T’24s Hope Matthews and Yalcin Oney reflect on their Tuck Global Insight Expedition (GIX) experiences. Hope joined Professor Diederik Vandewalle’s Technology, Science, and Culture in Taiwan course, while Yalcin explored Sustainability in the French Agriculture Sector with Professor Bill Martin.
Hope Matthews T’24
What interested you about the GIX location and topic?
The theme of our GIX was “Technology, Science, and Culture in Taiwan.” While the trip felt like a natural fit given my career in technology and lifelong interest in science, the aspect of the trip that was most interesting to me was the location. As an infant, I was adopted from China and raised in Connecticut. I hadn’t yet been back to Asia to visit, so it felt like this was a perfect opportunity.
What site visits, tours, meetings, and/or people were most impactful for you during the GIX?
Two highlights of the trip that stand out in my memory are our visit to Google Taipei and our local tour guides, Andrew and Greg.
Our first company visit was to Google Taipei where we were kindly hosted by Jonathan Wang T’18. It was really interesting to hear about his experience living in Taipei and working at Google post-Tuck. I also appreciated the opportunity to observe similarities and differences between the Google NYC office that I visited and the Google office in the Taipei 101 building. During this visit, we also were joined by Peter Kurz D’79, who shared a presentation on the history and background of Taiwan. It was extremely helpful to have this introduction on our first day, as it set the stage for the rest of our trip. Above all, I found it fascinating to find parts of Tuck and Dartmouth on the literal other side of the world, and it emphasized to me the enduring strength of the Tuck bond.
The second highlight of the trip was getting to know our local tour guides, Andrew and Greg. They accompanied us on all parts of our journey and made an amazing trip even better. It was interesting to hear about their experiences growing up and living in Taiwan. I appreciated gaining their perspective and learning from them about a range of different topics, including the political system, using public transportation, and their favorite traditional dishes we simply had to try during our visit. They are both very knowledgeable and could not have been more generous. Andrew’s energy and humor combined with Greg’s kindness and caring spirit made the trip so much fun, and everyone was sincerely touched by their enthusiasm and hospitality.
The first company visit was to Google Taipei, where the group was hosted by Jonathan Wang T’18
Share one ah-ha moment during your GIX.
My ah-ha moment in Taiwan was that, while it’s natural for people to make assumptions, the best way to challenge these assumptions is by interacting with one another. As I mentioned, I was born in China but adopted as an infant by Caucasian parents and raised in the United States. It was an interesting experience traveling in Asia as someone who looks fully Chinese, but doesn’t speak any Mandarin and doesn’t have any cultural ties to the region. Never having experienced this before, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into it. Several times, locals would start speaking to me in Mandarin, even if I was surrounded by my non-Asian classmates, and I’d imagine I gave them what looked like a very blank expression before asking, “Do you speak English?” Some looked surprised when it became clear that I didn’t understand, and I felt bad having to admit it. However, everyone we met was very kind and respectful.
The people our group met on the GIX couldn’t immediately tell which of us spoke Mandarin just as we couldn’t tell off the bat who knew how to speak English. However, through simple interactions and conversations, we broke down barriers and learned how to challenge these language assumptions.
What should prospective students know about the GIX and/or TuckGO requirement?
I highly recommend going on a GIX! Especially a trip to a location you may be unfamiliar with or with a group you might not know super well. It is an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture and a great way to connect with classmates who share your interests. On the trip, I had the chance to connect with some classmates whom I hadn’t interacted with much at Tuck. It provided a fun, casual, yet structured opportunity to get to know them much better. My GIX was a highlight of my time at Tuck—I left with a fresh perspective, deepened friendships, and a newfound appreciation for the people and country of Taiwan.
Hope Matthews is a second-year student at Tuck. Prior to Tuck, she received her undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Middlebury College and subsequently worked in Product Management at Discovery, Inc. (now Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.) for four years. At Tuck, Hope is a Fellow with the Center for Digital Strategies, a Tuck Admissions Associate, and a co-chair for both the Golf Club and the Squash Club.
Yalcin Oney T’24
What interested you about the GIX location and topic?
Spending the summer working on a carbon abatement project during my consulting internship sparked a deep interest in the agriculture sector’s role in sustainability initiatives. The client I assisted focused on creating carbon abatement opportunities in its supply chain through regenerative farming practices adopted by its farmer partners, using a method known as carbon in-setting. The client then sold its products to its customers with the inset attached to the product as a price premium.
This exposure made me want to dive into how companies operating in or servicing the agriculture sector in a large EU nation like France navigate and comply with sustainability regulations, while also honoring national traditions with sustainability initiatives. Further, I wanted to explore strategies for bridging the gap between sustainability solutions and business profitability.
What site visits, tours, meetings, and/or people were most impactful for you during the GIX?
I wanted to learn more about how entities strategize when it comes to future-proofing their businesses. Potential solutions were introduced by Cristal Union Company, a sugar beet producer, and Kroptek, a mushroom producer. Both companies have figured out a way to fully utilize the by-products of their production.
Kroptek, for instance, grows mushrooms in its agro-startup incubator. The company gets paid to pick up coffee grounds from various businesses in Paris, which it uses as fertilizer for the mushrooms. Only 10% of the residue is usable for the mushrooms, still proving to be cost-effective. Instead of discarding the 90%, Kroptek has plans to sell it to replace firewood because coffee residue burns longer. The company’s mushrooms need six weeks to grow. Certain mushrooms are not good enough to sell to corporate clients, which end up being sold to the general public as a fertilizer for their home-urban farms. I was extremely impressed by both these companies and firmly believe that their business models should serve as an example for entrepreneurs who want to start companies in any field.
What is a key takeaway from this experience? What have you learned?
Engaging conversations with two of our hosts revealed that without adequate government support and guidance, or a corresponding rise in customer willingness to pay for more sustainable products, producers face challenges in transitioning to sustainability solutions such as regenerative farming without experiencing a decline in profitability. During our talk with a French farmer, who happened to be a Tuckie’s uncle, we learned that certain regenerative farming practices have the potential to deplete the soil of important elements, leading to issues like pest infestations that could harm the business.
Additionally, our conversation with the owners of Champagne Valerie & Gael Dupont revealed that the “no-till” practice they switched to has decreased their yield, even though certain costs such as fuel have decreased. Considering all the factors discussed, including the impact of climate change which is expected to make more farmland in the northern part of Europe suitable for wine and other produce, the French producers might have to find alternative ways to enhance their environmental sustainability.
Do you think this experience will be valuable for your post-Tuck career? How and why?
After completing my MBA at Tuck, I will start a career as a management consultant. Looking into Cristal Union and Kroptek, I will now focus on how clients can utilize by-products as efficiently as these two companies. This is key to improving profitability, by either decreasing costs or increasing revenues. It is also a stepping stone to a more sustainable business, which will attract more and more talent going forward, given that the next generations tend to care more about the environment than the previous ones. Lastly, the France GIX took my journey to learn more about sustainability initiatives in developed European nations and in the U.S. to the next level. Building on what I learned during the France GIX will undoubtedly help me in my career.
Yalcin Oney is a second-year student at Tuck. Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkiye, he moved to the U.S. in 2014 after obtaining a bachelor’s in economics. Since then, he lived in New York, Washington D.C., Toronto, and Hanover. His career as an economist, a start-up founder, and an internal consultant for local government projects in sustainability led him to apply for an MBA at Tuck. Post-graduation, he will be pursuing a career in management consulting, and he wants to work with clients in different industries and on projects that have a sustainability angle.
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