From the Great Lakes Loons to the Midland Farmers Market and a local winery, students from Northwood University’s DeVos Graduate School are helping numerous organizations increase their bottom line.
“These student-led projects are crucial to the development of these young leaders, and they provide added value to the community by helping local businesses and organizations,” stated Dr. Lisa Fairbairn, dean at the DeVos Graduate School of Management. “These hands-on learning opportunities are what make Northwood graduates so attractive to employers.”
A team of seven students led a project aimed at helping increase fan engagement and attendance at Dow Diamond. Students were tasked with learning why people attend Great Lakes Loons Baseball games, as well as why people don’t attend games at Dow Diamond.
The project proved to be a remarkable learning opportunity for the participating students.
“Working with the Great Lakes Loons allowed our team to leverage our business education from Northwood, create local relationships with corporate executives, and help businesses understand what customers truly want from those they do business with,” stated Andria Thompson, the project lead.
The project also helped the Loons organization.
“We were thoroughly impressed by the methodical approach and project outcome driven by the student-led team from Northwood University’s DeVos Graduate School,” said Chris Mundhenk, Loons president and general manager. “The project gleaned valuable qualitative data for our organization that will assist in future programming and product decisions that align with value drivers for the Loons fanbase. Our region is fortunate to have a university of Northwood’s caliber that is grounded in free enterprise and instills entrepreneurship in its students, and I encourage other businesses in our region to consider partnering with the DeVos Graduate School.”
Other graduate students worked with the Midland Farmers Market.
“This was fantastic way to give back to the community while creating a hands-on learning experience with business consulting,” stated Project Lead Kennedy Vancalbergh. “Our group identified avenues that market organizers can capitalize on for their already-successful business model. We explored ways to increase attendance, improve logistics, partner with local businesses, and spread the word about the market’s missions and values. We look forward to the future of the Midland Farmers Market and seeing our consulting efforts incorporated into their business model.”
The following are the other entities in the Great Lakes Bay Region that Northwood students partnered with this academic year:
• The Legacy Center
• Great Harvest Bread Company
• ACT Uganda
• Hurley Medical Center
• Route One
• Bogey’s Indoor Golf
• Midland Area Farmers Market
• St. Julian Winery and Distillery
If you would like your organization to be considered for a partnership project with DeVos Graduate School students in the future, please contact Dr. Lisa Fairbairn at .
