Haas MBAs Work With Fellows to Drive Innovation

Three MBA candidates at the Haas School of Business were recently given the opportunity to work with Gunso Kim, secretary general of the World eGovernment Organization of Cities and Local Governments, to try and develop a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft that would function in Seoul, South Korea. The project was highlighted in a recent press release from Haas looking at the fellows appointed by the Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation, of whom Kim is one. The Garwood Center promotes the open innovation idea that organizations should look both internally and externally to optimize innovation. Other fellows of the program include Dr. Mohi Ahmed, Todd Schofield, Ram Shanmugan and Philipp Skogstad.

The Garwood Center pairs Berkeley MBA students with the fellows who mentor small groups of students. By the end of the semester each group of students and mentor had produced something that could be used in the classroom to educate future students–a case study, video or research paper. Kim chose to explore the possibilities of ride-sharing services in Seoul because many Asian cities support traditional taxi economies. He plans on introducing the idea to the mayor of Seoul and presenting the proposal that he created with his students.

Kim felt that his time as an innovation fellow at the Garwood Center was invaluable to his development as a businessman. “This has been such a valuable learning experience, so fruitful to my own business and career development. The past three months have really changed me,” he said in a press release from Haas.

regions: San Francisco

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