The Anderson School of Management’s Department of Finance, International and Technology Management, and Entrepreneurship recently hosted 26 Executive MBA students from the Fundação Centro de Análise, Pesquisa e Inovação Tecnológica (FUCAPI), a university devoted to technological analysis, research, and innovation in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
This year’s visit marked the seventh year that Anderson has hosted students from Brazil’s MBA programs, strengthening cross-cultural ties and enhancing relationships that foster international management, technology management, and economic development capacities at both FUCAPI and Anderson.
Provost Suzanne Ortega welcomed the students at a dinner held in their honor at the Hibben Center for Archaeological Research. They also participated in daily seminars taught by Anderson School faculty including Raul Gouvêa, Sul Kassicieh, Steve Walsh, Raj Mahto, Ward Hickey, Howard Kraye, Sandy Sanzero (Sandia Labs), and John Brown (Mesa Capital and Sandia Capital Partners).
For a full day, the Brazilian guests took part in comprehensive tours of firms in the local community to learn firsthand about technological business operations. CEO Ned Godshall shared his insights at Altela, a high-tech startup firm specializing in purifying water discharged from oil and gas drilling operations.
Additionally, CEO Bob Sachs led a tour of TEAM Technologies, an Albuquerque engineering and manufacturing firm which serves the needs of high-tech ventures. Fully engaged in the learning process, FUCAPI students kept the two technology entrepreneurs busy answering questions about every aspect of their successful firms.