CAN KIDS DO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS?

X-Culture Kids: Reflections after the Global Symposium in Italy

Here is what we know after testing X-Culture Kids for 9 months.

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So, after years of parents asking to enroll their kids in X-Culture, I gave in and allowed 100 kids take part in the project alongside the university students last spring.

It went very well. Some more info here.

5 of the kids attended the X-Culture Global Symposium in Italy a few weeks ago (U.S.A., Ecuador, U.K., Russia). They visited our partner companies, met with the CEOs and company owneres, participated in career development workshops, took part in the Elevator Pitch Competition, met with the city mayor, did all the cultural stuff, such as opera and city tours, and more.

Most importantly, they developed a solution to the international business challenge presented by their client Eurosoule. This company makes shoe soles. In fact, it is one of the world’s largest. Among their clients are companies like Adidas, Gucci and the U.S. military (the company that makes the U.S. military boots buys soles from Eurosoule).

The kids toured the company’s production facilities, met with the entire top management team, had multiple online meetings before coming to Italy, and then worked many hours a day while in Italy developing their business proposal, rehearsing their presentation, attending lectures on international business and entrepreneurship from the X-Culture professors, receiving help from X-Culture coaches, designing sample ads, and more.

Here is a recording of the presentation they have to the company top executive team.

If you watch carefully, you’ll see that the kids came up with a pretty sophisticated B2C2B model, similar to that used by Intel, Carl Zeiss or Shimano.

My favorite part, “And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is what your ad might look like: Not just a shoe, a shoe with a Eurosoule”. Pretty clever, eh?

I’d say, NOT BAD! When I was 11 or 12, I had no idea what “B2B” or “commodity” is. And until their presentation, I didn’t even know there is a “B2C2B”. These kids do, know what to do with it, and have ideas for how a company can boost their profitability. And are not afraid to stand up before some very powerful people and share their ideas.

WHAT DID YOU DO WHEN YOU WERE 12?

More on X-Culture Kids here: https://x-culture.org/academy/

PRESENTATION BY X-CULTURE KIDS TEAM 32

By Vas Taras