Over spring break, Case Western Reserve University students in the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit’s ThinkImpact program traveled to Dubai to learn about social entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates.
A grant given by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Mission to the UAE provided students from both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 ThinkImpact program cohorts to travel to Dubai.
While in Dubai, students were able to learn about the entrepreneurial landscape of the United Arab Emirates, as well as speak directly with social entrepreneurs about their social ventures and motivations.
Among the organizations students were exposed to were:
- Key2Enable: An organization committed to empowering people with disabilities to learn and develop skills.
- Datecrete: A company creating a concrete-like material out of date pits.
- RAW Coffee Company: A coffee roastery that sources green beans ethically and directly from farmers around the world.
- The Sustainable City: A community developed by Diamond Developers that focuses on sustainability in environmental, economical and social ways.
Additionally, students had the opportunity to visit the American University of Sharjah (AUS) and interact with undergraduate students. The students also participated in a workshop at AUS hosted by the Sheraa Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center where they practiced their pitching skills.
“Traveling to Dubai was an eye-opening experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat,” says Adrian Harkness, a fourth-year student majoring in physics.“I found it especially valuable to exchange endless questions and ideas with the entrepreneurially-minded students there as we built relationships over the course of the program.”
One of the ThinkImpact core sessions about team building was held at CircuitX in Abu Dhabi, where the students from both Case Western Reserve, as well as Zayed University and AUS, used the low ropes course to learn about team building and leadership skills.
A final highlight of the trip was hearing from a ThinkImpact alumni from the UAE about her experience in the program last year and an update on her ongoing social venture to produce healthy, sustainable cat food. During her presentation she credited Dan Brown from Cleveland’s own Rust Belt Riders for inspiring her to continue pursuing her ideas even when she was facing challenges.
“After the trip to Dubai, I felt like my brain was refreshed and more clear about why I am interested in social entrepreneurship, why sustainability is so important and what an amazing job the ThinkImpact program is doing,” says Shuihan Bi, a student in the Master of Finance program. “This trip is a highlight of my school years!”