In March 2023, Mateo J. Velarde-Berrios, a Harvard University student, received an email from Harvard Primus, a student organization catering to first-generation, low-income students. The message highlighted an opportunity to work at leadership conferences in Dubai and New Delhi during the summer, which included a $500 stipend. Velarde-Berrios and fellow students were enthusiastic about the chance to mentor peers abroad.
The conference was organized by Big Red Group, an Indian educational firm that recently rebranded as Big Red Education. This organization aims to “democratize the Ivy League experience” by holding leadership workshops for students worldwide, as noted on their website. However, Velarde-Berrios and other participants claimed the group exploited and misled the Ivy League students it recruited.
More than 11 individuals with connections to Big Red Group voiced concerns regarding poor communication, unpaid compensation, and a troubling work environment based on interviews, documents, and emails reviewed by The Crimson. Furthermore, the website of Big Red Education misleadingly suggested ongoing partnerships with former Harvard student organizations, despite lacking any current ties.
In an early Friday interview, Big Red Education CEO Rishi Jalan stated he would not engage in actions that jeopardize the safety of any Harvard mentors. He expressed confidence in the organization’s respectful treatment of students. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that his company was not without mistakes.
Jalan founded the Big Red Group in 2016 to assist Indian youth in gaining admission to Ivy League universities. The group partnered with a Harvard-affiliated organization in 2018, establishing workshops for high school students. In 2022, they began collaborating with Harvard Youth Lead the Change, but that partnership ended less than a year later, with Jalan calling the separation amicable. Yet, YLC alum Ethan E. Kee warned Velarde-Berrios and others in a 2023 email of concerns regarding physical and mental well-being during their partnership with Big Red Group, which included inappropriate comments and peer pressure.
Despite these warnings, Velarde-Berrios and his peers recounted experiences that mirrored the issues Kee raised. In response to misconduct allegations, Jalan stated his company has introduced a code of conduct allowing mentors to report inappropriate behavior directly to him.
However, several students recounted the pressure they faced from Jalan to join him on outings. Velarde-Berrios noted, “They offered alcohol and continuously offered it,” adding there was a suggestion to relax and have fun. Jalan confirmed that he invited students to his home for social gatherings but stated that he did not pressure them to go out.
Three students who attended a conference recounted feeling coerced into participating in activities they had not consented to, such as an unplanned Q&A session about Harvard admissions. No one informed them of this requirement in advance, and they received no compensation for the extra work.
Velarde-Berrios and others reported ongoing issues regarding payment. They were supposed to receive stipends and reimbursements for their expenses in cash at the conference’s end, but more than nine months later, they were still unpaid. Velarde-Berrios mentioned repeated attempts to reach out for answers and receiving no responses.
Students initially received promises of upfront cash payments, but when that did not materialize, they covered expenses with the understanding they would be reimbursed later. However, requests for those reimbursements have largely gone unanswered, with Jalan attributing the delays to complicated banking regulations.
As for claims of faculty affiliation, Big Red Education’s website lists professors supposedly collaborating with them, but it was discovered that only one was confirmed at their institution. One of the listed professors expressed surprise at being named, characterizing the description as an exaggeration.
Big Red Education also incorrectly claimed ongoing collaborations with some Harvard student organizations, which both those organizations and university representatives have refuted.
Students involved criticized Big Red Education for fostering a misleading image. Despite the inspiring potential of the conferences, Velarde-Berrios felt the experience ultimately fell short of expectations, describing it as a significant misunderstanding in how the organization represented itself to participants.
As of now, Velarde-Berrios and his colleagues remain unpaid, and many are owed substantial amounts of money, casting a shadow over what could have been a meaningful experience.