A few days before the start of the spring semester, Cal Poly Pomona MBA students traded their laptops for handsaws, cutting down 10-foot invasive trees on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. The experience marked a hands-on extension of lessons first introduced in the College of Business Administration’s (CBA) Sustainable Development in Marketing Service Learning course, GBA 6400S.
The graduate-level course, taught by adjunct professor Lydia Chen Shah (’01), challenges MBA students to examine the intersection of sustainability, community, and business strategy. During the fall semester, students partnered with a Los Angeles farm to develop marketing plans and recommendations. While impactful, much of that work took place in virtual meetings and in-person sessions on campus.
Chen Shah sought to expand the applied learning component of the course by creating a five-day study away experience aligned with Cal Poly Pomona’s polytechnic, become-by-doing mission. “The Study Away on Kauai program is a powerful service-learning immersion. It offers students unique opportunities for leading beyond business as usual. By developing communities of practice focusing on land stewardship and cultural preservation, they contribute to sustainable solutions in a real-world setting,” Chen Shah said.
Kauai’s economy depends heavily on tourism, presenting a complex business environment where profitability, community well-being, and environmental stewardship must coexist. The setting offered MBA students an opportunity to apply classroom frameworks to real-world challenges.
During the trip, students partnered with the Waipa Foundation to remove invasive silver oak trees as part of a voluntourism initiative. They toured cacao groves and explored value-added agricultural production at Lydgate Farms, where they sampled Hawaiian-origin chocolate and discussed supply chain and branding considerations. The group also collaborated with Friends of Kamalani & Lydgate Park to collect trash and microplastics along the shoreline, gaining insight into the environmental costs of tourism and consumption.
Throughout the week, students analyzed eco-tourism models, discussed strategies for scaling mission-driven enterprises, and evaluated the broader economic and social impacts of growth on island communities.
For MBA student Emia Arenas, the experience underscored the importance of experiential learning in graduate business education. “On our trip to Kauai, I learned how complex it is to balance tourism, economic growth and environmental preservation. Seeing sustainability in action made the concepts we study feel real and community centered,” Arenas said. “It’s important for MBA students to step outside the classroom because real-world exposure helps us understand the human impact behind business decisions.”
The study away program reflects the CBA’s commitment to preparing future leaders who can integrate strategy with social and environmental responsibility. By combining academic rigor with immersive fieldwork, the MBA program continues to showcase curriculum that advances Cal Poly Pomona’s polytechnic approach, equipping students to lead with purpose in diverse and dynamic business environments.
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