A Time for Growth: International Business Society Continues to Make an Impact After 10 years

FIU'sencouraging students to get hands-on experience on what the real business world is about.

Contributing Writer / Sophia Medina

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, FIU’s International Business Honor Society continues helping students to develop as business leaders.

The organization which is celebrating their 10-year anniversary, focuses on areas such as financing, sales, product development and marketing, encouraging students to get hands-on experience on what the real business world is about. 

When members aren’t helping students gain professional knowledge or new insights into the business industry, they work on ways to help the women in a small village in India called Bandhwari. 

In a co-op benefit with the Incentive Foundation, the organization has created The Bandhwari Project, an initiative that helps women gain business skills while providing the resources they need to flourish.

“We help women of Bandhwari break out of the cycle of poverty because it’s a rural village and they cannot work,” says Kristina Khudiakova, president of the IBHS

The inclusive club provides the women of Bandhwari with the financial means to buy saris, a female garment worn in India. 

“The caste system and their husbands are not letting them work; they have no source of income, said Khudiakova. “We provide the opportunity for them to work and do something that profits them.”

With the clothing, they are able to create fun and useful accessories such as bags, scrunchies, headbands, passport holders, and more. 

Once they’ve been created, the organization transports the products to the United States to sell.  The profits they earn go back to the village of Bandhwari.

The initiative not only helps the women of Bandhwari, but members of the organization too. 

This is one of the reasons why IBHS is so unique, according to Camila Guitierrez, VP of IBHS. 

“What differentiates us most from other business organizations is, with the project, we separate it into different committees, such as fundraising, marketing, sales, community product development, and committee sponsorship,” Guitierrez said.  

This fall semester, the student organization is hosting a special sales competition. 

Due to the early closure of the university in March, they were left with products made by the Bandhwari women that were unable to be sold. 

This brought about the unique idea to create the competition, as it will not only help the project but students as well. 

The sales competition develops students’ sales skills and gives them the chance to network with other business advocates .

Anyone can choose to participate, even if they’re not a member. 

However, students must attend at least one general meeting this semester to qualify. The first of the semester will take place Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 5 p.m.

The person to make the most sales will win a special trip to India. All costs, excluding the airfare, will be covered by the organization. 

Students can join the organization by attending a general meeting held by IBHS throughout the semester. 

Once they attend their first meeting, they are automatically added to a point system that observes the productive work they do for the community. 

Points are added by attending general meetings, doing community service, participating in fundraisers and attending social events. 

Clavin Mittra, fundraiser director of IBHS, shares what it’s like to be part of the team. 

“We don’t want students to just walk into our organization and just feel like, Oh man, they’re just going to give us a lecture on business formulas,” said Mittra. 

According to Mittra, they don’t follow a usual corporate lifestyle. 

“What we do is we try to make it like a hang out,” he said. “That’s why we have committees. Whatever you’re interested in, you don’t have to be part of a single community committee in our organization.”

There are plans for the organization to create further developments, including their newest project, The Alumni Network. 

This will allow students at FIU to partner with International Business Alumni and be mentored in anything business-related. 

The program is expected to launch Sept. 9.


Students can find more information on the sales competition on the official International Business Honor Society website and Instagram.

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