People often ask me how I, a business communications lecturer at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, have ended up developing a cross-IU network centered on Ghana, a relatively small country in West Africa. The best answer is that challenges often open doors to unexpected opportunities and places you never anticipated. This would not have been possible without the support of partners across IU and around the world.

Kathy Armengol Fisher. Photo courtesy of the Kelley School of BusinessAt the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was the Business Presentations course case lead for our fundamental case competition. When our corporate partner had to withdraw due to pandemic-related issues, I was tasked with finding a new client quickly.

Faculty had expressed interest in an international client with a meaningful mission. I reached out to the Kelley Institute for Social Impact, which connected me to the nonprofit Global Mamas, a long-standing partner based in Ghana. Global Mamas’ mission is to “create prosperity for African women and their families” through small business development and international sales of hand-crafted fair-trade clothing, home goods and skincare products.

Ghana, a country I knew very little about, became a country I wanted to learn everything about. Over the next two years, I worked with Global Mamas to develop semester-long case projects that asked students to create business solutions for the organization. These cases gave students hands-on experience and taught them about Ghanaian culture and business practices.

Throughout the partnership, more than 11,500 Kelley School students participated and several entrepreneurial ideas were implemented into Global Mamas’ operations. For example, one student team proposed switching to environmentally sustainable packaging using coconut shells. This is how Global Mamas now packages their skincare line.

With a desire to expand IU’s connections in Ghana and strengthen future case competitions, I traveled to Ghana in 2023, using funds I had saved in my professional development account. I interviewed the Global Mamas leadership team, toured their Fair Trade Zone manufacturing facility and led communication workshops for the “Mamas” to improve public speaking and feedback skills.

Global Mamas now packages its skincare products in environmentally sustainable coconut shells after the idea was proposed by a team of students from the Kelley School of Business. Photo courtesy of Kathy Armengol Fisher

My experience inspired me to develop a course through the Kelley Global Foundations Core called “Doing Business in Sub-Saharan Africa,” with a focus on Ghana. Africa is home to many of the world’s fastest-growing economies; I hoped to expand learning opportunities in this dynamic market. The IU Center for the Study of Global Change played a pivotal role by awarding me the International Curriculum Development Grant, which supports internationalization and the integration of global learning outcomes in teaching and learning.

I connected with other IU programs focused on Africa, including the IU Ghana Gateway, the African Studies Program and the Africa Business Club, as well as the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. I gained a deeper understanding of Ghana though these connections and wanted my students to benefit from their expertise and insights.

I welcomed Ghanaian graduate students with business experience. The academic director of the IU Ghana Gateway, Samuel Obeng, contributed to the class. Most recently, through a partnership between the Kelley School and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, I facilitated a cross-university interactive Zoom session on cross-cultural competence and communication in global business.

As I established new connections in Ghana, I continued to nurture ones I had made during my visit. Months before my trip, I had been introduced to Dean Anthony Amoah from Ghana’s University of Environment and Sustainable Development, who was visiting the O’Neill School. When I learned that his campus was a mere 20 minutes from the Fair Trade Zone, I invited him to visit the site with me.

Amoah said he was impressed with the facility and by Global Mamas’ meticulous commitment to sustainability. Almost immediately he envisioned ways his university could support their mission. With great excitement, we discussed a collaborative learning experience where his students could help Global Mamas locally and IU students could provide solutions from afar.

Fisher, middle, connected O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs associate professor Jennifer Brass, right of Fisher, to students from Ghana's University of Environment and Sustainable Development. Photo courtesy of Kathy Armengol FisherAt the same time, I introduced Global Mamas to O’Neill School associate professor Jennifer Brass, whose work focuses on development in Africa. She was seeking a client for the O’Neill capstone course, where students take on real-world consulting challenges with mission-driven organizations. Their partnership was a natural fit.

The successful completion of these projects for Global Mamas, alongside growing student interest in international study, led Brass and me to design a fall 2025 O’Neill Global Capstone course in collaboration with Global Mamas and the University of Environment and Sustainable Development.

With generous support from the IU African Studies Program, a Title VI National Resource Center for Africa, Brass and I traveled to Ghana in February to plan the course. We met with Global Mamas, UESD leadership and their graduate students who will collaborate with our capstone students. Together, we defined project objectives and outlined the student teams’ assignments. We also explored cultural and educational activities to enrich students’ time in Ghana.

You never know where life will take you. A sudden shift in clients for a case competition during a global pandemic set in motion what has become the most fulfilling chapter of my career. Ghanaian culture has taught me volumes about generosity, community and collaboration.

Our campus is filled with incredibly talented people and expert scholars. Cross-campus collaboration has made my work more rewarding and enhanced the learning experience for my students. I encourage faculty exploring global opportunities in teaching and course development to visit the Office of the Vice President for International Affairs website to discover how they support faculty abroad.

Kathy Armengol Fisher is a lecturer in the Kelley School of Business whose areas of expertise include business communication, cross-cultural communication, persuasive communication, student engagement, recruitment and retention, and leadership development.