One-Year MBA Students Gain Real-World Experience Through Downtown Partnerships

The project she’s referring to is a welcome challenge and valuable, hands-on experience for first-semester, One-Year MBA students. Each summer alongside a client, teams of students listen to needs and formulate processes, recommendations and actionable feedback so these businesses can reach for bigger goals.
 
Hughes notes that the project also helps students network, build problem-solving skills and understand what it means to be a consultant. She walks alongside students and helps to connect them with career-building opportunities that help them build a professional path with purpose.
 
“The point is to give students real-life experience,” says Hughes. “It’s one thing to research or do a case study, but to be able to say you worked with a leader and made meaningful recommendations for change is an engaging way to learn.”

The power of partnership

Summer 2024 students partnered with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, a non-profit community development organization that creates and implements innovative programs and initiatives to enhance Downtown Pittsburgh, cultivate a vibrant residential population and stimulate a diverse retail community.  
 
Three teams of One-Year MBA students were tasked with assisting three small downtown businesses each, and they felt fortunate to be entrusted with business owners’ goals. The assigned businesses included clothing, toy, home, and gift stores, as well as a salon owned by a School of Business alumna. 
 
Knowing they only had nine weeks to complete the task, students dove in headfirst. They invested the time and energy that authentic collaboration demands and remained curious as they visited the shops, conducted intake meetings with business owners and established “rules of the road” for how they would interact and strategize as a team. 
 
This group work reminded student Ilse Bovard of her “strength in group dynamics” and left her pleasantly surprised by her creativity and ability to make meaningful, productive connections, including her candid conversations with parking officials and garage owners.

Recommendations backed by proof

Along the way, students considered their first impressions and ideas and were urged to conduct research to prove or disprove their initial reactions. “On day one they might think they have a solution,” says Hughes. “We tell them to research and back up their idea. An idea doesn’t mean anything until you have research to prove it.”
 
Student Hannah Staman knew her team’s immediate goal was to suggest strategies to boost sales and create an online presence that would draw customers for in-person shopping. “My teammates focused on search engine tools and tips for social media engagement, while I found the most efficient means of managing and posting on various platforms,” she said.
 
Student Lauren Terry and team also worked to offer sustainable strategies to increase store visits.
 
“Small businesses operate on a much more personal level,” said Lauren. “Our team worked diligently to provide accessible marketing and strategic solutions to promote their business and gain awareness to increase foot traffic in their downtown locations.”
 
Learning how to give and receive feedback is another major part of the assignment. Before presenting final recommendations to the business owners, students present to School of Business faculty and receive and implement feedback. They also listen to guest speakers, usually entrepreneurs and business leaders who share the ins and outs of getting products to market, branding best practices and more.
 
Ilse appreciated that the entrepreneurs and School of Business faculty trusted in her potential and took the time to mentor her.
 
She found faculty feedback extremely valuable as they challenged her and she worked through issues that her assigned businesses were facing: lack of foot traffic, expensive parking and minimal resources to address specific business processes. “This feedback helped me get confirmation that the issues we thought about in the downtown area made realistic sense in relation to the solutions we offered.”

Plans for progress

Final reports were prepared for the business owners, and leadership from the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership visited campus to listen to the teams’ presentations. 
 
“The small business owners were happy to participate and excited to hear the final reports, with several of them even attending the students’ presentations in person,” said Jack Dougherty, senior director of constituent services at Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. “They were encouraged to take the recommendations and feedback into their overall business planning.”
 
Lessons learned from the consulting project will remain throughout the duration of their one-year program and into future careers, ensuring that students are prepared for anything and equipped with professional confidence, impressive experience and powerful networks. 

“I was a political science and history major, so I had hardly encountered much of the business jargon and strategies until I began the One-Year MBA program,” said Hannah. “This opportunity to work with a real client caught me up faster than flashcards and exams could. It taught me that the theories and practices I studied in class are not just a phrase in a textbook, but they’re people’s livelihoods.”

 Dougherty emphasizes that this project highlights the importance of partnership in the downtown community. “The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership can leverage the skills and expertise of Duquesne MBA students while providing the students with real-world experience,” he said. “Small businesses are essential to a healthy, vibrant neighborhood, and we want to do everything we can to support them as Downtown Pittsburgh continues to grow and evolve.”
 
These lessons will resonate with the business owners they helped, allowing them to connect ideas and reach beyond what’s familiar to make an even bigger impact in the community.
 
“I learned that small businesses are crucial to the local economy and environment, but they’ve been struggling immeasurably since the pandemic,” said Hannah. “In small businesses, relationships with customers and their experience are invaluable.”