Social impact: a pillar of the ESMT Berlin ethos

Recognizing the value and necessity of responsible leadership, ESMT Berlin infuses social impact into the Master in Global Management curriculum. At the same time, an ever-increasing number of students are prioritizing value-driven careers over purely profit-based ones.

Michela Andreolli chose ESMT for her degree explicitly for the Social Impact Project. She explains,“ I knew that that could be something that I would be interested in because I always wanted to learn at business school and then apply it to the social impact of things.” (01:26)

It’s hard to make a significant impact without the business acumen to back you up. ESMT encourages its students to get creative with startup ideas and solutions to issues. Through classes such as Advanced Decision Making and projects like the Startup Challenge, students gain practical, hands-on experience that goes above and beyond basic theory.

The transformative Social Impact Project

However, there is no replacement for on-the-ground action, which is where the Social Impact Project comes into play. Over five weeks, master’s and full-time MBA students at ESMT work as business consultants for social organizations. Students travel all over the world to get up close and personal with their projects.

As Michela confirms, it’s a hugely popular aspect of the course. “The Social Impact Project for me will forever be the best experience of my life,” she says. (11:42)

Michela, for example, worked with Raise Your Voice. The non-profit helps women suffering from domestic abuse in Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. Primarily tasked with helping from a consultant’s perspective, Michela and her classmates also had to tackle the difficulties of working on a small island. With COVID, the challenge became even more significant. 

Working with limited resources is common among grassroots social impact projects, and the experience couldn’t have been more valuable for Michela. 

“It was the first time that I actually understood that it’s one thing to study business, it’s another thing to consult an organization where you don’t have anything,” Michela says. (12:33)

Continuing as a Social Impact Project Coach

Inspired by her rich, immersive journey, Michela’s time in the Caribbean was the beginning of her work with the ESMT Social Impact Project. Michela rejoined ESMT after graduation as a Social Impact Project Coach. 

Returning as a coach allowed her to support teams working on a topic she’s passionate about. Michela tells us, “When I was asked, ‘What are the projects you would like to help on?’ I immediately said education. So now I’m helping four teams that have decided to spend their time supporting organizations all over the world in their mission to empower students to have a better education.” (00:57)

Michela’s socially impactful startup

Michela’s blend of energy and ambition led her to create her own startup to help young people access extracurricular education. Michela credits her student experience as the foundation she built her startup on. 

“It gave me the opportunity of focusing on my long-term career goal, which is ultimately becoming an entrepreneur. It exposed me to so many good entrepreneurs,’ Michela says. “It helped me to approach those entrepreneurs and ask them, ‘How did you do it?’ ‘What should I do?’” (07:13)

It’s a common misconception that entrepreneurship is a journey you take by yourself. Although you might take the reins of the project, no success story is possible without the support of others. Some of the most apparent contributors include professors, mentors, and investors, but support isn’t always about professional guidance and finance. 

Michela credits her parents as a key factor in her success. “They tell me, ‘We have no idea what you’re doing, don’t ask us for advice. But we’re here, so whatever choice you make, you can count on us.’” (01:51) 

Having a strong emotional support network like Michela’s is essential for having the resilience to continue even after making mistakes. “I think that’s more powerful than having someone telling you ‘The right thing to do is to do this.’” (01:59)

Throughout her experience moving from student to entrepreneur, Michela has always stayed grounded. “It’s not about me becoming an entrepreneur or me becoming rich. It’s about me giving other students, in my situation – without a proper guide – a way to do things.” (02:29)

Surrounding yourself with the right people

The circles you move in can profoundly affect your potential as an entrepreneur. For example, by living and working in a city like Berlin, where social impact startups are blossoming, you constantly mingle with potential collaborators and draw inspiration from your environment. 

Michela’s experience emphasizes the importance of strategic networking, as it helped her forge connections with fellow entrepreneurs, mentors, and collaborators. Nurturing these relationships has been crucial to her progress and the growth of her social impact startup.

If Michela’s story has got you hungry to hear more about social impact projects at ESMT Berlin, head to the MASTERGRADSCHOOLS Ambassador page. There, you can reach out to past and present students with any questions.