The Great Race

A trip to India and a final lap around the business-plan-competition track leave a Kenan-Flagler MBA winded

by Danvers Fleury

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Danvers Fleury
UNC - Chapel Hill
MBA Class of 2008

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My vision of the second half of the second year of my MBA program never wavered during the grueling exams of the first half of my first year. I'd fantasize rolling out of bed at 10 a.m., just in time to walk out and catch the sunlight beaming onto my deck, where I'd enjoy a leisurely breakfast of fresh strawberries, scrambled eggs, and the biscuits I'd had time to bake the evening before. My cell phone would chirp at around noon—it was always tough to guess who wanted to play tennis or golf in the middle of the day, but it was important to schedule these things a few hours in advance so I could take a nap beforehand. A quick trip to the links and then it was off to the bank to make a withdrawal so I could take another bath in my signing bonus.

I think the death of that dream began when I chose not to take a summer internship with a large, prestigious employer, and opted instead to go to India in between my third and fourth mods, and to launch a new business. It turns out the second half of my second year has been an all-out sprint to a finish line that is just barely illuminated by my non-traditional career interests and obscured by the thick fog of recession.

Around the World in 12 Days

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School offers the opportunity to take Global Immersion Elective (GIE) courses that allow you to study up on a country and culture and then travel there in a group to visit sights and businesses. I enrolled in this year's India GIE. Every other week a group of first- and second-year students got to learn about Indian culture, history, and modern-day business practices. We were all required to research various businesses and report on them—the interesting twist is that every business we researched was one we would actually get to visit during spring break. We had 12 days in India to combine business and pleasure, drinking in India's rich culture and hot, sticky air.

India was a glorious country to visit; the Taj Mahal and Elephanta Caves took our breath away, but ultimately it was the people at the companies we visited that left us most impressed. I am far from an expert, having only spent several days immersed in Indian business culture, but I feel India is at the forefront of a "knowledge economy" revolution. While it was at times dismaying to notice infrastructure challenges, and at other times daunting to imagine trying to set up an American-run business in India, the deep talent base embedded in several of the companies we visited led to many new ideas for future business endeavors. Trips to Delhi, Mumbai, and Agra yielded hundreds of memories and many fantastic relationships among our group—it was the highlight of my year.

We also had some less conventional experiences. For instance, one of my classmates was getting married in Mumbai when we were in town and hosted us at his wedding. Myself and two students who were part of my first-year study group, and another student who was on the GIE with me, all bumped into each other for an impromptu reunion on the dance floor.

It was a well-run trip, the perfect balance of education and entertainment, but life left me no time to recover, as I'd already committed to a major undertaking before my travels.

Putting the Business in Business School

Despite my tongue-in-cheek opening paragraph, I've never had designs on becoming an I-banker or McKinsey consultant, as much as I respect the hard work and intelligence that my colleagues who have successfully pursued those posts have demonstrated. When it comes down to it, that's just not who I am.

My chance to combine creativity, sustainability, general management, and a permanent life in North Carolina presented itself in our Launch the Venture class—a class where MBAs can start their own business or help someone else launch theirs.