MISSION SPOTLIGHT
Helping a Dream Become Reality A highlight of the Villanova MBA program is the Social Enterprise Consulting Practicum. This capstone class is an opportunity for MBA students to work with a social enterprise or nonprofit organization to detect problem areas (such as branding, funding and logistics) and identify possible solutions. During the 2023 capstone, Christine Measamer ’11 MS, ’23 MBA asked her cohort if they would consider helping Harper’s Home, an idea for a nonprofit that her friend Heather Hindin had shared. In 2021, Hindin’s daughter Harper, who was eight at the time, was diagnosed with leukemia. She underwent two years of treatment at Duke Children’s Hospital, which is only two miles from their home. After long days at the hospital, the family was grateful to be able to sleep in their own beds and enjoy the comforts of home. They met many other families who were not so fortunate and had the added stress and cost of finding accommodations. The vision for Harper’s Home was to build short-term housing units in the family’s backyard for those needing treatment. Measamer asked her MBA team if they’d be interested in taking on the task of launching Harper’s Home. “It wasn’t an established nonprofit, and I wasn’t sure if the other team members would go for it,” she explains. “Thankfully, everyone was up for the challenge.” The team created a business plan for Harper’s Home by the end of the course. Hindin says that before the MBA team’s “serendipitous” involvement, “Harper’s Home was something Harper and I daydreamed about. I knew that it had potential and would fill a very real need, but I didn’t have the knowledge, capacity or tools to bring it to fruition. We are incredibly grateful to the Villanova MBA team for helping us get as far as we have.” After the business plan was in place, the MBA team connected Hindin with Duke Law School to address legal details and begin implementing the project. Harper’s Home recently became an official nonprofit. For the MBA team, turning a little girl’s dream into a reality is the best reward.
VSB MBA Team Emily Cotton ’23 MBA Priya Hattay ’23 MBA Sean Higginson ’23 MBA Sarah McLarty ’23 MBA Christine Measamer ’11 MS, ’23 MBA Steven Mucci ’22 MBA Aaron Peña ’23 MBA Ted Chronis ’04 MBA, adjunct instructor, Marketing Each team member brought a diverse range of skills and experience. “The road map the team developed helped bring Harper’s Home to life and I have followed it closely, with amazing results,” says Hindin. To learn more or donate, visit www.harpershomenc.org.
We have an opportunity to usher others through these difficult moments in a very tangible way, offering a safe, comfortable, affordable place for weary families to rest and prepare for the road ahead.” Photo: Ken Huth | HuthPhoto
–Heather Hindin
Heather Hindin with her daughter Harper
9