Abstract

Student teams assisted local businesses and non-profits working with real-world problems.

Issue

A class of 10 students worked with five local businesses and non-profit organization in the fall of 2004. The results were remarkable. The business owners responded that the written and oral reports or "deliverables" were outstanding, professional and, most important, of great practical value to the class. Included among the businesses were:

for-profit business within a non-profit community dispute resolution agency

local card and gift shop

company that sells copy machinery

coffee bar in Collegetown

women's dress shop

As noted by one of the owners:

These wonderful young students, with a great future, [were] a pleasure to work with and to learn from.What a great program this is. I'll be happy to write a note to the Chamber of Commerce, as I offered

The students were equally impacted. A sampling from their final journal entries:

This class/course/program has been one, if not the best experience apart from an internship in the "real world" of ups downs, doors open, closed and ultimately changes made.

This workshop drew from my experiences and built my personal confidence to attack future problems.

Overall, this course has provided me with the best experience I've gotten at Cornell and will carry this experience everywhere I go from here on.

By far, the most rewarding, empowering, enlightening and fun class I've ever taken at Cornell!

Response

Local businesses received highly useful and actionable plans and projects completed by students and based on a careful and legitimate data analyses, creative market research techniques, and thoughtful and insightful strategic thinking.

Impact

The viability of the participating businesses has been enhanced. In all cases, the businesses have implemented some or all of the recommendations of the student teams. For example, one of the non-profits made a decision about expansion to a new area, one of the for-profit businesses decided to re-brand and reposition its sales force. Participating business owners also commented on the positive impact of interacting with Cornell students and mentioned that the process itself influenced their thinking and decision-making.

Funding Sources

• Private (e.g., commodity groups, foundations, companies)

Collaborators

• Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise Program

Key Personnel

• Marge Hubbert, Business mentor