A golden opportunity to grow
International students Jasmine and Leah weren’t sure what to expect from their Global Consultancy Project in their Master’s of Global Business Programme. They discuss their journey working with a Wellington start-up to strategise an international success plan for their clients, who happen to be alumni of Te Herenga Waka.
Kia ora, we’re Jasmine and Leah and we’re recent alumna of the Masters of Global Business programme at Wellington School of Business and Government.
Rounding out our academic year in 2021, we worked hard to finish Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University’s Master of Global Business Programme. The courses in the programme culminated in a capstone consultancy project to be completed in groups, as opposed to the typical written thesis. The was reflective of a real-life experience in a consulting project and with a client facing real-life demands.
Our project—working with a budding Wellington start-up
Our client was Bio Gold NZ, one of our amazing student/alumni companies based at The Atom—Te Kahu o Te Ao. They’re a holistic pine pollen supplement company looking to expand internationally. As a promising start-up eager to see growth domestically and internationally, Bio Gold NZ allowed us to truly explore all the possibilities the organisation could pursue. Tasked with helping expand Bio Gold NZ internationally, we had a special determination to help two alumni who once sat in lectures in Pipitea campus, just like us.
CAN Consultants—how our group formed to get the job done
On the first day of our course, the classroom was buzzing with nervous energy as we embarked on one of the most significant projects of our academic careers. After discussing our strongest skill sets with course coordinator Professor Stephen Cummings, our group was formulated into a blend of three American and three Chinese students. We called ourselves CAN Consultants, a clever term coined by our group member Bonnie, which stands for China America New Zealand Consultants. At first, we mulled the differences that could arise from people with different cultural backgrounds working together, but we ended up coordinating the project seamlessly, with each member providing valuable insights.
What we learned—fast-paced fun with a chance to use what we’d learned so far
Working with Bio Gold was fulfilling in many ways, but primarily we loved working closely with, and supporting, a company in the Wellington community run by two fellow alumni. The four-week project was fast-paced and exhilarating, leaving little time for self-doubt, as we applied what we’d learnt in the previous three trimesters. Leah and I couldn’t have completed the project with such ease and fun if it weren’t for the successes of our amazing classmates Shivaun, Shirley, Shihua, and Bonnie. Shoutout to Carl Meyers and Matisse Mitchell of Bio Gold NZ for putting their trust in us. 多谢, thank you kindly.
Jasmine Fryrear and Leah Kay have both completed a Master of Global Business at the Wellington School of Business and Government.
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