Archive for the ‘Thunderbird Professors’ Category

Our first Global Cohort was a resounding success! Thunderbird for Good hosted 28 women entrepreneurs from Tonga, Samoa, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Palau. The women have since returned home and continue to share incredible stories of success, growth, and the many ways they are sharing their knowledge.

Goldman Sachs launched 10,000 Women in March 2008. It is a $100 million, five-year campaign to foster greater shared economic growth by providing 10,000 underserved women around the world with a business and management education. The program is founded on research conducted by Goldman Sachs, the World Bank, and others which suggests this kind of investment can have a significant impact on GDP growth. Research also suggests that such an investment in women can have a significant multiplier effect that leads not only to increased revenues and more employees for businesses, but also healthier, better-educated families, and ultimately more prosperous communities.

These culturally appropriate programs are intended to help open doors for thousands of women whose financial and practical circumstances would normally prevent them from receiving a traditional business education. Thunderbird is a proud partner in this initiative!

We are excited to host the 2nd Global Cohort of women entrepreneurs June 9th – 24th. Women from Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean have been submitting applications with our US Embassies in countries such as Bolivia, Paraguay, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Argentina, Colombia, Jamaica, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Trinidad, Ecuador, Chile, and more. We are thrilled to be working with the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other local business leaders to make this program a robust and fun learning experience.

We will officially welcome this new class of entrepreneurs to our campus on Monday, June 11th, so save the date! More details to follow. Immediately following this Welcome Reception, the women will sell their goods, handicrafts and cultural items during the 10,000 Women Marketplace. It is the perfect opportunity for these women to practice the 30-second elevator pitch Professor Steve Stralser will have just taught in class. Come eat, shop, mingle, meet, and welcome these entrepreneurs to Thunderbird!

Did you get involved as a volunteer during the 1st Global Cohort program in January? We are asking for volunteers once again to join us for an hour or two. We especially welcome all you Spanish speakers! Join us for off-campus dinners, working one-on-one with the women in the classroom, site visits to local businesses, sightseeing excursions and more. If you would like to get involved, please contact Cheri Roberts at 602-978-7742 or cheri.roberts@thunderbird.edu .

We are grateful for any time you can generously give. These programs are enriched by your efforts, and you will be in turn edified and inspired by these driven women entrepreneurs!

By Amy Scerra

Thunderbird for Good recently welcomed nine radio and TV station owners and managers from the Afghan provinces for ten days of business training.

The United States Army developed this special program in partnership with American Councils for International Education, Thunderbird School of Global Management and Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.

Our goal was to train and support these men on their new journey of building and growing free-speech practicing media stations. These men feel a sense of duty to promote fair, balanced and responsible journalism.

When the group arrived, I was immediately greeted with ten outstretched hands waiting to shake mine, friendly faces and excited greetings in both Pashto and English. Gratitude for the opportunity to learn and study not only in America, but at Thunderbird. Seems our reputation precedes us in Afghanistan!

As we discussed the schedule for the day, the men seemed a bit apprehensive, but positive about September 11th. I later learned that they were uncertain of their safety, and how Americans would treat them on such a sensitive day. Their families and colleagues at home were nervous for them, and this didn’t add to their comfort. When I explained we would be at a mosque for the day, their tension seemed to ease. They all expressed gratitude that we were able to commemorate and honor September 11th with this special service.

Joining us at the mosque just before afternoon prayers began were Thunderbird faculty Dr. Karen Walch and Dr. Eileen Borris, alumni Shamshad Khan and Erron Boes, and Thunderbird for Good staff member, Wynona Heim. We were immediately welcomed as special guests, the women crossing over to the men’s side for photos, introductions and greetings.

The beautiful afternoon prayers were spoken, and we again became one congregation. Sitting on the floor, legs crossed, circles of friendship forming as we listened to Imam Didmar speak to us about what it means to be an American Muslim post September 11th. We heard stories of intolerance, misplaced fear, and discrimination. We also heard solutions to eliminate the walls the “us” vs. “them” mentality creates. Part of the answer is education. The more truthful knowlege people have, the less they’ll assume, stereotype, discriminate or hate. One participant expressed that this was the first time he felt like Americans understood that 9/11 was a tragedy to them too. It turned their lives upside down as well.

United we stood, side by side, discussing education and hope. Forgiveness and progress. These men are the agents of change in Afghanistan. They are committed to using their media outlets as forces for good, stopping hurtful propaganda, no matter the security issues they face because of it. Their week at Thunderbird was starting out on the right foot, as we agreed that our goals were the same. Education, sustainability, change and understanding.

And now, the universal language of food was spoken! The gracious and generous Afghan members of the mosque cooked a gigantic spread of authentic dishes for us all. We ate until we couldn’t eat any more! Amazing food, inspiring day, and just the beginning of an intensive week of business training!

Thunderbird Professor Mary Sully de Luque, Ph.D., talked May 12, 2011, about Project Artemis Pakistan. She and other  Thunderbird faculty hosted nine Pakistani women business owners May 2-15, 2011, as part of a management training program sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative. Sully de Luque led a Project Artemis Pakistan classroom session on management and leadership on May 3 and also helped other Thunderbird faculty prepare the women for final presentations on their respective businesses. Sully de Luque answered questions about the Project Artemis fellows and the program itself following the business presentations.

Q.  Is this your first experience with the Artemis Project, or were you also involved in the Afghanistan project?
A. I guess you could say that I’m a seasoned veteran of Project Artemis. I taught in the very first Artemis program in 2005 and have been the academic co-director in all subsequent Artemis cohorts from Afghanistan. I also have worked with women entrepreneurs from Jordan, Peru and Pakistan. In the process, I have learned much about the women, their business challenges and their cultures.
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When Thunderbird Professor Llewellyn Howell isn’t teaching, you’ll likely find him in uniform. Howell, an Emeritus Professor of International Management, is one of more than 110 local volunteers who dedicate their time– and skills– to the Glendale Police Department. Volunteers like him provide a valuable service to the city: last year, they contributed an estimated 22,500 hours or $450,000 worth of labor, according to the agency.

Howell first became aware of the program four years ago from his son, who is a detention officer for the city of Glendale. Since then Professor Howell has worked for the department about two hours each week, mainly doing fingerprinting.

“I wanted to take part in this because it’s a great way to contribute to the community where I live, but also because it’s a way to learn some interesting things,” he said. “I teach about police and law and order in my classes on political risk assessment. This gives me some background. Now when I go to places like Shanghai and I see officers on the street, I’ll take notice of their demeanor, or their equipment.”

Howell is a graduate of the Citizen’s Academy, a 12-week long training program that teaches volunteers in all aspects of police work. In his four years with the department, he’s assisted in credit fraud investigations, stolen car cases and more. He was recently recognized in The Arizona Republic.