The inaugural IBM Day at UMD’s Smith School of Business featured class takeovers, coffee chats, and networking. Alumni shared insights on AI, consulting, and martech careers. IBM highlighted SkillsBuild and partnerships, connecting coursework with real-world business and technology applications.

Smith School students engage year-round in experiential learning through consulting projects with startups and established companies. Programs like the MBA Practicum and CSVC’s Impact Consulting Fellowship build leadership, teamwork and real-world problem-solving skills across industries and disciplines.

The fifth annual Sustainability in Business Conference, hosted by CSVC, gathered 120+ attendees at the Ronald Reagan Building to explore bold leadership in sustainability, featuring distinguished speakers on food, finance, fashion, impact investing, and student-alumni engagement.

Get ready for summer with the 22nd Annual Summer Reading List for Business Leaders—featuring Smith School faculty picks on investing, neuroscience, human connection, and more, including a novel inspired by a radio show turned TV series.

KFC Chief Sustainability Officer Nira Johri spoke to UMD students about global sustainability strategy, sharing career insights and discussing how companies like KFC are aligning environmental and social responsibility with business goals across international markets.

The Center for Social Value Creation hosted its Spring Undergraduate Case Competition in partnership with Gallo, challenging Smith School students to develop marketing strategies for Nobilo wine. Six teams presented recommendations to a panel of industry and faculty judges.

The Smith School’s Center for Social Value Creation and AquaKraft Ventures launch Water Parliament, a global think tank advancing water sustainability. Led by Nima Farshchi, it promotes governance, innovation, and investment, including AQOIN, the first water-backed digital asset.

The Grand Global Challenges Competition invites UMD students to tackle global issues through ethical, sustainable solutions. This year’s winning team will compete at Loyola Marymount’s International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition in April.

Joe Kattan ’23 leveraged his Smith finance degree to land a consulting role at Bain before pursuing his entrepreneurial passion. Now the owner of AppraiseItNow, he applies automation and AI to modernize appraisals, drawing on skills honed at Smith.

The Smith School's Center for Social Value Creation partners with AqVerium, the first digital water bank, to drive water sustainability. This collaboration will promote education, research, and water-saving practices, aiming to achieve Water Positivity by 2030.