Past Experiential Learning Projects
Fall 2017
Client: Care to Learn; Springfield, Missouri
Project Summary:
Care to learn, a local charity founded in 2008 by Doug Pitt has grown to 32 chapters from Southwest Missouri to St. Louis and from Kansas City to Cape Girardeau. In 2017, Care to Learn was focused on adding more chapters throughout Missouri so more students would have access to immediate funding for health, hunger and hygiene allowing them to stay in school and be successful.
A team of Missouri State University students including David Coble, Erin Eckels, Annie Elzey, Taylor Plaster and Rebecca Shinabargar was formed to develop a business plan outlining smart, feasible growth strategies to guide Care to Learn on a path to expand their services to students throughout Missouri. That plan included market research and a cost analysis with recommendations of a marketing strategy, operational strategy and a financial plan.
As a final piece of the consulting process, the team delivered the strategic growth plan presentation to the renowned board of directors that included many community leaders. According to Matt Miller, local developer and owner of Miller Commerce, “The presentation was relevant, well-conveyed, organized logically, and professionally delivered.”
To date, Care to Learn is in the process of implementing the growth plan, enabling more and more Missouri students to have their emergent needs in the areas of health, hunger and hygiene met so every student can be successful in school.
"The experiential learning project through the COB was a cornerstone of my time at MSU. Being paired with a group of students who are leaders in their area of expertise was exhilarating. Taking classroom knowledge to real world situations and making a positive impact on a company or cause is crucial to our growth as students and our transition into careers where we excel.” -Dave Coble
"Working on an experiential learning project at Missouri State University helped me gain so much wisdom and insight into the professional world. It is one thing to learn sitting in a classroom, and another to use what you have learned and apply it in a real life situation. I obtained a great deal of insight from my peers, and truly feel this project has prepared me more for the real world than any other class I have taken." -Rebecca Shinabargar
Fall 2016
Client: Hotel Nikko; San Francisco, California
Project Summary:
Arthur Guslim, Jordan Lewis, Elizabeth Sivill and Meghan Wright worked with Hotel Nikko in San Francisco to develop a utilization plan for a 1,200 square foot retail space inside Hotel Nikko. The lease agreement for this space, currently occupied by Starbucks, expired in September 2017 and the management team of Hotel Nikko was exploring options to pursue when the lease expires.
To gain firsthand knowledge of Hotel Nikko and the San Francisco area, the students and Rayanna Anderson, Entrepreneurship Coordinator and Community Liaison for the College of Business and project supervisor, traveled to San Francisco. During their visit, they toured all aspects of hotel operations and had the chance to interview Jeanne Ferrari and Anna Marie Presutti, Vice President and General Manager of Nikko Hotels Inc., and Hotel Nikko San Francisco. They also collected data in the area around the hotel to gain knowledge of the current market.
Upon returning to campus, the students utilized data provided by Hotel Nikko as well as industry reports from the MSU’s Small Business Development Center; to compile a 100 plus page report offering five suggestions for the Hotel Nikko retail space.
In December of 2016, the students returned to San Francisco to present their findings to nine members of the hotel executive board. After the final presentation, the management team of Hotel Nikko commended the students work. “It was not excellent, it was superb,” stated Anna Marie Presutti, Hotel Nikko Vice President and General Manager. Today, the student consulting team’s recommendation to renegotiate the contract and lease the space to Starbucks was adopted.
“I truly appreciate the opportunity to undertake a management consulting project in Fall 2016. This experience enabled me to hone my research, analytical, and teamwork skills whilst collaborating with competent and driven teammates in advising the leadership team of Hotel Nikko San Francisco. Furthermore, I pitched this project in my job applications, and it helped me secure job offers from several top firms. I currently work as an M&A financial advisor at Deloitte (the largest professional services firm in term of revenue worldwide).” Arthur Guslim
"This project has been the highlight of my master’s program. I have done several projects and internships, but this has been the most challenging and rewarding project I have faced. Even though we were only students, the Hotel Nikko San Francisco management team truly treated us like experts and valued our research and work. After the presentation, the management team commended our work and said it exceeded their expectations. Anna Marie said “It was not excellent, it was superb”. While there were not exams, this class has been the hardest, but most rewarding experience in my career at Missouri State University. I hope every student can experience a project like this, because it has helped me grow in my understanding of business. I am thankful that we have such supportive alumni who are willing to provide students with these opportunities." Elizabeth (Sivill) Reger