poverty through job creation? Stage one will be a literature review and discussion of microfinance institutions and incubators for economic development. This discussion will answer the three questions; what are they, how are they supposed to operate as well as what are the intended results and what are the actual results? It will also discuss the limitations of these methodologies and provide a broad picture of the study abroad sector. Stage two will be used to describe the organization and its structure, evaluate the external environment and the study abroad industry, and to define the company’s internal environment through the development of a targeted marketing plan. This two stage analysis will be done to effectively choose a strategic path of entry for this new venture.

The findings for the two stage analysis support the founder’s assumptions that formal above-board business creation and providing ongoing support is more effective at addressing poverty than the current approach taken by MFIs. The findings also support their belief that there is a market within the study abroad sector for using students and study abroad programs as a resource for international development.

After the 2 stage analysis is performed, two sets of recommendations will be made and are drawn from analyzing the research data. The first is a specific set of recommendations intended for the founders of Global Riplz and are specific to the strategic entry of a new venture into Latin America and will include all resulting recommendations based on the extensive strategic business analysis. These recommendations state that Global Riplz should choose to enter the Costa Rican study abroad market, with a particular interest in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area. Additionally, Global Riplz should focus its product differentiation and marketing plan on the business student niche market with a secondary focus on students interested in economic development and poverty alleviation. It should also focus on where those two target segments intersect. This will successfully set Global Riplz apart both in the country and within the market. Of particular note is the potential for a lower cost entry model benefitting from a strategic alliance with an existing organization that already has facilities sufficient to house the Global Riplz Accelerator Program.