July/August 2025 Issue
AmCham’s Mini Business America (MBA) Camp had two inaugural sessions from June 16-20 and July 7-11. Leveraging on American companies who are Chamber members, it was designed as a boot camp for eighth and ninth grade students interested in business careers. The participants represented a cross-section of local and international secondary schools. In this article, the organizer, Gitanjali Pies, talks about the two week-long sessions of the Mini Business America Camp—the places they visited and those they met and listened to.
Among things learned during the week: What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and will it take over the world? What does the inside of a data center look like? Does a real-life trading floor fill you with excitement or does it seem more like chaos unleashed? How does a major coffee retailer design its frequently changing blends? And why does the world’s largest basketball league see itself as an entertainment and merchandising force along with a platform for the world’s top hoop artists?
The students who joined the Mini Camp had a chance to explore these questions, and more, as they took part in day-long programs that took them from AmCham’s Hub to Kwai Chung, Quarry Bay, Causeway Bay, Sha Tin and Central, in the vital heart of Hong Kong’s tech industry as well as inside multinationals and Hong Kong’s international financial giants.
At Google, there were presentations on the practical applications of AI in business; at Equinix, they were able to look inside a data center that processes massive amounts of data, learning about petabytes and exabytes.
At Starbucks, the students visited the Research & Development lab and learned how the world’s largest coffee retailer develops its frequently changing blends. Then they had an opportunity to create their own blend in the lab.
At the Asia-Pacific headquarters of the National Basketball Association (NBA) they learned about the marketing and branding business behind the spectacular games and top players, in a sport that is rapidly expanding in the region through competitions and merchandising.
A visit to the Hong Kong office of Pfizer, the biopharmaceutical giant, was an introduction to the world of drug development and public health, led by the engaging ‘Krish’ Krishnamoorthy Sundaresan, general manager for Hong Kong and Macau.
Both Goldman Sachs and Citi opened their doors to the Mini Business America Camp students, with Goldman showing off its frenetic trading floor and Citi providing a glimpse at the complexity of finance as it evolves to meet new digital banking technologies and cybersecurity.
At the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, students toured and learned about the journey of start-ups based there. And at Equinix, there was a visit to its rarely accessible Data Center.
The Mini Camp started the week with talks on leadership traits by Frank Wong, board advisor and former president of Scholastic Asia, and Sumichhya Gurung, senior program manager at EmpowerU, an expert on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). David Butts, Chairman of AmCham and Asia-Pacific President of Techtronic Industries, talked about the future of work and how corporate leadership is adapting to the changes.
You might think it would be hard to keep the students’ attention, but speakers like Jack Lau, the immediate past president of the Qatar Science and Technology Park, engaged the students directly in his talk on “AI and you”, using nursery rhymes to explain the logic behind generative Artificial Intelligence.
Tim Sypko, senior vice president of operations at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, talked about the complexities of the entertainment industry and the importance of creativity and collaboration. Bryan Ha, from Amazon Web Services, led a workshop on AI and the ethical concerns raised by its rapid development. Alex Barder, co-managing partner at Beast Media Group, stressed the importance of thinking outside the box and how creative strategies can drive business success in the digital age. Seth Peterson, senior client partner at Korn Ferry, and his team led a workshop that emphasised adaptability and a growth mindset.
By introducing students to the fundamentals of business and leadership, AmCham is cultivating a generation of innovators ready to join the business community as leaders with confidence and creativity. The team at AmCham is young – some of us, like me, just a few years out of university – and this was a learning experience for us as well as the 50 student participants (25 per session). We will be organizing a Mini Business America Camp again in 2026, incorporating feedback from the two sessions in 2025. Hope your kids can join us!
Gitanjali Pies is a staff member of AmCham.