INSEAD Business as a Force for Good (BFG) Practicum with MiracleFeet in Nepal

Why It Matters

The partnership proves business education can directly improve health outcomes in low‑resource settings, offering a replicable model for socially‑driven innovation.

Key Takeaways

• INSEAD students apply MBA tools to address Nepal’s clubfoot crisis.
• MiracleFeet partners gain fresh strategic perspectives from student collaborations.
• Key challenges identified: awareness, geography, finance, culture, and follow‑up.
• Students deliver actionable solutions to improve treatment quality and retention.
• Hands‑on practicum boosts real‑world impact skills for future leaders.

Summary

The video showcases INSEAD’s Business as a Force for Good practicum, where MBA students partner with the nonprofit MiracleFeet to tackle clubfoot—a congenital foot deformity in Nepal.

Students work alongside local partners to diagnose five core obstacles: low awareness, geographic isolation, financial constraints, cultural misconceptions, and poor follow‑up. MiracleFeet estimates a newborn with clubfoot appears every five hours, highlighting a massive treatment gap that requires sustained, multi‑stage care.

Participants describe the experience as the most impactful class, noting that the external lens and hands‑on problem solving produced actionable strategies for quality improvement and patient retention. One student praised the integration with local teams, saying it was the only truly client‑facing MBA project they’d encountered.

The practicum demonstrates how business curricula can generate tangible social impact, equipping future leaders with skills to design scalable health interventions and reinforcing the value of experiential learning for both students and nonprofit partners.

Original Description

A group of INSEAD MBA 25Js led by Professor of Technology and Operations Management, Stephen E. Chick, traveled to Nepal for a week in February 2025. They joined MiracleFeet’s NGO partners in Nepal, the Philippines, and Pakistan to improve the delivery of clubfoot care and expand patient outreach.