One of the most formative parts of the Project Pyramid experience is the trip students take in country to meet with partners and others within the ecosystem they are researching. This allows them to apply the themes and theories from class directly to their work, and come away with a greater understanding of the contexts and challenges that impact their consulting project. One of the teams that traveled to Mexico City for on-the ground research for their Project Pyramid client wrote up a bit about their experience. While there, students worked with the Accelerator Mass Challenge, which has accelerated 140 high-impact startups since 2016. working with partner Mass Challenge, they were paired with a local social enterprise, and had the chance to contribute to market-based research while learning about the complex social, cultural, and political climate that impacts Mexico’s thriving business sector. Check out more on their reflections below:
Mass Challenge – Abeja Reyna
Journeying through Project Pyramid this semester has been nothing short of a whirlwind! Our team was offered various life and career experiences that reached well beyond our multiplicity of educational disciplines. Consisting of a Nursing Midwifery student, HR-focused MBA student, Humphrey’s Educational Fellow, Divinity student, and a dual Masters of Public Health and Latin American studies student, our team set off to Mexico City to work with a Mass Challenge winner, Abeja Reyna.
Due to the unpredictable state of the US at the time, only part of our team travelled to Mexico City but made the most of it nonetheless! While there, we collaborated with the Mass Challenge team to think about social enterprises in Mexico City and in Mexico more broadly.
Working with Abeja Reyna, an organic beauty line supporting bees and Mexican beekeepers, we learned about the company’s rich story and expansion since winning Mass Challenge. Our team spent the week conducting market research, collaborating with the Mexico City-based Abeja Reyna team, exploring Mexico City’s vibrant culture, history, and food!