How a trip to Portland changed the way students see business
November 13, 2017
|
Mays Business School
Every year, the Mays Business Honors program takes a corporate trip to a U.S. city in an effort to learn from corporate businesses as well as learn about the culture of the city. This year, they traveled to Portland, Ore. to visit the Nike Headquarters and Nossa Familia Coffee on Oct. 18-22.
While in Portland, the students learned about the business strategies for both companies, and also had free time to explore the city however they pleased.
During the trip, students learned about not only the companies, but also about business as a whole. Frazer Mulugeta, Business Honors student class of 2019, said the trip “showed [him] that creating team buy-in is possible, and that communicating goals and motives can help foster a culture of excellence.” He also said being on the same page with others in order to serve a higher purpose can benefit not only the individuals, but also the group. Mulugeta plans on incorporating what he learned on the trip both in his professional career and his relationships with others.
According to Allison Riffe, Business Honors ’20, Delaney Elliot at Nike revealed to her the emotional power of marketing. “I cried when she showed the video of the shoes made for individuals with disabilities,” Riffe said. “Nike was the first time that I have ever felt passionate about the power of marketing in a corporate setting.”
Augusto, the owner of Nossa Familia Coffee, enhanced George Smith’s perspective on implementing a value throughout an entire company. Smith, Business Honors ’19, said Augusto “truly embraced the essence of family” and “inspired [him] to dream big but never forget about [his] terminal values.” Swift said he will create a similar, value-centered atmosphere within his own teams, community, and family.
“The people I encountered in Portland were an example of how powerful a positive and purposeful mindset can be in achieving your goals, related to business or not,” said Chelsea Rios, Business Honors ’18. Rios mentioned that the people behind the organizations they visited took steps that aligned with their company’s values before anything else, despite any financial obstacles or competition, which was important to her.
Everett Francis, Business Honors ’19, captured the special moments, learnings, and fun of the trip in the following video. See for yourself the kind of impact this trip had on the Business Honors students who embarked on this journey.
