Stanford GSB: Stanford Business August 2000

PEOPLE LIVING IN DEVELOPING countries are "dying of market failure," Joelle Tanguy, the U.S. executive director of Médecins Sans Frontières, told a Business School audience in late March.

These populations are dying because of inadequate disease research and overpriced drugs, said Tanguy, whose organization is trying to encourage partnerships between pharmaceutical firms and governments to address the problem. "We need to convince them that this is good business in the short and long run."

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for its efforts to aid victims of war, disease, and disasters. Tanguy, who attended the School in 1981-82 on her way to an MBA from France's Institut Superieur des Affaires, got involved with the international agency after working in Silicon Valley for seven years.

Tanguy signed on for what she thought would be a short-term assignment in Armenia, but found herself hopping from hot spot to hot spot for the next five years. Six years ago she moved to New York to direct the U.S. arm of the group, which now operates on a yearly budget exceeding $300 million.

Humanitarian work can give you a big rush, she told the standing-room audience. "There's more adrenaline there than in launching a product. Lending your relief sometimes feels like a victory even more than a wildly successful IPO."

Take a Hike, Wing-Tips

Illustration by Michael Klein

PROVING THAT the Dow Jones isn't the only trend that Business School students watch, their newspaper, the Reporter, recently carried an update on male chic. In the name of "fashion capacity building," John Newsome, MBA '00, downgraded the once classic button-down Oxford shirt and recommended open-collar, solid-color shirts for their clean, crisp look.

Don't compromise on shoes, Newsome warned, because prospective love interests and employers are likely to apply the "shoe test" bad shoes, goodbye!" His advice: Wing-tips are high on the frumpiness index, so look for "square or wide-toed, bigger-heeled shoes."

The article pointed budget-conscious readers to Palo Alto's Goodwill store where used, but still trendy, items are available for about $5, thanks to "trickle down economics."

"It seems the elite in Palo Alto and the surrounding areas depreciate their clothing at warp speed," Newsome noted.

Study Trip Becomes Vietnam Homecoming

FOR FOUR MBA STUDENTS, a study trip to Vietnam last winter was more than an opportunity to analyze the issues of economic development in a high-risk emerging market. It was an emotional homecoming. The four were born in Vietnam but left with their families in 1975, when Saigon fell to the communists. Tam Anh Phung, Trung Ha, and Thao Le came to the United States; Agnes Le grew up in France. They were among the 25 students who joined the two-week visit to Thailand and Vietnam.

Phung, who was 5 years old when his feet last touched Vietnamese soil, said that initially the trip did not tug at any heartstrings. "But when I saw the children begging for money and candy, I realized that I was their age when I left Vietnam.

I actually brought a bag of candy from the United States on the trip, because I remembered the U.S. soldiers giving candy out when I was growing up."

On a dinner cruise, Phung spotted the hangars where his family stayed temporarily before fleeing what is now Ho Chi Minh City. "The boat cruise also sparked memories of our close escape when the North Vietnamese invaded Saigon," he said. "I remember the sky being full of 'fireworks.' There are some things you just never forget."

New Ventures

CARE2.COM is an Internet community for environmentally conscious consumers. It has attracted more than 1 million members in its first 18 months. Its executive team is led by CEO Randy Paynter, MBA '95, and also includes COO Marlin Miller, MBA '83, and vice president for marketing Melinda Su, MBA '95. The Web site www.care2.com provides news and lifestyle tips and sells recycled and other green products in partnership with 400 merchants.

VIVIDENCE provides what it calls "Web experience evaluation" for Internet-based businesses. Using live feedback from customers and other market research, the company helps to assess the effectiveness of any Web business. It was founded by CEO Artie Wu, MBA '97. Richard Berger, MBA '96, is marketing director. Sabrina Cheuh, product manager; Brian Hirschfeld, group product manager; and Vicki Valandra, consultant, are all MBA '98. Visit them at www.vividence.com.

THE BRIDGE GROUP, a spin-off of consulting firm Bain & Co., offers strategic consulting exclusively for nonprofit organizations. Paul Carttar, MBA '83, is a founding partner. The Boston-based group, whose clients include a cultural institution in Boston and a youth development agency in Harlem, is the brainchild of Bain's former CEO, Tom Tierney, a member of the School's advisory council who now chairs the Bridge Group's board of trustees. Bain's current CEO, John Donahoe, MBA '86, is also a trustee, and Professor Gregory Dees sits on the advisory board. Bridge plans to open an office in San Francisco in September.

Spreadsheet Three