From Startup to Global in 4 Years - Show #94

Ben Welbourn, a partner at Verto Education, tells a great story about how they’ve developed a study abroad program that could become the largest university in the world. 

He and his two partners worked in the student exchange industry and saw the opportunity for developing a program that offered an affordable, safe place with experiential learning for high school graduates to spend their first university semester abroad. For anyone who has been abroad, you know the benefits from visiting other countries – learning about cultures, connecting with people different from you, being exposed to languages, and experiencing new foods, sights, sounds and situations. The United States has a low level of passport ownership and travel is seen as something you don’t need.  Yet, by realizing people share similar wants and needs around the world, countries can develop more fellowship and peace. 

The lack of international experience of 17- and 18-year-old young adults combined with their needing to pick an expensive college and decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives, inspired a great idea in the founding team of Verto.  

They understood that international and experiential learning in a foreign country could open new possibilities and expose young adults to opportunities they might not have considered. 

And they knew that they had to provide a safe, high-quality learning environment so parents would be supportive. 

With this great vision, the team set out to sell to their many audiences: 

• Stressed students in their senior year of high school 
• Distrustful parents who care about child’s next steps 
• Counselors and education consultants with influence 
• Universities to accept the students after their first semester
• Professors to teach 
• Health and Safety operators to keep everyone safe 
• Locations around the world for local facilities 

By pulling all these audiences together, they had 8 students attend in 2018.  By 2022, they have 800 students enrolled.  The program has expanded to 6 countries in 4 years and they have ambitious plans to open in other countries in the future! 

In the episode, you’ll hear about the strategy for how they picked their first markets, why they ended up where they are now, and how Covid had a lot to do with a change in locations.   

Ben admits that knowing what he knows now about the launch and then the pandemic, he doesn’t want to go through those times again.  

Currently, they recruit students in the United States and include students from other countries as they hear about the program and apply.  For now, they are not marketing in other countries but they plan to in the future.  They also plan on opening up other Learning Centers around the world. 

Their professors are from quality institutions in the US and the local countries.  Many who come for a semester decide to stay on full time even if they were tenure tracked in their prior institution. 

In a prior episode, #14 with Brittany Cooper, she talks about how her old company tried to open too fast in too many countries and how that brought them down.  This episode is a nice contrast on how to open fast yet be flexible, adapt and be successful. 

Another good episode is #09 with Stephanie Hendricks who talks about their strategy for market expansion.  Another one to listen to if you are considering new global markets. 

Listen till the end when Ben tells the story of his favorite foreign word in Bosnian, olabaviti which means relax or loosen-up. 

 

Full Disclosure from Wendy – my son is in Costa Rica on the Verto Education program and loving it.  I am so impressed with the whole program – the professors are good, the location is great, the support team is phenomenal, the communication is fantastic, and my son is getting international experience with a group of fabulous young adults.  Next semester he is thinking about going to another country.  After that he plans on going to one of their partner schools.  I am a HUGE fan of Verto Education. 

 

Links: 

www.vertoeducation.org  

 

Connect with Wendy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendypease/ 

Connect with Ben - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwelbourn/  

Music: Fiddle-De-Dee by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com