From the Los Lagos Region to Boston, Massachusetts: Chilean students participate in Babson College immersion program

“It is an opportunity to be a better professional, to exploit my communication and educational skills, to be able to resolve conflicts and learn from what we are taught. I hope to connect with many people and come back with many ideas to realize my future projects,” describes Crysthel Hernandez, a student of Graphic Design at U. Santo Tomás Puerto Montt, the experience she will live along with three other students from the region, in one of the most outstanding universities in the world in the field of entrepreneurship.

After their outstanding participation in the course “Entrepreneurship as a Life Skill”, held jointly by Fundación Luksic and Babson College in Chile in 2024, a group of four students from the Los Lagos Region won a scholarship to attend Babson Build, an entrepreneurial immersion program that is taking place this week in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

They are Gloria Mansilla Bustamante, a student of Professional Technical Massage Therapy at the AlEP Professional Institute of Puerto Montt; Marilyn Moris of the Business Administration program at CFT Estatal de Los Lagos; Matías Gangas, who is in his last year of computer engineering at Duoc UC in Puerto Montt; and Crysthel Hernández, a native of the commune of Fresia.

“I am going on this trip with very clear objectives: to continue learning, enhance my skills as a leader and seek support to develop business ideas that make sense, generate a positive impact on people and promote inclusion,” explains Matías Gangas, a student of Computer Engineering at Duoc UC, advisor to the School of Computer Science and Telecommunications 2023-2024 and advisor to the Puerto Montt 2024 branch.

For her part, Gloria says that during her training, she has acquired solid knowledge in integral therapy, communication and entrepreneurship, areas that she has been able to apply both in academia and in her personal development. “I am currently part of two initiatives related to wellness and health. One of them is a massage company, legally constituted, which I run with my partner Lorena Romero. The other is a personal project in growth, focused on offering integral massages with a touristic approach, combining relaxation techniques with the promotion of the natural and cultural environment of southern Chile”, says Gloria, who with enthusiasm and commitment continues to develop as a professional, contributing to the welfare of people and betting on local entrepreneurship with human sense.

The course held last year, which combined five weeks of virtual classes with two face-to-face sessions and in which nearly 40 students participated, aimed to provide tools that would allow the adoption of an entrepreneurial mindset, the management of failure and essential skills such as resilience and adaptability in the face of uncertainty for life in general, not only for those who dream of starting a business.

“We are convinced that programs like these, with partners of great trajectory, not only help students in their academic and work training, but also on a personal level. We are confident in the abilities and skills of Gloria, Matías, Crysthel and Marilyn and we hope they return with new knowledge, but also new motivations for their future,” said Trinidad García, Director of International Training at the Luksic Foundation.

Some of the sessions that students will have during the five-day course are: opportunity analysis and market testing, design thinking, entrepreneurial leadership, business models, Rocket Pitch competitions, finance and marketing, among others.

A key week to promote leadership, creativity and entrepreneurship

During an intense week, they participated in workshops and practical activities that strengthened their leadership, creativity and entrepreneurial mindset. They worked in teams with young people from different parts of the world, exploring how to turn ideas into initiatives with an entrepreneurial sense, understanding entrepreneurship not only as the creation of businesses, but as an attitude and a way of seeing the world, and they closed their time in the program with a final Rocket Pitch presentation.

“For me it was very rewarding to be able to communicate and work side by side with people from other parts of the world, such as Dubai. I thought communication would be difficult because I only knew the basics of English and used the translator, but I realized that there are no limits when you really want to learn and connect,” said Gloria reflecting on one of the most significant learnings she experienced during her week at Babson.

The sessions covered topics such as design thinking, business models, market analysis, entrepreneurial leadership, finance and marketing. This combination of theory and practice allowed students to apply what they learned in a dynamic, challenging and collaborative environment.

“Babson changed the way I think and the way I look at myself, I feel capable and more confident than I did yesterday. In addition, I feel confident to tell others that a technical professional can also inspire and motivate,” commented Marilyn Moris, a Business Administration student.

At the close of the week, Babson Build left a deep impression on the four students. Beyond the technical learning, they highlighted the cultural exchange, the energy of collaborative work and the renewed motivation to continue developing ideas with purpose. An experience that not only shapes them as future entrepreneurs, but also as agents of change for their communities.