MBA students eliminate boundaries in struggling economies

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/mbas.jpg” caption=”MBAs Without Borders co-founders Tal Dehtiar, left and Michael Brown.”]When Tal Dehtiar was 17 he helped plant trees in a tiny village in Belize. His intent was to make a small difference in a few lives, but in effect, he helped local tree nurseries bring more income into this impoverished village than it had ever seen.

Seven years later, this experience motivates Dehtiar in his current quest, MBAs Without Borders. Last fall, the McMaster business student co-founded this not-for-profit group that helps struggling economies become self-sustaining through the development of private sector enterprise. In return, MBA students gain valuable international experience.

This fall, Dehtiar and co-founder Michael Brown, a McMaster MBA alumnus, hope to send eight to 10 Canadian MBA students to Tanzania to work with local businesses. If they reach their $200,000 fundraising goal, they will send three teams comprised of three students each on a four-month co-op placement.

They're about $17,300 towards their goal, which includes $7,000 each from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Canada and DeGroote School of Business, and a $500 equipment donation from IBM Canada. The remaining funds come from Dehtiar and Brown and small, private donations.

Like his experience in Belize, Dehtiar's quest began as a fledgling idea and has grown beyond his expectations.

He's overwhelmed by the response to MBAs Without Borders. Students from across Canada have indicated an interest in the program and MBA alumni are telling him they wish something like it were available when they were students.

“People are drawn to the program because it's international,” says Dehtiar. “It also demonstrates social responsibility. There's a huge movement within the business world to be sociallly responsible and help your community and others.”

Students will implement an e-3 approach, he explains — enable, educate and engage. They will enable businesses by helping them secure financing and develop business and marketing plans. They will educate them on how to create these plans and also on how to use computer programs, so they can sustain their success. Finally, they will engage businesses so that they become involved in the community.

Following its first year in Tanzania, MBAs Without Borders will partner with businesses in selected South and East African Nations and in 2007, it will begin to develop partnerships on other continents, such as eastern Europe and Central America.

Dehtiar is in Africa this month and next, to meet and hopefully secure partnerships with local businesses and non-governmental organizations. At the same time, he intends to visit the east coast to assess the damage from last month's devastating tsunami. Once health relief has been completed and local infrastructure stabilized over coming months and years, MBAs Without Borders will send teams of students to Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia to help rebuild local businesses and economies.

For more information about the program or how to contribute, visit the Web site.