Hult entrepreneur brings a revolutionary approach to collecting art

Highlighting the entrepreneurial success of our alumni demonstrates the mindset fostered here at Hult International Business School. As a school, we continually encourage our students to challenge the status quo and be disruptive. Im happy to be able to share stories of graduates who used their education and out-of-the-box thinking to bring their creative ideas to life. Christian Rother, a Hult Executive MBA alum, started his career in the hospitality industry. He went to Ecole Hà ´telià ¨re de Lausanne and, afterward, decided to work with Starwood in sales. After nine years in hospitality, Christian embarked on his EMBA at Hult. During his studies, he set up Smart-Collectors, where he put his knowledge and passion into practice. I caught up with Christian to have a more detailed chat about his brain-child and find out how he leveraged his experience from Hult to help bring fine art to a wider audience. Can you give us some context to your business idea? What was your inspiration? My mother has run a fine art gallery business for nearly three decades. While I studied my EMBA at Hult, I connected the dots and transferred some new business models—from the likes of Uber, Airbnb, and Expedia—to the art market. I noted that we could massively contribute to a change in the current art market by integrating some digitalization and further democratization mechanisms that are appearing in other industries. And with some motivation and confidence, which I built at Hult, I quit my job and started the new venture, backed by a local accelerator. What have you done since graduating from Hult? And what have you achieved so far? We have further developed the platform and focused big time on marketing as well as product optimization. Obviously, we are also trying to take some time out to network and find potential investors for our business idea. Despite the fact that we have only been a registered company since April 2017, we made some minor revenue in 2017 and contracted almost 10 customers—among which, we have one Hultian friend. Weve also secured some E.U. and county-level support funds to develop our online business. We have massively invested time, effort, and money in the further development of the platform in order to grow in the online sector with our client base. How does your website work in practice? Walk me through the customer journey. Imagine youve heard theres an easy opportunity to enjoy fine art at home, with maximum flexibility. On Smart-Collectors.com, you have the chance to find artwork that fits your taste, and the potential opportunity to positively contribute to your wealth with an alternative form of investment. Smart-Collectors is your entry point to becoming a smart art collector, combining an emotional dividend with the chance of a positive monetary return. The customer journey on our platform first guides you through the benefits of a low-entry price point for high-level fine art, through renting opportunities. Fully flexible, you have the option of rental periods (3, 6, 12, or 18 months) and a current price range from â‚ ¬500 to â‚ ¬50,000 per artwork. Prices take both rental length and current sales price into account. Further benefits include a full deduction of paid rentals if you decide to buy after the rental period, a â€Å"buy now option at the current sale price, as well as live updates of the value development of the asset. After learning about the benefits, you are invited to browse the continuously growing collection of artwork to find your perfect piece. We guide you by offering a multitude of filtering options as well as a special scoring system, giving you an indication of the status and the potential of the artist. Once you have selected your artwork, you are guided through a simple ordering process. Once ordered, the artwork is insured at no extra charge, and we personally deliver the piece to you, again at no extra cost. After the rental period finishes, you are invited to buy the artwork or simply return it. Should you buy it, you always have the opportunity of placing it on the platform again for resale. And here closes the cycle of your journey to becoming an art collector yourself. Smart-Collectors is your entry point to becoming a smart art collector, combining an emotional dividend with the chance of a positive monetary return. How do you work with artists and choose which artworks to offer? Our platform is tailored to work with artists directly as well as galleries (the artist’s agents). We have a curators scoring system, as mentioned above. A group of established and renowned curators provides input through the scoring model and, according to this, we decide if we can accept the artist. Furthermore, it is very important that we follow our social-impact vision, as we want to make it possible for our artists to have a stable opportunity to follow their field of expertise and continue creating great work and great culture. Hence, all monthly rentals are wired directly to the artists. The split between our Smart-Collectors margin and the artists margin follows the industry standard. We want to make it possible for our artists to continue creating great work. How can the Hult community help you? The Hult community is and can be a tremendous help by  communicating  our services to friends and family. Thanks to a Hultian friend, we have crossed German boarders much quicker than expected and delivered to the French market. Help us spread the word, communicate any constructive feedback, and get engaged. We believe in aesthetic alternative investments like art, which is not only an investment of social impact by supporting culture and contemporary artists, but also a very rewarding investment beyond the potential monetary returns. To learn more about  Christians unique startup, check out  Smart-Collectors.com. Curious to read more about the career success of Hult alumni?  Download our latest Global Careers Report. Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog Top 10 questions to ask when looking at business schools, or give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .