Uzbekistan Business Leaders Visit LJCDS

On September 28, a delegation of business leaders from Uzbekistan visited LJCDS while in San Diego as part of a national tour, including stops in Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas. The San Diego Diplomacy Council hosted the 24 fellows selected for the Uzbekistan Business Leaders Program for their four-day visit. The group also met with San Diego companies and the business chamber, attended workshops and toured the U.S.–Mexico border.

 

Their time at LJCDS was focused on learning more about the Design and Innovation program and meeting student innovators and entrepreneurs. Specifically, the delegates were curious about how students are taught to be entrepreneurs and develop products. Head of School Gary Krahn, Ph.D., and Director of Design and Innovation Dan Lenzen spoke to the group before they visited tables with student projects. Design and Innovation students proudly shared their inventions, answered questions and received feedback, and realized how their products could be used worldwide. The fellows included multiple educators and school leaders, a director of an entrepreneurship lab, an international relations manager of a technology park, and founders and CEOs of various companies.

 

“The delegates from Uzbekistan shared how their culture highly values tea, which allowed for an instantaneous connection and an invaluable perspective,” shares Henry Timmermann ’22, co-creator of Brewstop, a magnetic tea/coffee steeping lid. “The delegates shared their own personal experiences with tea and how they could use Brewstop on a daily basis. It was inspiring to hear how Brewstop could be integrated into an important aspect of their culture instead of just being another product. As we move forward, we plan to integrate the small changes they advised and hope to keep in contact with them.”

 

The Uzbekistan Business Leaders Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by American Councils for International Education. It is one of several professional exchange programs that encourage participants to gain a deeper understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation in the U.S. and provide the skills, knowledge and inspiration to compete in the global market.