Smith MBA Consultants Help Non-profit Organization

Patriot Center Group(March 2002) The chance to make a real impact on the community attracted six Smith School MBA students to choose the Patriots Technology Training Center (PTTC) for their MBA Consulting project. The students, all members of the schools Net Impact club, were recognized this month for their exemplary work with the PTTC. [Pictured (l-r): Thurman Jones (PTTC), Douglas Chin, Theresa Brown Shute, Sau Thong Lee, Una Flannery Kelly, Nina Ohman, Jennifer Beaudet, Leslie Drinkwine (faculty advisor).]

The student consulting team that worked with the Patriots Technology Training Center did a wonderful job in helping a small, non-profit organization meet the many challenges that there are when you are short on human resources and capital, said Dorothy Emanuel Gardner, director of the MBA Consulting Program. Certainly, the PTTC benefited from our students' work, and our students' skills were enhanced by the experience. The partnership made for a win-win scenario for the Smith School, Patriot's, and the community."

The school has partnered with companies to provide consulting services in the MBA Consulting Program for eight years, and students have completed more than 280 consulting engagements. Companies are selected during the spring and projects begin in the fall semester, lasting 14 weeks with a level of effort equaling approximately 600 hours. Student teams of 4-6 members are matched with companies based on experience with respect to the project deliverables.

A required component of the full-time MBA curriculum, the MBA Consulting Program gives Smith students the opportunity to apply what they've learned in the classroom to a real-world business experience. Since 1998, the top teams have been honored at an Excellence Award Luncheon. This years luncheon was held March 8 at the University of Maryland University College, Inn and Conference Center.

Second-year MBA students on the winning team for PTTC are Jennifer Beaudet, Douglas Chin, Una Flannery Kelley, Sau Thong Lee, Nina Ohman, and Theresa Brown Shute. Leslie Drinkwine, teaching professor of marketing, was their faculty advisor. Other teams honored worked on projects with National Public Radio, Navy Federal Credit Union, Sallie Mae, and The World Bank.

Established in 1997, the PTTC was created to generate interest, education, jobs, and careers for individuals who lack access to cutting-edge technology. To date, the PTTC has successfully created several different programs, including bi-annual Town Hall meetings, Cisco Networking and Oracle Internet Academies, annual Youth Summits, and Technology Summer Camps.

Going forward, the center is challenged with continuing to meet the technology needs of the surrounding community (Seat Pleasant, Md.), while taking the steps necessary to ensure the long-term viability of the center, said Chin. To continue sustainable growth, the center must position itself not only to serve the diverse needs of the community, but also to gain access to revenue sources.

The winning team provided technical assistance to help the PTTC articulate its long-term business vision and strategy, and identify self-sustaining revenue-stream opportunities. The primary tasks were developing a business plan and conducting a feasibility study to identify sustainable long-term revenue sources.

The nice thing about working on this particular project was that we really felt that we would make a huge impact, said Beaudet. Our team was truly committed to Thurman Jones (PTTC president and founder) and his mission. We wouldn't have been satisfied with anything less than a whole-hearted effort.

Net Impact is a network of emerging business leaders committed to using the power of business to create a better world. Through its central office and 50 local chapters, Net Impact offers a portfolio of programs to help members broaden their business education, refine their leadership skills, and pursue their professional goals, while building their network.