TU-K student Veronica Aloo Okola, stepped onto the international stage in Trieste, Italy, representing the University, Kenya and East Africa, during an event that brought together some of the world's brightest young business minds.
Her participation provided an opportunity to showcase her talent, TU-K’s identity and growing presence in the global academic and business community.
Veronica was among the 120 X-Culture Alumni who attended the 2026 X-Culture Global Business Week Conference organised by X-Culture Global and MIB Trieste School of Management, University of Trieste from August 1st to 8th August 2026. According to the organisers, 150 X-Culture best performing graduates were chosen from more than 6,000 applicants from over 50 countries, 10 of whom were from TU-K, but due to financial constraints, they were unable to attend the 2026 symposium.
The X-Culture programme prepares students for some months to enable them participate in international business training and virtual collaboration, in which students from various universities around the world are assigned to international work teams to address real problems arising in businesses. The project is managed locally by Strategy and International Business Scholars from the Department of Business and Management Studies that guided and mentored Veronica to obtain an X-Culture Alumni Award Certificate.
Veronica's Fondazione ITS team was comprised of Alexa Norman, Jacob Buitenhuis and Mary Grace Moffitt who created a five-year plan to grow Fondazione ITS, where Italy's first contemporary fashion museum came into existence in Trieste. This was the X-Culture International Business Challenge which involved working with partners from all around the world to develop a solution for a business client. Her team was asked to come up with ideas for increasing attendance, drawing a younger crowd, increasing membership and making the museum an international cultural attraction.
But the experience was much more than presenting a business solution. It made Veronica question her leadership, collaborative and problem-solving skills. Upon reaching Italy, the team found that some concepts that they had worked on in weeks of virtual preparation were not compatible with the client's priorities. They needed to return to the drawing board and integrate a greater understanding of Italian culture into their plans.
“We had to redo everything whilst incorporating the Italian culture and I now have another view of that culture,” recalls Veronica.
She learned that being a good team leader is not always about leading the team, as she did while working with members of various nationalities, ages, educational levels and work experiences. She learned that sometimes it is wise to be quiet, listen and let other people talk.
In addition to attending the conference sessions, Veronica also had to deal with the realities of living in a new country for the first time. The language barrier, the currency used and the unfamiliar payment methods as well as the streets of Trieste were all a challenge to her adaptability. However, these were challenges and opportunities to learn and develop friendships with participants from all over the world.
Her professional image also caught the eye. While she was dressed in a professional manner and gaining confidence in the classroom, she was often the subject of compliments from faculty, it was her African background that really made her strong.
“It's when I was doing things as an African that I realised that's what made me who I am” declares Veronica.
That authenticity enabled Veronica to use their involvement as a chance to sell TU-K outside the conference room. Her meetings with the leadership of X-Culture Global and faculty of MIB Trieste created interest in TU-K, discussions on academic visits, research opportunities and institutional partnerships.
The trip was fully funded by a grant from KCB Foundation for the conference registration, flights, accommodation and logistics. The Senator of Nairobi, Hon. Edwin Sifuna also contributed to support the cause which helped to facilitate the trip.
As one of the X-Culture graduates, Veronica is now focusing on pursuing further research studies and intends to utilise her skills in international business and geopolitics in her consultancy practice. She also hopes to encourage more TU-K students to engage in X-Culture program and other opportunities abroad.