Now that my time in Morocco is over, I can’t help but look back on it fondly. Yes, we did the site visits, saw amazing companies, walked through the souks, tried incredible food, and learned about entrepreneurship, culture, and business. But when I think about the photo that best represents my time here, it is…
Author: Sai.M
Build ladder and Breaking Doors
Today started at 9:30 after having a delicious piece of shortbread, a croissant, and some Moroccan tea. We then got onto the bus and headed to our first event, where we met with ANDD. Their focus was on supporting women entrepreneurs through workshops, training, and community building. In that way, they were similar to a…
AI and the changing world
Today was a great day. I got up, grabbed a delicious breakfast, and headed to Technopark Rabat. It was really interesting meeting the local companies there. At first, I thought it was just another Technopark, but it turned out to be a different company, MCISE, renting space within the park. Even though they were separate…
Entrepreneurship and Dancing Days
Today started with me waking up and getting to the CCCL by 9:00. Once we got there, we had a talk with Farah, the head of the CCCL. She told us about her journey into entrepreneurship and how growing up in Morocco, she still felt the effects of colonization in everyday life. I thought that…
Behind the Bargain
Before getting into the actual blog, today was a really hands-on day. I started my morning at 7 packing up my suitcases with all the stuff I’ve bought so far before heading down for breakfast and getting on the bus. We then went to the women’s cooperative, where we got a quick lesson on its…
Palaces and haggling
Today was a very chill day. After getting up and enjoying an amazing breakfast, we went on a tour of the city as our schedule got swapped. We went to see the place where I got to enjoy the builders’ architecture and craftsmanship in the infrastructure. We then had lunch, a traditional Moroccan meal, followed…
Coding, Competition, and the Future of Morocco
Today started early, getting up at 6 a.m. to prepare for a packed day of site visits. We had three total visits today, with one being a joint visit between UM6P and 1337 Coding School. By 8 a.m. we were on the road to Casablanca, arriving at Technopark around 10. Technopark was fascinating because it…
From Artisans to Entrepreneurs
Today was honestly a much more relaxed day compared to some of the others so far. We started with the Anou lecture focused on women artisans and small enterprise development, then had our Marrakech orientation to prepare for the next stage of the trip. After classes, I came back, had lunch, rested for a bit,…
Learning the People, Not Just the Place
Before getting into the topics from today, a little about the day itself. This morning started off simply with another breakfast of bread and almond butter, this time with honey, before heading off to learn about religion and human rights in Morocco. After the lecture and discussions, I came back and took a quick power…
Fez, Friends and Bargaining
Day 3 Today was an all-around phenomenal day! In the morning, after making my way to the CCCL, we got started with our language lessons, learning some basic phrases in Arabic and Darija. Up to “hi hello” and “where are you from?” I was doing amazing! Then questions got thrown in, and it quickly fell…
From The Mosque To The Medina
“Life in Rabat moves at a calmer, more organized pace than many people expect from a capital city. In the mornings, cafés fill with people drinking mint tea or coffee before work, while students and professionals move through the city using trams, taxis, and crowded sidewalks near government offices and universities. The city blends modern…
Out Of The Skies To The City
Day 1 Casablanca After landing, when you have traveled so often, your first instinct is always to hit the ground running. After getting off the plane, it was odd to just wait and take a moment. Getting through customs and getting what shocked me was how similar everything was. The air reminded me of getting…
From the forests to the Deserts
Sairam! My name is Sai-Pranav Malyala, and I’m a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh studying Business Information Systems and Finance. I’m from Monroeville, Pennsylvania, about 20 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. Growing up, many people I looked up to went to Pitt, so when I got into Pitt Business, I knew it was the right…