Undergraduates in the Zicklin School of Business learned firsthand that entrepreneurship isn’t just about the bottom line.
As part of a course led by Professor Chris Meyer, a lecturer in Zicklin’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, students traveled to Panama to offer their consulting expertise to small businesses, artisans, and farmers.
Throughout the week-long excursion, students presented marketing, inventory management, and financial management plans to independent workers and businesses in need of fiscal guidance. The group developed their skills in personalized consulting by tailoring strategies and tactics to each client’s unique needs. From business plans to inventory sheets to logos, students made a tangible impact before boarding their return flight.
Afterwards, Alexis Galindo (’25) reflected on the impact he and other students had on a local business owner.
“My group gave her a crash course in financial literacy,” he said, “to make sure she understood the daily ledger of what she sold and that she was tracking her inventor so that she could better plan her restocking trips for the following week.”
Professor Meyer is proud of his students’ tireless efforts to improve the economy of a small community.
“Baruch students did a great job and had a great experience on this trip,” Professor Meyer said. “Working with entrepreneurs in rural Panama gave them a chance to put their education to work in a place where they could have a real impact. They found ways to help these entrepreneurs make progress towards their goals using their creativity, social skills, and hard work.”
Students brought their expertise to Panama—and ultimately brought back lessons on empowering small communities.
— Erin McLaughlin-Davis