As part of our development of business overseas, we had the pleasure of partnering with San Diego State University (SDSU) through its International Business Opportunity Development (IBOD) program running through February to May. IBOD is part of SDSU’s portfolio of international-business consulting initiatives, pairing small student teams with companies that want actionable U.S.market insights. The format is an intensive, four-month collaboration of graduate-level work and counts toward the students’ capstone requirements.

Why IBOD and why SDSU?

SDSU’s International Business curriculum consistently ranks among the top programs in the United States, celebrated for weaving business fundamentals with language and regional-studies expertise. For us, that interdisciplinary DNA was exactly what we needed: a fresh, academically rigorous perspective on the West-Coast market, combined with the entrepreneurial spirit of students who are about to graduate and go pursue their dreams. Paired with our own initiatives and research, this collaboration gave us additional insights into the U.S. market segment. 

Framing the Challenge

Together with SDSU faculty advisers, we defined a clear project charter during the preparation phase of the IBOD program. We defined objectives, revised scope and deliverables. Our future SDSU cohort consisted of five talented graduate students. Because the IBOD program calendar is just 16 weeks, alignment up front was critical. 

Working through the goals and data

Once we were ready to go, we set bi-weekly milestones meetings and started working together on our objectives. We aligned on tasks and shared early observations together. On the ground in Southern California, the SDSU team logged some site visits, attended industry meet-ups, and conducted face-to-face interviews with municipal officials, channel partners, and early-adopter customers. In parallel, they also run online research and dove into academic data.

The real magic happened when we connected all these directions. The academic background of the students led to the delivery of methodological information and data, while our European real-world experience helped to validate assumptions and steer the research towards business actionable conclusions.

Looking Ahead

Our first IBOD program experience proved that university partnerships can deliver concrete business value while providing students with a true test-drive of international consulting and real experience with an expanding company. We really enjoyed working together on this project and look forward to exploring new opportunities in the future.