hilary [week 0]: entrepreneurial project

As you may already know from reading my previous blogs, the Oxford school year is separated into Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity terms. Furthermore, each term is divided into roughly 11-weeks. Week 0, also referred to as "naught week," marks the start of students returning from their holiday break. Students then attend class from Weeks 1-8, revise for finals during Week 9, and finally take their exams during Week 10. But for an Oxford MBA...the work never really ends.

I was working on several "pet projects" ever since returning to New York on December 19th. As soon as I returned to Oxford on January 13th for the start of Hilary term, I wasted no time executing my plans. In my next blog I will talk about the various initiatives I'm taking to raise the profile of the Oxford Finance Club. But for now I'll talk about the "Entrepreneurial Project (EP)" that I worked on over the Christmas break.

First, a little context. To combat the criticism that B-schools do not impart their MBAs with any practical "real-world" experience, many programs now include business plan and consulting project components. Following this logic, by the end of Hilary term Oxford MBAs are expected to pitch our EP (business plan) to a panel of venture capitalists - some plans are actually funded by the VCs. Each EP group must consist of no more (or less) than 5 people. I am pleased to be working with Adarsh, Court, Genia, and Rajeev this term. Together, we must also submit a 6,000 word report related to our EP.

After considering several options, we decided to form an EP group around the topic of Darjeeling Tea in India. I was motivated to try something new and different, but at the same time leverage my financial knowledge of auction markets, as well as my business knowledge of owning a coffee shop. To kick things off, I invited everyone to Exeter College for a formal dinner on Sunday. I brought a sampling of Darjeeling Tea products. I also shared my findings on product offerings, and pricing, from research performed in the exotic reaches of...New York. After several brain-storming sessions, we decided to focus on helping tea cooperatives in Darjeeling get a better price for their tea by arranging an online auction system. We will also help local plantations implement new technologies, as well as re-market their product so that it may reclaim its moniker of being the "champagne of teas." It will be an interesting journey, and I can't wait for my first trip to India!