After weeks of preparation, students in our Spring 2023 ENTP 5800/6800 – Entrepreneurship and Poverty Alleviation course traveled to Ghana over spring break, where they worked closely with Ghana’s beloved bead maker, Cedi Beads, as real-world consultants.

These students were eager to share their experiences, pointing out how the unique approach and truly hands-on experiential learning in this course stood out from other classes in their degree. Students enthusiastically spoke about the opportunity to work with Cedi Beads, the recommendations they made for his business and legacy, and the anticipated impact on his business, his 24 employees, and his community.

These students spoke of how deeply personal this course was to them, and how it tied into their personal backgrounds. Tim Dudley shared his previous experiences with economic development in Africa, Brittney Hayes spoke of her volunteer work with underprivileged groups, and Kyle LaPlant discussed parallels with his experience growing up on the Navajo (Diné) reservation. They all expressed how this experience has profoundly changed their lives, informed their life work, and inspired them to shape the world.

Cedi, of Cedi Beads, in his workshop

This class provided students with access to the lifetime accomplishments and expertise of Professor Jay Barney. We thank him for his dedication, expertise, and the impact he has had on our students as well as the wellbeing and prosperity of the many entrepreneurs he has worked with throughout the world.

Let’s take a look back at what students experienced in Spring 2023.

Student interviews:

The 2023 – 2024 school year is just around the corner, and course enrollment for Fall 2023 is open to all majors. Learn more at Eccles.link/BHP under student experiences.

Further Reading: