eMBA Field Report: Helping Conexia with U.S. Expansion

As part of Endeavor’s annual eMBA program, MBA students from around the country are selected to work on-site with our entrepreneurs for 10 weeks. Wharton School of Business student Jake McKenzie worked in Argentina with Conexia. Here, he reflects on lessons learned.

As I began my search for an MBA internship, I wanted to work in a growth-oriented environment where I could take on a high level of responsibility. I also wanted to work at a company where I could improve my business Spanish. My experience at Conexia in Buenos Aires was a great combination of both: a professional and personal learning opportunity. Moreover, I joined Conexia during a key moment in the company’s evolution where I had a real opportunity to add value.

Conexia builds technology solutions for healthcare and workers compensation insurance companies. Their model allows insurers to connect to healthcare providers in real time, automating much of the paperwork associated with authorization, approval and billing. They have proven the value of this model over years of experience in South America and recently expanded to the U.S., where there is huge potential for this “connected” model of healthcare.

As a result, the timing for me to join Conexia as an Endeavor MBA Fellow was perfect. It was exciting to be a part of a project helping solve a problem I was familiar with, taking on a new perspective. From prior work experience in the U.S., I knew firsthand how inefficient and time-consuming administrative processes for healthcare can be. At Conexia, I helped develop implementation plans to translate Conexia’s model to the U.S. market.

I also helped develop a digital marketing strategy for Conexia, along with tracking tools and KPIs to measure success. This was particularly interesting to me as it was the first time I had ever worked on digital marketing. The team at Conexia was happy to help get me up to speed and were very open to my ideas.

My time at Conexia was not all work and no play. Since I was there during the World Cup, I had to go all in on cheering for them to win – I wore a Messi jersey and drank yerba mate in the office during the games. I also joined in some after-office pick-up soccer games.

I didn’t get to see Argentina win a World Cup – but I did I have a great internship experience. I learned a lot professionally and I sharpened my business Spanish along the way. It was a fantastic experience and I am grateful to Endeavor for helping arrange it!