Coffee, Carnival & Commerce

Students in the C. T. Bauer College of Business Executive MBA (EMBA) took their learning outside the classroom and overseas during this summer's International Business Residency (IBR) trip.

Every year, after completing their first year in the program, EMBA students travel abroad to learn about a country's business practices and customs firsthand. In a week, they explore different cities, immerse themselves in the culture and experience international dealings. This year they visited São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

From left to right: EMBA student Camilla Williamson and MBA student Venkevin Satera

From left to right: EMBA student Camilla Williamson and MBA student Venkevin Satera

For the first time this year, the college expanded the list of travelers to include students from the Bauer MBA program as well. In addition to the 7 students in the EMBA cohort, Professional MBA candidate Venkevin Satera joined the group.

"I feel honored to be a part of this group," Satera said. "They really opened up to me. I felt a sense of belonging with them."

The trip is just as much a social excursion as it is a learning opportunity, said EMBA Program Director Cindy Tamez. Their itinerary included time to visit cultural landmarks, including Christ the Redeemer, the iconic 98-foot art deco statue that is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. They got to indulge in the local cuisine, as well as partake in a cooking class to bring the flavors of Rio de Janeiro home with them.

"One of the things I found to be the most enlightening was experiencing it all with my peers," said Reggie Louvierre, an EMBA student who works as a land analyst with TC Energy.

However, past the sight-seeing and delights, the trip was a class set against the backdrop of Brazil, Louvierre said. Not only do they engage in various cultural experiences, but the class also provides a deeper look into learning about a company's needs within their country's environment.

Students from the International Business Residency to IBM office.

Students from the International Business Residency to IBM office.

They learned that the country is the world's largest coffee distributor and owns 38 percent of the market share. They toured coffee farms, saw the harvesting process and heard from Futuro Refectório owner Karina Barretto.

Students from the International Business Residency trying on traditional Carnival costumes.

Students from the International Business Residency trying on traditional Carnival costumes.

They also saw a behind-the-scenes look at Carnival, an annual celebration and a cultural staple of Brazil. They learned how Carnival operates as a business, the strategy that goes into planning it and the sponsorships that generate money towards the country's ecosystem. Students had the chance to try on the costumes and see the parade floats that are being built for February's celebrations.

"One of the things I learned about the Brazilian business environment is how creative they are," said Camilla Williamson, EMBA student and a senior product line manager at Academy Sports + Outdoors. "It was eye-opening to see how things operate on both a corporate and small business level."

Every company, whether Brazilian-based or an international corporation, provided a lesson for students to bring back into their graduate classroom in Houston.

"The reason we have this trip is to bring home the idea that culture matters," Department of Management & Leadership Instructional Associate Professor Barbara Carlin said. "It affects things like strategy and decision making when it comes to business."