“After my first year in the Economics program at ORT, I received an email informing me that an agreement had been signed with Citi to select 20 students for one-year internships.”
This is how the journey began that led Martín Schimmel, a graduate of the Bachelor of Economics program at Universidad ORT Uruguay, to Harvard Business School.
An opportunity that changed the course of events
Thanks to that agreement, Schimmel joined Citi as an intern, where he gained an inside look at the financial industry.
After a rigorous selection process, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the program and work with bankers who managed investment portfolios for clients throughout Latin America.
Some time later, he was hired on a permanent basis, and during a business trip to the United States, a key connection with an ORT instructor shaped his future.
Enrique Kramer, former academic coordinator of the Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Administration, introduced him to Professor Michael Chu of Harvard Business School, who invited him to attend his class, “Business at the Base of the Pyramid.”
“I was fascinated by the case method and by the way technology could open up opportunities for millions of people.”
That experience was the starting point for setting a new goal: applying to Harvard Business School.
From Citi to Kaszek: Discovering the Power of Technology
While preparing for the GMAT, Schimmel was recruited by Kaszek, Latin America’s leading venture capital firm. There, he learned how tech startups are transforming the region by offering better products and services and creating new job opportunities.
“After two and a half years at Kaszek, I applied to the MBA programs at Stanford and Harvard, and I was admitted to Harvard Business School.”
Spice Expeditions: Innovation and Fintech on a Global Scale
Schimmel currently works at Spice Expeditions, a venture capital fund focused on fintech at the edge, with investments in emerging markets such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey, and Venezuela.
What appealed to me most was the chance to be part of a fund that was just getting started, where I would have the opportunity to do a little bit of everything, with a 100% focus on fintech across the globe.
The Current State of the Fintech Ecosystem
Globally, the fintech sector is undergoing a period of consolidation.
“While most investors are heavily focused on artificial intelligence, we believe the fintech sector remains very attractive. Financial startups combine the profit margins of traditional models with the efficiency of tech companies.”
In Latin America, companies such as Nubank, dLocal, and Mercado Libre demonstrate the region’s potential to drive impactful innovation.
“ORT opened the first doors for me”
His journey also reflects the type of education offered today by ORT’s new Bachelor’s Degree in Finance: a program that combines a solid foundation in economics with a contemporary perspective on markets, technology, and innovation.
Looking back, Schimmel acknowledges the pivotal role that Universidad ORT Uruguay played Universidad ORT Uruguay his career.
“Beyond the academic aspect, the university opened the first doors for me: thanks to the partnership with Citi, I was able to join as an intern, and thanks to a professor’s introduction, I attended my first class at Harvard Business School. That experience inspired me to pursue an MBA in the United States and opened my mind to understanding how technology can redefine financial services.”