Skot Welch
Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI
Trip: South Africa
Degree: MBA
Profession: Principal, Global Bridgebuilder
My Experience
According to the Dr. Vijay Mahajan and his book Africa Rising, Africa is the next emerging economy. With over 900 million consumers on the ground, it is easy to understand why investment in this continent continues to grow – not as recipients of aid but as partners in trade. But even more specifically, God is doing great things in the nation of South Africa. From its’ Apartheid past to its World Cup present, South Africa is quickly becoming the gateway to the continent. As a leader of the Global Business Leadership Center, I believe that it is imperative for our students to grapple, from a faith perspective, with the notion of a complex marketplace where injustices are still obvious but where hope, determination and the entrepreneurial spirit is just as obvious. God has a heart for the marketplace and South Africa, in my opinion, offers students the unique opportunity to see how the church, government, education and business are all working together to create a very bright and collaborative future. God is up to something special in South Africa.