Impact Engagement

Open Road at Ross

At Michigan Ross, we bring the power of MBA skills to social entrepreneurs around the country. Since 2014, Ross has sent 39 MBAs to participate in Open Road at Ross, a program sponsored by Ford Motor Company Foundation that pairs MBA students with visionary entrepreneurs. Paused during the coronavirus pandemic, this program began again in 2021. Students initiate teams, plan journeys and help social entrepreneurs implement impact at scale across America.

Board Fellows Program

Every year since 2002, the Nonprofit Board Fellows program has provided professional training to over 700 graduate students to enable them to serve as non-voting members on local nonprofit boards. They actively contribute to organizational success while building their own tools for social impact. Students work closely with the board and staff leadership, participate in all board meetings, serve on committees, and participate in B+I info sessions, training, and workshops.

At the end of the school year, Board Fellows complete a board-level strategic project in subject areas like performance measurement, strategic plans, marketing plans, fund development, and board governance. For years Ross has been a hub of innovative learning and positive business. That work continues as the country and the world move through changes like coronavirus and a more connected international economy.

Team RAIK (Ritesh Kumar, Allie Morbitzer, Ivy Wei, and Kathy Tian) traveled to three states and consulted with four social entrepreneurs during Open Road at Ross

Jordan Owens (MBA ‘21) took part in B+I’s Nonprofit Board Fellows Program and participated in monthly board meetings with Detroit PAL, where he worked on the board’s bylaws during the 2019-20 academic year.

Serving on a board like Detroit PAL is especially exciting and rewarding, because they work directly with kids in the community and have a measurable impact on their lives.”

IMPACT ENGAGEMENT

Through engagement opportunities, students explore pathways to bring their passions to life. Each outlet offers a unique way to customize experiences at Michigan.

Centers & Institutes

Addressing issues from poverty to innovation, and economic development to climate action, Ross’ centers and institutes guide students to the path that brings their passions to life. Key centers and institutes below address particular areas of interest to impact students: • The Center for Positive Organizations enables students to build high-performing orgs • The Erb Institute fosters sustainability in business through research and engagement • The Fintech Initiative is focused on fintech solutions to issues including social impact • The Sanger Leadership Institute works to develop powerful, inclusive leadership • The William Davidson Institute develops experise on issues affecting emerging markets • Zell Lurie Institute develops entrepreneurs and their ideas, often with an impact focus

Undergraduate Impact Clubs

As the BBA program has grown at Ross, so have the clubs available to undergrad students. Ross impact clubs like Propel and 180 Degrees are established around consulting projects, Michigan Business Women and Black Business Undergraduate Society are dedicated to advancing underrepresented business people, while Lean In and Net Impact are worldwide clubs with strong undergrad U of M chapters.

DNEP Free Accounting

In collaboration with the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Program, Business+Impact has launched an initiative to provide Detroit entrepreneurs with the accounting services that can help them successfully launch and grow their businesses. Such businesses create jobs across Southeast Michigan, ultimately strengthening the growing economy. And lately that work has expanded into the realm of helping Detroit business owners navigate the complicated world of coronavirus relief applications.

Graduate Impact Clubs

The Give-A-Day Fund at Michigan Ross is the first of its kind in the nation, allowing MBAs in typical internships to donate a day of pay to fund summer impact interns at social impact opportunities. Additionally, clubs like Detroit Revitalization & Business, Emerging Markets Club, and Women Who Launch provide impactful involvement.

Net Impact

The Michigan Ross chapters of this international organization won Gold Medal status in 2019 and 2020. At Ross, Net Impact‘s focus is two-fold: First, to create an active community of students who are passionate about making a social impact, whether through their professional or personal endeavors. Second, to provide resources and support for MBAs who are exploring careers in social impact.

Good Business Lab

The GB Lab’s mission is to lead businesses to improve the lives of all workers. They work responsibly and believe in collaboration over competition, and they pursue the VUCA — volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous – world.

Engaging with Businesses

Michigan Ross is committed to Action-Based Learning (ABL). Below are some of the programs that place students with actual businesses.

Impact MAP projects - All students at Michigan Ross engage in a Multidisciplinary Action Project (MAP) or MAP Capstone Project during their time at Ross. These multi-week projects occur around the world with hundreds of sourced businesses. Students can gain experience with NGOs, technology startups, banks, real estate firms, or social entrepreneurs — there are projects available in virtually every sector, industry, and function, so impact students are able to find projects that feed into their career paths.

Erb Projects - The Erb Institute offers a variety of sponsored projects and collaborations that connect to specific sustainability issues and allow for hands-on sustainability learning. All projects offer some form of student stipend.

Nonprofit Board Fellowship Program - Far from being outside the purview of business, nonprofits accomplish everything a business does while still pursuing all of their mission-driven goals. This multidisciplinary program provides students with real-world insights into the workings and procedures of a nonprofit board, and enables them to directly contribute to that organization’s success, while building on student skills in social impact.

Living Business Leadership Experience - Effective leaders lead up, down, and across organizations – just as students do in the Living Business Leadership Experience course. They work with a company and team of students to establish and run real, profitable enterprises. This could entail new products, business lines, or functional units.

Magnify - From the Center for Positive Organizations, Magnify is an intensive course designed to prepare undergraduates to understand and lead teams and organizations where people flourish. The course is ideal for students who wish to make a positive difference in their workplaces and beyond.