It’s About the People, Stupid

Like most days, I started off with a blueberry bagel on my way to the daily morning briefing with the UTC team. Upon arrival to the classroom we were greeted by a giga-sized, ticking digital clock projected onto the walls to stress the importance of being on time as a leader. The UTC team usually also uses the mornings to showcase parts of American history, for instance in regard to Alexander Hamilton.

At 9 am our first lecture with Frank Butler, Associate Professor of Management at UTC, began which undoubtedly was the most exciting and helpful lecture thus far. Not only did we discuss the current progress of our Capstone Projects, but we learned about tangible economic development principles applicable to future venture ideas. If the academic community ever was to announce a Pope, I would bet all of my combined future (reusable!) cups of American Starbucks coffee that it would be Prof. Butler because it felt like listening to a captivating and soul-stirring sermon at times. Perhaps this is the explanation to the typical high tuition fees students have to pay in the United States…

Thereafter, some other SUSI students and I had lunch with Takeo Suzuki – in charge of the SUSI program at UTC as Executive Director for the Center for Global Education – whom I try to seize every opportunity to talk to. It is truly amazing how much more impressed and motivated I become every time I talk with him.

The final highlights of the day were on-site visits to Causeway, a local nonprofit social innovation studio as well as EPB, Chattanooga’s municipal utility company. Hearing Hodgen Mainda, Executive Director of Community Development at EPB, reemphasize the point that at the end of the day it’s about the people in spite of very similar product offerings definitely stuck with me for the drive back to our dorms where we continued to work on our Capstone Projects in preparation for the presentations in Washington D.C.

From local grassroots projects and a relentless focus on customer service to the transformation of the city itself, I am very grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get to know the Chattanooga-way.