Milan, June 18, 2025. Carl (17), Amalia (16), Leon (17), Angelina (16), and Anfisa (17) from the Theresianum school in Vienna want to make water mobility easier. The student team from Austria has developed a motor for stand-up paddleboards. “For people with physical limitations and for people who want to glide on the water with a stand-up paddleboard without much effort,” explains team member Leon. With this idea, a mature prototype, and a detailed business plan, the team impressed the judges of the International Finals of business@school, the educational initiative of the international management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in Milan.

Presentation for High-Profile Judges at the Close of the Project Year
Understanding business, working in a team, and thinking entrepreneurially—this is what more than 1,000 students at around 70 schools have learned and experienced over the past ten months as part of business@school. Supported by teachers and around 400 dedicated coaches from the business world, they developed their own business ideas and, in the process, not only acquired key skills for the future but also awakened their entrepreneurial spirit.

The best teams at participating international schools presented their business ideas and business plans at the International Finals, held at the German School of Milan, after which they answered the judges’ probing questions. Chairperson of the judges’ panel Marco La Torre, Principal at BCG in Milan, took part in business@school himself as a student and reported to the current class: “I’m both proud and humbled to be here with you again. business@school has shaped not only my understanding of business but also my belief in the power of young ideas to change the world. It’s a full-circle moment for me and a reminder of how this initiative creates lasting impact across generations.”