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Blending Learning and Adventure: Whitman Students Explore Business in Costa Rica

 

By Professor John Torrens

 

March 17, 2025

 


This past Spring Break, I was fortunate to lead an intrepid group of Syracuse University students on a unique journey that blended experiential learning with fun and adventure.  As part of the course INB 400: Business in Latin America, students from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, along with peers from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Maxwell School, spent a week immersed in Costa Rica's entrepreneurial landscape.

 

The trip provided students with an incredible opportunity to explore various business models in the hospitality sector and beyond. Students got to hear from a wide range of entrepreneurs including:

 

A local subsistence farming family that is learning how to monetize their lifestyle by teaching tourists about it in real authentic way. Students got to milk cows, eat the cheese that was made from the milk, and spear river shrimp before relaxing in an idyllic waterfall.

 

Ashley Black, founder of the Fascia Blaster, a $200 million product company who talked about how a life-threatening condition turned into the business opportunity of a lifetime.

 

Lorne Bassel, formerly of Intrawest, the company that developed such iconic resort as Aspen, Whistler, and Mount Tremblant, who shared things that he wished he could go back and tell his 20-year-old self.

 

Steve Jacobus, the proprietor of Tierra Magnifica, the top ranked boutique hotel in Costa Rica, shared his journey as a serial entrepreneur and how a vacation to Costa Rica turned into his life’s work. 

 

Chris Ingham Brooke, a tech entrepreneur with a successful exit who gave us an incredibly real and vulnerable presentation and explained how success without meaning is really quite empty. 

 

Students witnessed the full spectrum of entrepreneurial lifestyles in the region and these Founder/CEO visits offered valuable insights into how cultural values, resource constraints, and customer expectations shape business operations in Latin America and beyond. Nosara is a special place to each of them and that was clear throughout the week in every interaction.

 

Professor Torrens surfing

Professor Torrens surfing

 

Of course, no Spring Break trip would be complete without some well-deserved fun. Between company visits and insightful conversations with industry leaders, students enjoyed moments of relaxation and adventure, including sunsets on the beach, a catamaran cruise aboard the Pacific Dream, and of course a personal highlight for me was sharing my passion for surfing with the students, none of whom had ever surfed before. Seeing them step outside their comfort zones, embrace the challenge, and celebrate their successes was a memorable experience that captured the spirit of the trip.

 

Combining experiential learning with exclusive networking opportunities while adding a healthy dash of adventure created a powerful learning experience. For our students, this wasn’t just a trip; it was a transformative experience that expanded their understanding of global business while offering unforgettable moments along the way.

 

 

 

 


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