Coming into this trip, I thought sustainability mostly meant things like recycling and renewable energy. After spending time in Costa Rica though, I realized sustainability is way more connected to business, tourism, agriculture, culture, and everyday life than I originally thought. My project theme focused on multinational corporations and sustainability, and throughout the trip I kept noticing how businesses here try to balance profit with people, community, and the environment at the same time. Sustainability in Costa Rica does not really feel like a separate business strategy rather it feels built into how a lot of companies and communities operate naturally.

One of the visits that expanded my understanding the most was seeing Kyndryl and Dos Pinos back-to-back because they represented two completely different business models. Kyndryl showed how multinational corporations can positively impact Costa Rica through jobs, technology, and global opportunities. I still remember hearing about how employees constantly collaborate with people from countries like Poland, Brazil, Peru, India, and China and learn different approaches to problem solving from different cultures. At the same time, they also talked a lot about sustainability goals like reducing water consumption, being careful about AI energy usage, and planting over 300,000 trees through partnerships. Then later that same day, Dos Pinos felt completely different because the cooperative is owned by Costa Rican farmers themselves. Learning that it started with only 25 farmers in 1947 and now works with around 1,900 farms really showed how successful community-centered businesses can become. Seeing those two companies on the same day made me realize businesses can create value in completely different ways while still positively impacting Costa Rica.

Another experience that really stuck with me was Café Britt because it completely changed the way I think about marketing. Before visiting, I never really thought about how companies market culture itself. Throughout the tour, everything was intentionally designed to connect visitors to Costa Rica through coffee. Even small things, like smelling the roasted beans during demonstrations, hearing stories about Costa Rican coffee culture, and constantly getting samples throughout the tour made people emotionally connected to the products before even entering the gift shop. As a marketing major, I found that really interesting because even though we all knew we were being marketed to, it still felt genuine and memorable. I also thought it was interesting learning about all the logistics challenges they face internationally with shipping, taxes, and entering markets like Mexico and the Middle East. It showed me that global business is way more complicated than just selling products internationally.

Sibö Chocolate was probably one of the visits that impacted me the most overall because it made sustainability feel personal instead of just theoretical. I still remember being shocked that cacao fruit tasted almost watermelon-like while the seed itself was extremely bitter before going through the fermenting and roasting process. What stood out to me most though was how intentional every single decision felt. The founders wanted to keep more of the value of cacao production inside Costa Rica instead of exporting raw materials elsewhere, and even things like reusing cacao shells in packaging reflected that mindset. I also remember hearing how they prioritize conservation and ethical sourcing even when it costs more money. That visit honestly changed the way I think about business because before this trip I never really realized how much businesses can shape industries and communities just through small decisions they make every day.

The pineapple plantation and other agrotourism experiences also completely changed the way I look at agriculture. Before Costa Rica, I honestly never thought much about where products like coffee, chocolate, or pineapples actually come from or how much labor goes into producing them. Seeing workers fully covered in protective clothing because pineapple plants can cut up their skin and hearing about the long hours working in intense heat made me understand why younger generations are becoming more interested in tourism instead of farming. At the same time, I realized how smart agrotourism is because it allows farms to diversify income while also educating visitors about agriculture and sustainability. I also do not think I will ever eat pineapple the same again after trying it fresh there because it honestly ruined grocery store pineapple for me forever.

Arenal Mundo Aventura also expanded my understanding of sustainability because it showed how tourism can directly fund conservation. Before visiting, I honestly never thought about how expensive protecting rainforest land actually is. AMA uses activities like ziplining and rappelling as the revenue source that helps protect and reforest over 560 hectares of rainforest, while only around 10% of the land is actually used for operations. That visit really made me think about the tradeoff involved in ecotourism. Tourism can put pressure on nature, but it can also create one of the strongest financial reasons to actually preserve it instead of destroying it for something else. I also liked that they incorporated the Maleku cultural experience because it showed how sustainability can involve protecting culture and community too, not just the environment.

One of the biggest things I noticed throughout the trip was how much Costa Rica values diversification and adaptability. I saw this with renewable energy, tourism, agriculture, and business models the entire trip. Costa Rica does not rely on only one energy source, one industry, or one approach to sustainability. Seeing all 106 wind turbines in the Monteverde region made Costa Rica’s renewable energy goals feel way more real to me, but I also learned they cannot rely on wind alone because the turbines only run when needed to supplement energy demand. I noticed the same idea at Café Monteverde too. The cooperative originally focused mainly on coffee and dairy, but later expanded into tourism and educational programs like Life Monteverde. Throughout the trip, I kept seeing examples of businesses adapting in ways that support long-term sustainability instead of only short-term profit.

Overall, this trip definitely changed the way I think about business and sustainability, especially as a marketing major. Before coming here, I mostly thought about business success in terms of growth, branding, and profitability. Now I think much more about how businesses affect communities, culture, employees, and the environment at the same time. Some of the businesses we visited were successful not because they tried to become giant corporations, but because they stayed connected to Costa Rican culture, local communities, and sustainability. I think one of the biggest things I will take away from this trip is that businesses do not have to choose between being profitable and being responsible. Costa Rica showed me that businesses can still grow and succeed while also creating long-term value for people and the environment, and I honestly think that perspective will stay with me long after leaving.