The first month of 2007 has already gone by. A summary of the events that shaped 2006 for me and plans for 2007 follows.
2006 was an exciting year for me, as you might know I have shifted base to San Francisco, USA since August of last year to pursue my MBA - Entrepreneurship at the University of San Francisco -USF ( http://www.usfca.edu)
I started 2006 at Asia Plateau, Panchgani, India planning for the annual MRA-IofC youth conference slated for June 2006. I remained busy with my work and other activities between January and March. Also in the meantime I received admission to the Executive MBA program at NMIMS in Mumbai. In the months between April and June I began the process for business school admissions abroad, eventually sending out applications to just USF and another backup school in San Francisco towards May end. I also undertook a road trip to Pondicherry, Chennai and Bangalore and a short trip to Nagpur prior to that.
In June I was in Panchgani for the MRA-IofC National youth conference as I have been for the last 10 years, that trend is likely to break this year since I will be in the US. Soon after my return to Mumbai, I commenced my Executive MBA program at NMIMS. By end June I received a acceptance letter from USF and things started moving really fast. I received my visa in the third week of July and by first week August I was already in the US of A.
I spent the first month in San Francisco, pretty much looking for a place to live. Finding apartments in San Francisco can be quite challenging as I found out. I lived out of a Hostelling International, youth hostel for little over a month before I finally found a paying guest style accommodation at a retired school teachers home, a short 10 minute walk from my university. Really comfortable and convenient, as I didn't have to spend a dime for furniture or appliances and it feels like home. This house where I am now was originally built in the year 1915. The Indian consulate in San Francisco is on the same street too, a 5 minute walk from where I live.
In September I also took a trip to Orlando, Florida where I met my sister and bro-in-law after 5 long years and my 2 year old twin nieces for the first time.
I soon got busy with lots of activities at school. September to December the following things happened
- a part time job at the IT department on campus
- Activities with different clubs/societies both on and off campus
- played on the MBA American football team for inter department sports
- represented USF at the annual Www.NetImpact.org conference at the Kellog school of Business, Chicago.
- Won the student body elections at the business school for the post of VP - Information technology
- Commenced a research internship with TechBA, a Technology Business accelerator program funded by the Mexican government
After exams got over in mid-december, I was again in Orlando, Florida to spend 3 weeks of my 5-week long winter break with my sister and her family. During this time we took a short vacation to Keywest, the southern most tip of the United states, a series of small islands (key's) connected by a thin trip of road, the Overseas highway (US Route 1). I also drove around Orlando in my sister's car, visiting Kennedy Space Center, the home of the US space program. I returned to San Francisco by 10th January in order to prepare for a reverse business plan competition that I was selected to participate in.
At the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) on 19th January, student teams of 5 each were given business plans of real companies looking for funding, an interaction with the CEO's of these companies followed. Throughout the process teams had to act as venture capitalists (VC's) trying to decide which company they wanted to invest in and why. Real VC's judged the teams during the entire process and awarded winners. http://www.vcic.unc.edu/about
The USF team of which I was a part won "The Entrepreneurs Choice" award at this competition, the best our University has ever done at this event. It was by far the most exciting experience of my MBA career and an immensely intense learning too.
School began on 22nd Jan and the whole of this semester looks busy with my job on campus and added responsibilities as VP-IT of the Graduate Business Association. My work with TechBA continues and for the next two months I will be working with CEO's of two Mexican companies training them on different aspects of doing business in the United States.
This semester I am also with the Board Fellows program facilitated by NetImpact. Through this program MBA students get to be on the Board of Directors of Non-profits and add value to the Non-profits with their business skills. For the next 9 months I will be working with NFTE (http://www.nfte.com) The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, helping them look at various things including building a strong Board of Directors for their San Francisco operations and fund raising.
I will visit Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg in March for a business plan competition and will most likely begin a full time summer internship in June, I am on the lookout for the right opportunity at this point. I have also volunteered to help at TiECon 2007 in May, this is the annual conference by TiE silicon valley. TiE is The Indus Entrepreneurs, a global network of people interested in fostering the spirit of Entrepreneurship http://www.tie.org/
Best wishes for the remaining 11 months of 2007.
