By Alvia Wilcox; MBA Class of 2021, University Of Oregon
During these unprecedented times, CARBON and the UO Graduate Net Impact chapter took this opportunity to partner up for the first time and create great work. We were introduced to CARBON during Fall term. We learned about their mission and the current projects they have, all very interesting and inspiring. Everyone had the opportunity to choose their preferred subject area to concentrate on, such as economic development, education, water, etc. In my case, I choose to focus on economic development.
I was included in a group with three other UO Graduate Net Impact members, and we were in turn paired with TapArt, a great online art retailer and one of CARBON’s companies in their portfolio of projects. As TapArt grows and expands its services to new emerging markets, it will impact a vast community of talented, disadvantaged artists in these countries. It will be able to monetize their talent and level the playing field. Working on this project was a great experience because even though the team members had not met in person, we were able to work great together and challenge each other to come up with good ideas to help TapArt increase its revenue streams.
During the three months working with TapArt, I utilized a lot of the theory learned in my MBA program and applied it to a real-life company. Our team researched the industry and TapArt’s competitors. We then analyzed the TapArt using SWOT analysis and discussed viable growth paths the company could take. We had the opportunity to interact with Srikaran (TapArt’s founder) and Ratan (CARBON’s co-founder) on a weekly basis and got to know them well. As opposed to a “class project,” which is typically concentrated in one area and does not holistically view the company, our team was able to take control of our process and be proactive in our decision-making to see the project realized by our self-imposed deadline.
At the end of the project, we provided several alternatives for revenue growth paths specifically tailored to TapArt. We are looking forward to seeing TapArt and other CARBON projects succeed using our suggestions to positively impact the world.
I enjoyed working with CARBON and TapArt tremendously. I’m looking forward to showing my work to future employers and taking on leadership roles. This experience has shown me that I can raise to meet new challenges.
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