The Customer Interaction Debrief Session held on Thursday, 15th May 2025, at Strathmore University Business School (SBS) was a powerful moment of connection and learning between MBA students from Harvard Business School (HBS) and SBS. The session brought together 66 visiting HBS students and a select group of SBS MBA students for a dynamic exchange of ideas rooted in real-world consumer insights from Nairobi.
At the heart of the session was an engaging conversation about market trends, cultural nuances, and customer behavior. The HBS teams in Nairobi, as part of their FIELD Global Capstone (FGC) program, spent the week working closely with local companies to explore consumer-facing innovation. During the debrief at SBS, they presented the insights and observations they had gathered through interviews and field visits across the city. The SBS students in turn contributed their local knowledge and first-hand consumer experiences, helping the HBS teams test assumptions and sharpen their recommendations.
This cross-cultural dialogue proved immensely enriching for both groups. For the HBS students, it provided an opportunity to validate their findings and gain a deeper understanding of the Kenyan market. For the SBS students, it was a chance to engage with global peers, reflect critically on local business challenges, and showcase the depth of insight from living and working within the local context.
The debrief was part of the broader FIELD Global Capstone, a mandatory course for first-year HBS MBA students designed to strengthen their ability to operate effectively in diverse business environments. This year, student teams were embedded with 11 Nairobi-based companies across various sectors, including Tropical Heat, Vivo Fashion, Zeraki, Care 360, Centonomy, Space & Style, Naivas, Konnekt Networks, Prudential, Victoria Courts, and MYDAWA. Each team worked on a consumer-focused innovation challenge, gathering data and developing ideas over the week.
No prior preparation was required of SBS students, whose role as local experts was central to the session’s success. Their authentic insights helped bring context and depth to the HBS students’ fieldwork, while the interaction fostered mutual respect, critical reflection, and international friendship.
The evening concluded with an informal networking reception, giving students from both institutions the chance to connect further and reflect on their shared learning journey.
The session underscored the value of academic collaboration and global exposure in business education. It reaffirmed SBS’s role as a key hub for international engagement and practical learning and highlighted the potential of peer-to-peer dialogue in shaping thoughtful, culturally aware business leaders.
Article by Joseph Wanjohi
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