Through Goizueta IMPACT, the business school’s signature experiential learning program, MBA students partner with organizations across industries to solve real business challenges and deliver strategic recommendations.
Every year, students in Goizueta’s two-year MBA program participate in the business school’s signature experiential learning experience Goizueta IMPACT. Completed during their second semester in the program, students act as consultants, assigned to a company with a real-world problem to solve.
“Students tackled complex strategic challenges across a remarkably diverse set of industries. What stood out most [this year] was their ability to move beyond analysis and deliver practical, actionable recommendations,” shares Lynne Segall, associate dean of management practice initiatives and associate professor in the practice of organization and management. “Goizueta MBA students bring fresh perspectives, rigorous analysis, and a willingness to challenge assumptions. Organizations gain access to talented teams that devote more than 600 hours to solving strategic business challenges while drawing on faculty expertise, research resources, and diverse professional experiences.”
Real-World Business Challenges
This year, there were 23 MBA teams – and six teams of students from Goizueta’s undergraduate Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program – working on 23 projects for 21 organizations. The categories of projects spanned industries, such as retail, real estate, female technology (technology used for female healthcare), nonprofit, sustainability, non-alcoholic beverage, ecommerce, and manufacturing.
Returning project sponsors included: Lowe’s (which returned for their fourth year in a row), Emory Healthcare, Fabricated Metals, Georgia Vision Network, Atlanta Beltline Partnership, and PERC Coffee.
New project sponsors included: 9Fresh, Euki, FHLBank Chicago, Hapsy, Inspire Brands, Morrison Healthcare, P1 Motor Club, RestaurantSupply.com, Ronald McDonald House Atlanta, Riveron, Salvation Army Greater Atlanta, SKL’D, zero.by.fifty, and a confidential data-center client.
Twelve of these project sponsors were Emory University alumni.
“Partnering with Goizueta IMPACT delivered exceptional value. Students combined rigorous analysis, structured problem-solving, and fresh perspective to provide clear, actionable recommendations, operating as a seamless extension of our team. We highly recommend IMPACT to organizations seeking top MBA talent and meaningful strategic impact,” shares Clive Brennan, senior director of business strategy and omnichannel for Inspire Brands.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
For Brian Waldrep 27MBA, the most enjoyable aspect of IMPACT was working with his team. Each member was able to not only play to their strengths, but also have the time and environment to improve their weaknesses. Waldrep was part of the Lowe’s team, which focused on attracting a new customer segment. The opportunity to interact with customers alongside his team helped Waldrep see the project unfold in real-time, evolving from ideas to something tangible and rewarding.
“The constant interaction and access to the company made the experience feel more real than a traditional classroom cases,” says Waldrep. “IMPACT gave me an opportunity to apply what I was learning in the classroom to a real business challenge in just the second semester of my MBA experience.”
Waldrep says the experience helped him improve his skills in structured problem solving, communicating with clients, and executive-level storytelling, all of which are valuable, transferable skills regardless of where his post-graduation journey takes him.
Guiding each team through the project are IMPACT coaching fellows. These students are often second-year MBA students, who help the groups apply their classroom knowledge to the complex, corporate problems facing them. “Serving as an IMPACT coaching fellow was one of the most rewarding and formative experiences of my MBA journey,” says Gabrielle Iarocci 26MBA.
Iarocci describes the experience as “balancing analytical rigor with leadership, helping [students] challenge assumptions, structure complex problems, and translate data into actionable recommendations.” She also believes the opportunity to serve as an IMPACT coaching fellow set her up for success post-graduation.
“The experience strengthened my ability to lead through influence rather than authority, communicate complex ideas with clarity, and adapt my approach to different personalities and working styles. More importantly, it reinforced that impactful leadership is not defined by having all of the answers, but by empowering others to think critically and perform at their highest potential,” says Iarocci.
Showcasing Strategic Solutions
The culmination of the students’ hard work is the IMPACT Showcase, which attracted more than 200 judges from the Emory alumni community as well as individuals from the greater Atlanta business community.
“This year’s projects reflected many of the forces shaping business today, particularly the rapid advancement of AI, digital transformation, and evolving customer expectations. Students worked on challenges ranging from AI-enabled consulting services and healthcare growth strategies to ecommerce expansion, sustainability initiatives, and workforce development,” says Segall. “What makes Goizueta IMPACT especially relevant is that students are learning how to apply emerging technologies while also strengthening the human skills that matter most: critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and leadership. Those are the capabilities organizations increasingly need from graduates.”
Goizueta Gold:
Team Euki
Leila Agbogu 27MBA, Dhwani Gandhi 27MBA, Soumya Jaiswal 27MBA, Smriti Seshadri 27MBA, and Winta Tesfaldet 27MBA
Marketing Practice Elective: Omar Rodríguez-Vilá, professor in the practice of marketing and academic director of education of Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute
IMPACT Coaching Fellow: Surabi Srinivasan
Goizueta Business Librarian: Nora McKenzie
First Runner-Up:
Team P1 Motor Club – Membership Pricing Strategy
Magzhan Aldabergen 27MBA, Federico Morales Barrera 27MBA, Hyunsuk Jang 27MBA, Seyoon Kim 27MBA, Jenna Mansukhani 27MBA, Jake Shawler 27MBA
Strategic Valuation Elective: Kevin Crowley, professor in the practice of finance
IMPACT Coaching Fellow: Elle Iarocci
Goizueta Business Librarian: Susan Klopper
Second Runner-Up:
Team Ronald McDonald House Atlanta
Jenay Cotton 27MBA, Kristina Echols 27MBA, David Foster 27MBA, Elizabeth Kufour 27MBA, Anna Moceyunas 27MBA
Strategic Management Elective: L.G. Thomas, professor of organization and management
IMPACT Coaching Fellow: Blythe Weiss
Goizueta Business Librarian: Nora McKenzie
Through initiatives like the IMPACT program, Goizueta continues to push the boundaries of business education, empowering students to make a meaningful difference in the world—one project at a time. Learn More.
