dwb224 | Lehigh-in-Milan with Professor Gupta

June 27, 2022June 27, 2022

Dean Bleiler’s Blog Post #5: Week Ending 06/26/2022

Academics:

In class this week we took a trip to a company called circularity. It is a very interesting company that focuses its message on helping companies restructure in a sustainable way. They enhance production waste and train companies on how to be more economically friendly. In our other class we watched a movie on corporate social responsibility and the case Erin Brockovich conducted against Pacific Gas and Electricity company. It showed us what happens when a company knowingly pollutes the environment and the consequences they face when caught. It was really interesting seeing the research that goes into proving a company is guilty. It shows how ridiculous it is that lawyers need to work so hard to prove so much while companies are killing people.

Working in Milan:

This past week my team and I met with our project supervisors to present to them our findings in our market research. We made a presentation on the competitive landscape of the market their product is going to be launched in. They have been very satisfied with our work and believe we are giving them good information to get their product started and hit the ground running. They are going to be competing against giant corporations that have been around for years and have a lot more money than them for research and development. They want their market to start out small in just Italy and then plan to grow it by proving their product is better than their competitors.

Cultural Immersion:

This past weekend my friends and I went to Rome, Italy. There we noticed there were a lot more tourists and even Americans. There were people from just about every country in Europe. We got to see a lot of historical attractions that made the trip very memorable. Our first stop was seeing the famous colosseum. It was so interesting to learn about how it was built, especially since it was 2000 years ago. After that we went to a mass in Vatican City where we got to see Pope Francis. This was my favorite part of the whole trip. It was so peaceful and glorifying to be a part of something so special. Lastly, we went to the Trevi Fountain built in the mid 1700s. This was one of the most beautiful structures I have seen in Europe.

My friend David Alano and I at the Colosseum

June 20, 2022June 20, 2022

Dean Bleiler’s Blog Post #4: Week Ending 06/19/2022

Academics:

This week we read and discussed a real life case study that involves Apple the company. It was about mistreated employees in China. Topics covered unsuitable working conditions, unfair pay, and tedious hours. In class we discussed whether Apple’s was at fault or if it were another organization. Some students made an argument for the government in China. Others believed it to be the supplier making the products for Apple that owned the warehouse. It seemed hard to “legally” pin Apple for the embarrassing treatment of employees for they had no say in the production system or governing rules. We also discussed margins and how they might vary along with the consequences that the consumer may experience.

Schooling in Milan:

My job in Milan is getting more interesting as my team and I are shifting from market research into developing business plans and models. We have recently been additionally tasked with finding the best means of production and marketing strategies if/when the product is launched. We have been exploring market gaps and various possible areas where the developing algorithm for pathogens in plants will be most desired. We have learned a lot about competitors in the industry and have impressed our bosses with our findings. It is fun helping them and seeing how appreciative they are of our work. I am interested to see where they go in the future and if their product is a success. It’s sad that it is only the beginning phases of their product and we are already leaving so soon.

Cultural Immersion:

This weekend I traveled to Ibiza with another member of the program, Robert Lapsley. We met up with friends of ours that are currently backpacking through Europe. It was so beautiful and the beaches were unbelievable. The food there was mostly seafood, but since a lot of Europeans travel there for “holiday” they had all kinds of restaurants. I heard almost every language in Europe while we were there and few people I met actually live there year round. It was also nice because most of the people spoke Spanish which I can speak a lot better than Italian. It was a lot of fun using Spanish to communicate and navigate the island and even the people there respected me trying. I think it was my favorite trip so far because of how relaxing the scenery and daily life is on the island.

Robert Lapsley, Ben Berven, and I riding Vespa’s in Formentera

June 13, 2022

Dean Bleiler’s Blog Post #3: Week Ending 06/12/2022

Academic Strides

This week we finished watching a documentary called “The Corporation.” We learned more about corporate culture and where the government comes into involvement. Our class also started to dive into bigger social issues that arise in politics a lot. We discussed major topics in America such as gun control and abortion. It was cool because although there were differing views, people respected and listened to each other as people rather than as a monster who does not agree with them. We had very educated conversations and actually found that we agree more than we do not. I think my generation is a unique time where most people agree on social aspects of government and simply want everyone to be themselves and be happy.

Working in Milan

Working in Milan gets more fun every week. We had an in person dinner and meeting with our clients where I learned so much about my project and more. I also found that my family is from the same small town in Sicily as them called Milazzo. They were surprised and happy to find that the intern helping them is connected to their roots in Italy. It was also crazy to find out they actually know one of my cousins that I had met years ago when I was just a kid. They even told me that my cousin won Miss Italy a few years back which I had not even known. It was so much fun having dinner with them and developing a deeper relationship. It is interesting to see the difference in Italian customs to American customs when doing business. I wish that it was more normal to do something like a dinner meeting we did and form a deeper connection rather than just looking at clients as business deals that bring in money.

Cultural Immersion

This past weekend IES took us all on a trip to Cinque Terre. It translates to five lands because it is five small towns in a row on the coast of Italy that are all a 5-10 minute train from each other. It was really beautiful and perfect weather when we were there making it an awesome trip. I ate so much of their local specialty focaccia bread that is known in the area. The people there were very nice and a few friends and I even rented a boat to sleep on for the night. We stayed in a town close by called Portovenere. We had their special sea food for dinner and it was so good it would dissolve in your mouth. They told us they caught it all right in the water that our boat was on.

Weekly Selfie with my Friend David Alano

Walking to the top of the Duomo with buddy Jackson Michaels

Nap with my pal Robert Lapsley on the boat in Portovenere

June 4, 2022June 7, 2022

Dean Bleiler’s Blog Post #2: Week Ending 06/05/2022

Academic Findings:

This week in Milan our class has dove deeper into Corporate Social Responsibility. We have discovered many new terms such as “Corporate Governance,” “poison pills,” “hostile takeovers,” and many more. I have learned a lot about how companies are regulated through the SEC and government as a whole. Furthermore, I found it interesting to see how different companies can vary with their leadership roles given the same criteria to meet legally. It is like people we all have two eyes, a nose, a mouth, yet we all look so different. Companies all follow certain rules put in place by the government, but find ways to differentiate their own style of management.

Italian Internship Progression:

It has been an unbelievable experience working with Phloema’s consulting team in Milan. Sanj, Dee, and I have been conducting market research where we will present initial findings this Wednesday at a staff dinner. We have been researching the current solutions to identifying and combating harmful pathogens in plants via artificial intelligence and algorithmic strategies. The company we are working with wants to see if there is a market in Europe for a new AI system to be made or if there are already enough competitors making it difficult to get their algorithm going. Beyond that, they want us to find any holes in competitors’ current solutions that they can do better or differently.

Social and Cultural Immersion:

This week I traveled to Nice, France, which is a very nice town… It is a beautiful city on the southern coast of France about a five hour train ride from Milan. Me and a couple friends followed the Milanese tradition of going to the beach for their Republic Day celebration. It is really cool seeing cultural shifts even in short distances. Living in Pennsylvania I can drive five hours west and still be in Pennsylvania, but here driving five hours west everything from the food and language to the way people dress and greet you changes completely. It is an awesome opportunity to be exposed to so many different countries and cultures. French people have been the kindest towards Americans that I have experienced so far. The food is more exotic like snails and duck compared to Italian food. The part I like the least is finding stones on the beach in place of sand. It hurts to walk and lay by the ocean, but the people who live here bring water shoes and padded towels to avoid the hard stones.

May 28, 2022May 30, 2022

Dean Bleiler’s Blog Post #1: Week Ending 5/29/2022

Lake Zürich view from the train on the way into Zürich.

Countryside in Switzerland captured form the train.

When you are packing you think about everything you need and make sure you don’t forget any necessities. Then when you get to Milan you realize the only necessity is yourself. I have learned, experienced, and explored so much and it’s only been a week in Milan. What I’m saying is that we all entered a new world. We left our life back in America patiently waiting for us when we come back. We have been gifted this opportunity to explore the boundless world we live in that we have only experienced through movies and stories. Europe has been much of just a fairytale to most of us and now it is becoming part of our own reference and scope. I can already tell this trip is going to fly by but I am going to seize every opportunity I can along the way. During breaks from class I found pasta trucks that provide quick meals. Walking around during the day I have wandered into shops and cafes with completely different feels and styles than anything found in America. I’m writing this blog on a train through the Swiss Alps to a northern city in Switzerland called Zürich. The beautiful country side is on my left and a gorgeous lake on my right. I consider myself extremely lucky and privileged to have this opportunity especially at such a young age. The people you meet here are from all over the world and couldn’t be more friendly. I can already tell I’m not only going to learn a lot about other cultures and countries, but also about myself and my values in life.