The International Business & Development Internship
Leadership Initiatives is working to end extreme poverty in Northern Nigeria through entrepreneurship and innovation. As part of the International Business & Development program, Leadership Initiatives identifies small business owners for our program who live under $1.90 a day, have little formal business education, and struggle to provide for their family’s basic needs.
Once business owners have completed training, Leadership Initiatives pairs International Business & Development interns with a business partner and business mentor. Interns are given the opportunity to help tackle major issues at the grassroots level by working directly with small business owners to support and incubate local entrepreneurs. Students will work with Leadership Initiatives staff over the course of nine months to provide income-generating solutions that focus on food supply, women empowerment, environment and sustainability, personal care, and mobility.
The International Business & Development Internship aims to introduce interns to the complexities and challenges of running a small business and working within community development. Interns will gain an understanding of the unwavering commitment, focus, and determination required to work within this field. From working with interns, local business owners will have new knowledge of entrepreneurial skills they need to create business opportunities that will contribute to socio-economic development and significantly transform their lives.
Max Derbyshire
Class of 2022
Ella Farrell
Class of 2022
Morgan Biele
Class of 2022
Our Internship Team
Class of 2022
Class of 2022
Julia Choi
Esha Perala
Class of 2023
Kanav Sahani
Class of 2021
Jessica Shiflett
Our Internship Team
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Julia Choi
Leland High School
Class of 2022
Julia Choi is a junior at Leland High School in San Jose. She is diligent student who is a part of several Advanced Placement and honors courses as well as the elected Junior Class Secretary.
Julia loves to embrace her Korean heritage and does so by participating in a Korean culture club at her school and by volunteering to teach younger children korean at her local korean school. She also spends her time volunteering at AMASE, a program dedicated to teaching those with disabilities music; she specifically teaches students singing. When she has free time, Julia enjoys listening to a variety of music and reading.
Julia was first introduced to this program by a friend she met at a BBAY - The Berkeley Business Academy for Youth. She agreed to join because she was intrigued by the opportunity to not only learn more about business, but also to learn more about other countries and cultures across the globe. Julia has a passion for gaining experience in business but also desires to gain more knowledge about cultures separate from her own. She hopes that her participation in the program can provide her with new perspectives and opportunities to learn.
Esha Perala
Dougherty Valley High School
Class of 2022
Esha Perala is a junior at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon, California. She is the team lead and special projects chair for the International Business and Development Internship program.
Esha has been involved in speech and debate since 6th grade and is a varsity competitor at her school. She is a part of her school’s concert choir and has participated in the California Coastal Region honor choir. She is also passionate about theatre and has performed at her school’s drama productions. She is actively involved in community service and leadership roles with various non-profit organizations. Outside school, she is a marketing director for ReThred Apparel LLC, a company that aims to reduce microplastic ocean pollution through sustainable clothing. In her free time, Esha loves to sing, dance, watch Broadway musicals, make Spotify playlists, read, and travel.
Esha is excited to be participating in the International Business and Development Internship with Leadership Initiatives this year. Through this program she hopes to gain leadership skills by interacting with global leaders and experiencing international diversity. This program will also enable her to conduct research, and utilize critical thinking skills to develop and implement business solutions for real world problems in developing nations.
Kanav Sahani
St. Marks High School
Class of 2023
Kanav Sahani is a rising sophmore at St. Marks High School. Kanav Sahani is a dedicated honor student who is enrolled in high classes such as honors precalculus and chemistry. During his free time, Kanav enjoys playing sports and hanging out with his friends.
Kanav Sahani enjoys playing basketball and playing video games. At school, Kanav is a leader of the investment club and he participates in Special Olympics. Outside of school, Kanav is a part of an internship at NEIA (New England Innovation Awards) and is also a part of the YIP (Youth in Philanthropy) philanthropy program.
Kanav Sahani is excited to be participating in the International Business & Development Internship this year because he loves learning about business and hopes to someday major in the finance/business field. In the future, Kanav Sahani wants to take the skills he has learned and use it to not only benefit other people's lives, but also allow him to have a more global perspective of business. He believes that his participation in the International Business & Development Program will make him able to teach those who are less fortunate about finance and business in order to improve their lives.
Jessica Shiflett
Adolfo Camarillo High School
Class of 2021
Jessica Shiflett is senior at Adolfo Camarillo High School. While taking all AP and college courses, Jessica also strives to serve both her local and Thai community across the world.
Jessica enjoys Thai dancing, ice-skating, and skiing. At school, she is the CEO of the Business and Technology Academy's T-shirt and design company called BATA Design Co. In addition to that, she is the president of both NHS and FBLA. In her free time, she loves to bake, binge TV shows, and read.
Jessica Shiflett is excited to be participating in the International Business and Development Program this year because she loves learning about what goes on behind the scenes as well as helping others. She is planning on studying international business in university, so this program was the best way to explore and learn more. Hopefully, with the skills she learns, she can help advance a startup aimed at solving microplastic pollution that she is currently involved in and help make a bigger impact on the world.
Musa Shirimzu Lumi
Barber Business Statistics
Location:
Years Working:
Average Number of Customers Per Week:
Main Services:
Favorite Part of Job:
Number of Children He Has:
Bauchi, Nigeria
5
18
1
Barber Services
Engaging With Customers
Business Statistics
About Musa
Community Impact
Our Partnership
Future Goals
Musa is a 33-year-old man from Wuntin Dadda, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
Musa is the oldest of 8 siblings, is married, and has a 2 year old daughter. When he is not working, Musa loves spending time with his family.
Musa's daily routine involves heading to the barbershop and waiting for clients to arrive. Before starting his business, Musa worked as a procurement officer for an organization called NGO.
His Story
Musa Shirimzu Lumi
Community Impact
Musa started his business because he loves being around people. His main goal is to provide an environment for people in his community to mingle and discuss important issues. He strives to create a place for people to not only get their hair cut, but also help each other.
Through his business, Musa is able to support his siblings, wife, and child. In addition to this, Musa currently has 3 employees whom he teaches. Musa hopes to be able to mentor more young boys in the community.
Musa Shirimzu Lumi
Our Partnership
Musa is very happy and thrilled to be working with Leadership Initiatives and the participants of the International Leadership & Business Internship.
After working for more than 5 years, Musa hopes to expand and diversify his business. He plans to start selling clothing, shoes, and perfume. This expansion can aid in his goal of mentoring more young boys in the community and creating a place where items are readily available for men.
Musa also hopes to gain more knowledge on barbing, financial management, and customer retention strategies.
Musa Shirimzu Lumi
Hopes For The Future
Musa hopes to continuously grow his business and attract more customers. He would love to start using social media to attract a wider audience. Musa also wants to make sure that he is updated on all the trends and plans to apply them into his business.
In Bauchi, having adequate electricity is a huge problem. Musa plans to use his increased profits towards fueling his generator on a daily basis as well as provide for his family.
Musa is a big people person and is certain that through this partnership, he can make a positive impact in his community.
Musa Shirimzu Lumi
FINANCIAL TRACKING
Financially literate entrepreneurs make optimal financial and economic decisions about savings, borrowing, and investments. Our team is working with Musa Shirimzu to create an effective financial tracking system for his business finances, receipts, and daily costs.
OUR SOLUTION
Our team has created a feasible bookkeeping system for Mr. Shirimzu. He will be able to record transactions and effectively keep track of his income and expenses. This bookkeeping system is simple to use and provides critical information regarding the financial details of Mr. Shirimzu’s business.
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ADVERTISING
Our team identified target markets and key demographics to create a customer acquisition plan. We are working with [BP Name] to redesign [his/her] brand and create effective marketing campaigns.
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENTS
Steady growth is a critical component of creating self-sustaining communities. Our team is working to identify key areas of opportunity for [BP Name] and design solutions to improve [his/her] business to foster growth.
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Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced some of the highest economic growth rates globally over the past 10 years. While this means that people in these nations have become more optimistic about their socio-economic future, the region continues to face a myriad of problems. In order to continue steady growth and achieve a future of equitable conditions in the region, our International Internship Program team seeks to build stronger communities from the grassroots level through fundraising for community development.
Funds raised are used to incubate new business and community ventures, pay staff to run the program on-site, fund student-created solutions, and invest in training for local leaders and entrepreneurs. Leadership Initiatives uses fundraised money to develop a network of support for actionable change and accountability between our team, the Leadership Initiatives staff, and the community stakeholders we work with.
$280
7
DONORS
STILL NEEDED
$470
RAISED
GOAL
$750