IRRI Mexico’s Sistema Biobolsa project is developing strategies to commercialize the organic fertilizer effluent from the biodigesters. Sistema Biobolas has installed hundreds of systems in the Central México. These systems are generating an excess of potent organic fertilizer that has the potential to be commercialized and sold in local farm economies, creating a new source of sustainable income for users of this technology. IRRI Mexico’s research has discovered that this organic fertilizer is generating financial benefits to users through the displacement of chemical fertilizers and ability to revitalize depleted soils. These benefits are greater than the financial benefits realized through biodigester energy production and have the potential to provide an important income source in local communities. Biobolsa is looking for a motivated graduate or undergraduate student with a focus in sustainable business development to design a business plan that will support the creation of local and regional cooperatives that manage this valuable resource and bring it to market in a for-profit model.
IRRI’s rainwater harvesting project, Isla Urbana, is looking for a talented and enthusiastic business students interested in social entrepreneurship to create a financial plan to create a paramount for-profit-business that a percentage of its profits will be donated to install rainwater-harvesting systems for low-income families. This will allow Isla Urbana to reach its goal of installing rainwater-harvesting systems in all of Mexico City in order to promote water independence in Mexico City. This exciting opportunity will include the opportunity to create a pitch book in order to attract social venture capitalists and angel investors. This intern will also do an analysis of the potential customers and competition and an economic analysis about a sustainable technology that could change how the world manages their water through rainwater harvesting. The Isla Urbana team has also created different filters and rainwater harvesting components that an interested sales representative could help build a sales department in order to allow the feasibility of architects and engineers to implement rainwater harvesting into their projects.
Desired skills:
- MBA/business student
- Interest in business administration and entrepreneurship
- Creativity
- Good Spanish speaking and writing abilities
Main responsibilities:
- Propose a selling plan for rainwater harvesting systems
- Create a pitch book
- Implement aspects of social entrepreneurship