firsthand insights into the culture, humanity and business practices of other countries. It’s a win-win for students who apply their classroom knowledge to real-world business issues and the social enterprises that gain valuable business plans.
Outreach in Southeast Asia
In Siem Reap, Cambodia, students partnered with The Secret Garden Hotel to develop a long-term business plan to attract socially conscious travelers and volunteer groups. The Secret Garden Hotel is a social enterprise providing hospitality training and employment opportunities for young Cambodians through the Youth's Dream Fulfillment Association.
The students’ comprehensive marketing and outreach strategy plan sought to increase occupancy, financial sustainability and funding opportunities to better support local affiliated Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) through its social enterprise model. The plan included a promotional video, social media content, training guides, a database of partnership leads and long-term brand positioning recommendations.
“One of the most meaningful parts of our work was launching a fundraising campaign for the Program Advancing Girls' Education which supports women's empowerment and access to education,” said Julia Raines, a rising fourth-year marketing student.
“This experience allowed me to apply my business knowledge and skills and deepened my understanding of global service and community-centered work. Going abroad challenged me to become a more adaptable and empathetic leader and showed me how service transcends language and borders. It taught me to be a global citizen and the importance of socially responsible travelling and sustainable change.”
Teammate and fellow rising fourth-year marketing student Lauren Anderson agreed.
“From the people we met and the activities we participated in, to the rich culture we were immersed in, the knowledge I gained over those two weeks will impact not only my career but my life,” Anderson said. “I came away a better person — more empathetic, adaptable and culturally aware. I’ve grown as a communicator, a team member and a global citizen.”
In nearby Thailand, students focused on recycling efforts and helping families generate income.
At Huay Pakoot Village, students updated and improved the village’s recycling efforts.
“My team and I constructed a centrally located recycling and waste disposal center and updated curriculum materials to highlight the importance of waste management,” said Sage Connolly, a rising fourth-year finance student. “The project was an excellent way to step outside of my comfort zone and experience a completely different culture with fellow Fisher students.”
At the Huay Pakoot Elephant Community Foundation, rising fourth-year management and information systems student Pranav Rajesh helped create a business and e-marketing plan for the organization, which reunites elephants with their communities, promotes ethical tourism and supports local businesses and residents.
“This program offered me a unique and affordable opportunity to immerse myself in a foreign culture, develop my global acumen and expand my perspective on the different cultures and lifestyles across this globe,” Rajesh said.
Impacting nonprofits in Argentina
Halfway around the world in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, Connor Scholars worked with three different organizations ― Fundación Cruzada Patagónica, Fundación QMark and Fundación Desafío Bariloche ― on a number of projects.
the Fundación Desafío Bariloche in Argentina.
At Fundación Cruzada Patagónica, a nonprofit that provides development and educational opportunities for communities in rural Patagonia, rising fourth-year accounting student Jiayi Han and his team used surveys and interviews to evaluate the educational and social impact of the Rural Education Center in Pilca Viejo on its students and surrounding community.
Similarly, at Fundación QMark, an organization that drives and supports educational projects in Bariloche in the Patagonia region, students developed an evaluation system to measure the impact of its educational projects.
“We analyzed and defined how the school measures different aspects of its work, according to its educational project and its institutional culture,” said Ava Nguyen, a rising fourth-year accounting student. “Our deliverables included surveys to measure the implementation of key indicators and instructions for the evaluation plan, including a timeline, surveys for each target community and steps to analyze the survey data.”
Student consultants with Fundación Desafío Bariloche, an organization offering transformative sports and recreational activities in natural environments for individuals with disabilities, designed an international marketing plan for its services in adaptive skiing and snowboarding.
Making a difference in Cape Town, South Africa
In South Africa’s capital of Cape Town, Connor Scholars applied their skills to ocean cleanup and conservation, a food charity and an after-school program for children.
South Africa.
At Ocean Pledge, an initiative aimed at addressing South Africa’s status as the 11th
largest contributor of marine plastics, students continued development of an online conservation education course for the organization’s Voice of the Oceans Ambassador Programme.
“We created an online module focusing on the important marine conservation work that Ocean Pledge does for the areas of Cape Town, as well as the current status of the wilderness in South Africa, specifically the marine areas,” said Noah Zappone, a rising third-year marketing and finance student.
His team’s focus was on content creation, platform optimization and user experiences including text-based content, videos, infographics and interactive quizzes and activities.
Other students in Cape Town concentrated on fundraising and enhancing the social media and website presence of Ladles of Love, a food charity that serves the city’s homeless community.
In another area of Cape Town, students created a comprehensive plan for SEEDS Trust, an organization building resilient, confident and innovative individuals through after-school care for the children of the Imizamo Yethu settlement.
“We analyzed the current business situation and created a five-year business plan including employee trainings in order to help the learning hub become self-sufficient,” said Kai Switzer, a rising third-year operations management and information systems student.
The Connor Scholars Program
The Fisher Global Consulting nonprofit program is made possible due to the generosity of Chris and Sara Connor, whose endowment helps cover a majority of program expenses for students as part of their pursuit of making a positive impact on the world through experiential learning opportunities.
"From the people we met and the activities we participated in, to the rich culture we were immersed in, the knowledge I gained over those two weeks will impact not only my career but my life. I’ve grown as a communicator, a team member and a global citizen.”