Standing by the food table at the University of ASEM in Chisinau, Moldova, I was making a tough decision on whether to choose a potato or cheese pastry (infamously known in Eastern Europe as placinta) when I came upon two high school students with great smiles on their faces. Those two were Tamara Ceaicovschi and…
For the past year and a half, a group of Peace Corps volunteers and I have been working with startup entrepreneurs and resource strapped NGOs in the Republic of Moldova. It was not until Matt Rutter introduced us to the Lean Canvas that we realized the power of lean methodology. After learning about and working with…
With only a few weeks left of spring courses at DePaul University in 2009, I was eager for the summer to arrive. Sitting in Global Marketing Management one morning, our class was interrupted. In came two of our professors from the honors marketing program, otherwise known as Integrated Marketing Education (IME). One professor, a short,…
The Diamond Challenge is a real world business concept competition with a strong educational foundation. Participating students working in teams of 2-4 submit written concepts for new businesses and social enterprises, deliver 5-minute investor pitches, and answer questions about their concepts. A panel of entrepreneurs and business executives evaluate the written submissions, pitches, and responses…
Since June 2012, I have embarked on an incredible professional, cultural, and personal journey. The decision has given me so much strength in all three domains of life, which I felt were weak upon departure from Chicago. More than halfway done with the four year program (which started at the University of South Carolina and…
Over the past two years I have been living abroad. In 2012, I spent four months in Guadalajara, Mexico learning intensive Spanish and for more than 1.5 years I have been volunteering in the Republic of Moldova learning Romanian. In this time, I have been able to study both languages to intermediate and advanced levels…
This past fall and winter the community of Leova, Moldova and I built a basketball court for the kids in our city. Due to the lack of extracurricular activities, problems with drugs and alcohol, countless hours spent online, and apathy amongst children we decided it was time for a change. We did not have sufficient…
