Master of Arts in International Business Administration
Frontier Market Scouts (FMS) Assignment: First Light Ventures – Mumbai, India Ravi Kurani is from Riverside, California and attended the University of California, Riverside (UCR). He received his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Energy and Environment. Ravi worked with numerous engineering associations while at UCR and most notably worked on a project with NASA Dryden, testing the efficiencies of jet engines to lower effluents and pollutants. While at NASA Dryden, he published a paper for the SPACE Center at CSULA titled “The Effect of Swirl Number on Particle Emissions in a Combustion Chamber.” Ravi also worked with the Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT), and helped research how pollutants affect the environment. Ravi gained his interest in international development and business during two expeditions he took to Peru and Brazil, where he worked at an orphanage to provide basic medical care and educational supplies. At UCR, Ravi helped form an organization called International Service and Global Impact (ISAGI), which aimed to bring awareness to volunteerism during study abroad programs. Mr. Kurani attended the Monterey Institute of International Studies and graduated in May 2011 with his Masters in Business Administration in International Finance. At MIIS, Ravi was the student council MBA representative and helped spearhead the MBA Student Association (MBASA). Ravi has also participated in a project with Citrix | Online to present an international launch for their web-based cloud products. Ravi just recently finished an assignment in Mumbai, India with the Frontier Market Scouts (FMS) program at MIIS and First Light Ventures (FLV). While in India, he worked with Dasra Social Impact and Under the Mango Tree to expand their operational efficiencies and implement the Village Capital program sponsored by FLV. Clarifying, Dasra Social Impact is a summit and entrepreneur cell, which helps social entrepreneurs launch their services, products, and ideas. Under the Mango Tree is a hybrid social enterprise, which uses bee-boxes and revenues from organic honey to aide poor farmers in developing rural communities. Ravi is currently working with the GLOBE Center to study feasibility on the profitability and efficiencies of Aquaponics Systems, which combine traditional aquaculture with hydroponics for rural communities. Ravi is also working with HUB Ventures, in The Bay Area (SoMa), on refinement of stakeholders and development of the social enterprise space. Ravi is also studying for a certificate in Sustainable Energy and Storage Conversion from Stanford University.
