Applications are due March 14 2008 and shortlisted applicants will be informed on April 5 2008. The admissions workshop for those shortlisted is on April 24-25 2008 in Aarhus, Denmark.
Organized by the top business and entrepreneurship schools in the world (including UC Berkeley, Columbia Business School, London Business School, Indian School of Business, and Yale), this competition aims to provide mentorship, exposure, and support to student-led social enterprises worldwide. Teams compete for over $45,000 in cash and travel prizes, and receive valuable feedback on their plans.
Each team must have at least one student currently in graduate business school or one who was graduated from business school in the past 24 months. Companies less than 3 years old can also apply. Projects can be for-profit or non-profit, but must be financially self-sustaining.
Imagine a business school where all your assignments are real-life projects from real clients. Imagine spending your second year in a different country working on community projects. Imagine your final exam being a sustainable project for change.
Part of their education involves international outposts in Vancouver, Buenos Aires, and Bahia, working on projects related to business, community, and sustainability. The final exam is an operational project of your own.
The KaosPilots are my new obsession. They are EXACTLY what I have been looking for education-wise. I’ve been looking for ways to actually learn how to run projects and gain first-hand experience, and while I was hoping to get that in QUT, I’ve been getting more theory than anything else. This actually makes things RELEVANT – your work actually matters, and your passion is rewarded. Their core values aren’t gooblyspeak, they’re six simple but powerful aims: real world, balance, being streetwise, being playful, risk taking and compassion.
I’ve applied for the Stockholm (Sweden) program, which starts next year. This would be a major change as it means I drop out of university and I have to work out how to support myself in Sweden for about three years. It also costs a LOT, and I’m not sure I can afford it. But the sheer value of the education I receive would be priceless. That’s if I can handle how hardcore it is, anyway. There will be a 2-day workshop in Stockholm in November for those shortlisted, so I’ll know pretty soon if I make it.
I know the people over at the Stockholm KaosPilots have seen this blog, and may still be reading it – HELLO! I’ll also be meeting one current KaosPilot, Kamilla, at the Youth Enterprise Symposium this weekend, and I’ll have tea with Michael Doneman, a KaosPilots board member and founder of Edgeware who also happens to be a postgrad in my faculty. How convenient. I can’t wait to pick their brains and find out what they’re all about.
Do you have any more information on the KaosPilots? Please share them to me, because they’re awesome and I want to know more. Otherwise, watch this video to see how awesome they are: (you might need to amp up the volume on your computer, as the video’s volume is very soft)
Tiara Shafiq, 23. Malaysia/Australia/World Citizen. Feels that there is more to education than grades on paper. Wants to support young people's passions.
