Since 2019, the IELSM has offered a unique approach to entrepreneurship through the combination of business education with a strong social and environmental commitment in more than sixty international business models. The platform transforms the training of future entrepreneurs and revitalizes the entrepreneurial spirit. In contrast to traditional approaches to business education, the IELSM offers international students a comprehensive training and has sensitized them to social innovation through knowledge of other realities and economic, social and environmental problems that affect other people and communities. This has facilitated an enriching exchange between students and professors from Europe with universities in Africa (3) and Latin America (12). Moreover, the IELSM reduces barriers to efficient cooperation between universities and companies through stakeholder trust, leadership and organization. From 2021 to 2024, 80% of the companies will continue to participate. The IELSM is distinguished by its commitment to inclusion and sustainability. 60% of all participants are women. All participants have direct access to innovative strategies for digital transformation and environmental sustainability, which they actively learn and apply in their business models together with students and professors. The IELSM reduces the knowledge gap of rural entrepreneurship, providing more than 20 companies with access to innovative methodologies to empower their businesses.
Finalist
Emerging Innovation and Entrepreneurship Activators of the Year Award
International Entrepreneurship-Lab of Business & Law School Berlin
Finalist of the Emerging Innovation and Entrepreneurship Activators of the Year Award
Business & Law School Berlin / Universidad Tecnológica de Querétaro / Universidad De Guanajuato - Germany
"Entrepreneurial leadership and global growth with inclusion and social responsibility."
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Summary
Key People
Rafael Palacios Bustamante
Coordinator (Principal) International Entrepreneurship Lab Smart Money
Team Faculty of Business and Management,
Business & Law School Berlin
Dr. Oskary Zambrano
Co Coordinator IELSM
Universidad Estadal de Milagro, Ecuador
PhD Candidat Marianela Talavera
Co-Coordinator IELSM
Universidad tecnológica de Querétaro, México
Dr. Salvador Estrada
Co-Coordinator IELSM
Universidad de Guanajuato, México
Milagros Dones
Catalyst
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
Dra. Anel Flores Novelo
Coordinador of IELSM in the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mexico
Dr. Jaime Sarmiento
IELSM-Coordinador in the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana,
Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia
Ilse Ivete Reyes
IELSM-Entrepreneurship Coordinator
Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico
Dr. Juan Andrés Niño
Catalyst
Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia, Colombia--------------------------------
Dr. Gloria Agyapong
IELSM-Coordinator in the Cape Coast university
Cape Coast university, Ghana
Dr. Nixon Omoro
IELSM-Coordinator in the Nairobi University
Nairobi University. Kenia
Images
Presential Brainstorming with Catalysts and Entrepreneurs - 2023
Colombian students visit the BSP in Berlin to analyze business models in person
First Creative IELSM, creative spark in Costa Rica, 2023
Announcement of the last session of phase 8.0 of 2024
Summary of all sessions and methodologies of phase 8.0 of 2024
Presential meeting of students, academics and entrepreneurs, 2023
Signature of letter of commitment for cooperation between IELSM universities
Inaugural IELSM-Creative Spark event in Costa Rica, October 2023
Top Ten finalists for the Impact and Diversity Award in Germany, July 2023
Acknowledgement of the IELSM as winner of the Labor Merit and Leadership Award in the category " Enterprise" in the region of Guanajuato, Mexico, 2023.
BSP students and Mexican entrepreneurs in Berlin analyzing Jack Fruit business model
Presentation of Jack Fruit's business model at BSP
Presentation of the business model by Jackfruit Guys entrepreneurs at the BSP.
Student attendance at the Jackfruit Guys business model presentation at the BSP, May 2024.
Buffet and Jack fruit tasting in different vegan dishes offered by the company Jackfruit
Social Entrepreneurship Workshop for IELSM companies in Costa Rica, October 2023
Visit to Namu Nekupe's entrepreneur in the 5th Blue Zone of the World, Hojancha
Jackfruit Guys' acknowledgement for the BSP students
Volume 2 of the IELSM book: Digital Transformation and Sustainability in International Entrepreneurship (In process). November 2024
IELSM- Hojancha Sustainability Lab Project, November 2024
Speaker Dr. Christina Theodoraki in the IELSM Entrepreneurship Day, 2024
IELSM Creative Spark in Costa Rica, 2023
Klozer TOP Ten Start-Up in Logistik in Latin America after IELSM
Session Online IIELSM - General Room, June 2024
Seson Online IIELS;M - Kuarctech Company Business Room, June 2024
IMPACT STORY
Impacting lifesIn acknowledgement of the effort made by the students and professors of the BSP in the transformation of the business model, the Mexican company Jack Fruit Guys, which has participated since 2023 in the IELSM, has invested in 2024 about 9,000 dollars to offer a training workshop on entrepreneurship to 130 students in the main campus of the University in Berlin. The entrepreneurs exhibited the results that they had obtained and offered a big buffet to all the participants of the workshop with different food dishes containing the product they offer: Jack Fruit. This activity was used to measure the degree of acceptance of the product by the young university population. This activity was attended as well by small Mexican producers of Jack fruit from the Nayarit region. Jack fruit is a fruit that is produced organically, has a high impact on health and generates more than 100 new jobs. Some of the results obtained from the transformation of the business model have been: a) the articulation of the cooperatives in the region of Nayarit for an efficient production of Jack Fruit, b) greater inclusion of women, c) reconceptualization of the business model with emphasis on social and environmental aspects, d) activation of environmental management in the company for the internationalization and positioning of the product in the international market, e) identification of distributors in Europe and f) testing and offering Jack Fruit in restaurants in Madrid, Berlin and Dortmund.
LEARNINGS
Lessons learnedThe creation and development of the IELSM and, above all, the phase in which the COVID-19 pandemic appeared, reaffirmed the birth of an enterprise in difficult circumstances and with high uncertainty. In this way, it was possible to see in real life the reality of hundreds of entrepreneurships that were born as a result of the same reality. An important challenge has been to integrate different perspectives of knowledge with different actors without subestimating the scope that each of them could generate for the improvement of business ideas integrating the social innovation. It has been a challenge to demonstrate how students can contribute with their creative ideas that can transform the business model, making them feel like consultants. The constant conviction that the leadership in the organization and operationalization of the activities planned for each phase and each session, together with the contributions of the participants, have helped to strengthen the objective of the digital platform. The result has been a growing number of universities, companies and other international actors. The constant experimentation and absolute conviction about what we do and why we do it are transmitted and absorbed by the participants. Participants show not only a high level of commitment, but also develop a high level of trust to carry out new tasks and conceive new challenges.
FUTURE PLANS
What's coming?Due to the high relational and social capital on the platform, new projects for entrepreneurship education and collaboration with companies are emerging. The IELSM has also managed to establish itself as an academic module at the Business & Law School Berlin. In the coming months, other universities will follow this strategy with the aim of strengthening cooperation with companies and accelerating university entrepreneurship. The IELSM will consolidate cooperation with companies through the realization of the second Creative Spark. The first was held in Costa Rica in 2023: "Women's Entrepreneurship as a Sustainable and Disruptive Space to Collaborate and Connect". The promotion of research has been one of the most important objectives of 2024, and the second volume of the IELSM book entitled: Digital Transformation and Sustainability in International Entrepreneurship is expected to be published in November. Additionally, about 10 new research proposals are being developed among the catalysts (15). Hojancha Sustainability Lab is one of the most emblematic projects of the IELSM for the coming years. This project aims to develop the academic and research practices and experiences of rural entrepreneurs in Hojancha, in the 5th Blue Zone of the World, for the production of tropical fruits with high ecological and social value. From November 2024, Costa Rican entrepreneurs will receive the universities that integrate the platform to exchange and share experiences in social and sustainable entrepreneurship.
