Experiential Learning Offers Leaders a Pathway to Shared Value

“Rather than marketing solutions to build the coolest and newest applications, we need to help the telecommunications providers build and manage reliable networks.” In 2013, Matt Berry spent three weeks in Nigeria as part of IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge. For Berry, who was Director of Marketing for IBM Mobile First at the time, he experienced a number of light bulb moments over the course of his assignment. “The company that can guarantee 24/7 coverage,” said Berry, “will blow away the competition.” This critical insight was sparked when he witnessed someone pull four mobile phones from their bag to make a call. All Nigerian network providers, they explained, were unreliable. When one provider went down, they would pick up the next phone.

During his assignment, Matt began to see hidden opportunities in everyday occurrences like these that would not have been evident from his New York office. Before his project in Nigeria, he learned about the realities facing businesses and communities in Tanzania, where he had participated in a pro bono assignment two years earlier through IBM’s Corporate Service Corps. These experiences led to a fundamental mindset shift and influenced Matt’s approach to doing business in Africa and other emerging geographies.

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