Spring 2011: On March 5-12 a team of 5 students will be partnering with World Venture Bolivian missionaries, Nate and Cindy Hitson, to develop their not-for-profit furniture-making endeavor into a for-profit, sustainable business. We will develop a plan by which they can continue the work in such a way as to provide jobs for the Bolivian nationals and add economic value to the local economy. We will also explore other facets of the Hitson's ministry and cultivate plans for future business students to return to this field.

Spring 2009: HOPE International provides micro-loans for the poor, in sums ranging from $50-$500. With a focus on microfinance development, twelve SIFE members partnered with HOPE International in order to travel to the Dominican Republic over Spring Break. On the trip, the team was able to see the impact of these loans first hand, as they met loan clients, learned of their struggles and successes, and toured their businesses. In addition, the team spent two days working side-by-side with HOPE loan clients, providing them with cement floors. CU SIFE was able to use these projects to improve the quality of their entrepreneurial endeavors and therefore, the very quality of their lives by providing them with basic necessities that will help them succeed.

Summer 2008: A team of twelve SIFE members traveled with Sam Walton Fellow Jeff Guernsey to Ukraine to help run a week-long business camp, based loosely around CU SIFE’s own Ready, Sell, Dough program. To accomplish this, we partnered with Hope International, a non-profit organization focused on poverty alleviation through micro enterprise development. We modified the curriculum to teach young adults in Ukraine the fundamentals of how to start and run a business -- from naming their business and developing product ideas and marketing strategies, to actually selling their products for a profit. This is an incredible opportunity for young adults in Ukraine, as they typically receive little to no business education.