Students in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program and the EMBA (Executive MBA) blended-learning program at ORT’s Graduate School of Business spent a week immersed in Silicon Valley, the hub of innovation and technology development in the United States.
During a packed itinerary that included visits to companies, universities, inspirational talks, and iconic city landmarks, participants visited Apple, Google, Microsoft, Globant, Ford Motor Company, the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.
In addition, they participated in networking events with Yelp, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and at the Uruguayan Consulate in San Francisco, where they attended talks by Uruguayan entrepreneurs.
“The goal of the trip was for the students to gain hands-on, experiential learning,”said MBA coordinator Javier Maseiro. “We wanted them to experience the Silicon Valley ecosystem from the perspective of the key players, to see what professionals like themselves do.”
“During the activities, we observed how participants sought to understand how to apply what they were learning in their own companies, to the challenges they face on a daily basis,” added Maseiro.
Their first stop was the Berkeley Skydeck, the University of California, Berkeley’s startup incubator, where they met with university staff and entrepreneurs.
“It was great to hear firsthand from entrepreneurs living in Silicon Valley, to learn how they go about raising investment capital, and to gain insight into their mindset of continuous improvement,” said Nicolás Levy, co-founder and director of engineering at Qualabs and an MBA participant. “The passion with which the entrepreneurs shared their stories is priceless. I’ll take that memory and all the lessons I’ve learned with me.”
Then they learned about Google. The students learned about the company’s structure and culture, how teams are formed, how team members interact with one another, how goals are set and measured, and how the company implements remote and hybrid work models, among other topics.
“At Google, I was fascinated by the freedom people have to work. They let you focus on your own work and on what you enjoy,” said Agustín Nebril, a software developer at ANDA and an MBA student. “Another aspect that caught my attention is the emphasis employees place on their opportunities to support the community. It was great to meet people who work at Google and Ford and learn about their stories and career paths.”
His next stop was the Ford Motor Company’s research center in Silicon Valley: Ford Greensfield Labs in Palo Alto. At this facility, Ford conducts and applies research that is driving the technological and digital transformation currently taking place in the automotive industry.
Another stop on their tour was Stanford University and the Stanford Energy Center, the state-of-the-art power plant that supplies the university campus. “The technology it uses combines efficiency, sustainability, and innovation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and fossil fuel consumption,” said Jessica Flebbe, project manager at Flebbe SRL and an MBA student. “It was undoubtedly a very interesting experience that taught us a lot we can replicate in our country and across various sectors.”
“One thing today’s visits had in common [during which they met Latino MBA students from Berkeley and the Argentine-based company Globant] is that the MBA students, companies, and entrepreneurs were all of Latino origin, ”said María Florencia Pucciano, Regional Manager of the Non-Ferrous Deals Desk and an MBA student. “We were able to see the potential that exists in Latin America and be inspired by the energy that an entrepreneur conveys—someone who shows you that they’ve had successes or perhaps failures but would still do it all over again.”
“They inspire you to pursue what you love or to drive proactive initiatives at your company that can make a difference,” added Pucciano.
“The MBA participants were in Silicon Valley at a unique time, in the wake of the pandemic, amid a great deal of social uncertainty,” said Maseiro. “Although we were at the epicenter of global technological development, the discussions didn’t focus so much on artificial intelligence or the metaverse, but rather on people: on how to foster a sense of belonging within the organization and on achieving a work-life balance. Just as in Uruguay, the main concern is people.”
Hear about other experiences from ORT MBA students in Silicon Valley:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd-YCQpEI2I