Applied Strategy projects provide first-year MBAs the opportunity to gain real, hands-on experience by connecting with companies to deliver creative solutions to critical business challenges.
Foster partners with a range of organizations — from iconic businesses like Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft, and Google, to smaller start-ups and nonprofits — allowing students to work on meaningful projects in teams of 5-6 focused growing knowledge, skills, and experience.
During winter quarter of their first year, students bridge theory and practice through active problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. Students draw from their prior work experience and new MBA skillsets, bringing an outside perspective and immediate value to the sponsoring organizations.
The experience proved to be a tremendous learning opportunity and I learned to prioritize and execute on the fly, a skill that I have used both at school and in my summer internship at Amazon.
Mukund RajasekjarMBA 2019
My Applied Strategy project was the most valuable experience I’ve had at Foster thus far. As someone trying to transition into the tech industry with no prior tech experience, it was a great way to gain relevant experience. My team hit the ground running and was able to impress our sponsor with the depth of our recommendations.
Tim LukMBA 2019
The entire project was a great experience. We learned how to create structure to solve an ambiguous problem and gained experience on a real business problem. These experiences were an invaluable asset when it came time to begin interviewing for internships.
Jeff OldenMBA 2017
See a select list of past client companies below.
| Adobe Alaska Airlines Alliance of Angels Apptio Avvo Amazon Boeing Boys & Girls Club CDK Digital Marketing Code Fellows Concur Costco Dell EMC Disney Dolby Dry Soda Co. Eddie Bauer Egencia, an Expedia Company Evolent Health Expeditors International F5 Networks Foss Maritime Getty Images GM Nameplate Groundspeak Group Health Cooperative Holland America Line Intel Isernio’s Sausage K2 Corporation Landesa La Panzanella |
Marchex Medamonitor/LEVL Microsoft National Park Service Nike Outdoor Research PACCAR Philips Planetary Power Providence Health & Services Puget Sound Energy REI Saltchuk Seattle Children’s Hospital Seattle Opera SightLife Skanska Starbucks Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Talking Rain T-Mobile Vulcan Volt Athletics Wells Fargo Bank West Monroe Partners Weyerhaeuser Wunderman Xbox YMCA |
The project descriptions are organized by functional area.
Strategy
- Strategic business development
- New business and product assessment, including design, packaging, and distribution channels
- Customer/user experience journey mapping
- Identifying socially responsible and sustainable business solutions
- Cost benefit analysis of strategic initiatives
Finance/Business Planning
- Pricing optimization
- Industry payment terms benchmarking for policy and practice optimization
- Asset lifetime value optimization
- Landscape assessment and recommendations for increased profitability
- Strategic growth plan for international expansion
- Cash flow management optimization
- Carbon offset program identification and emissions stabilization strategy with carbon-neutral growth
Market Research / Marketing Strategy
- Customer lifetime value (CLV) analysis and recommendations for growth
- Communications and marketing plans for strategic initiatives
- Optimized target customer segmentation and market-sizing
- New Product or service channel optimization
- Competitor marketing analysis and messaging recommendations
- Strategic launch and store openings
- Market research and new product positioning
Operations & Supply Chain
- Cost optimization for supply chain delivery services
- Production efficiency and efficacy assessment with recommendations for improvement
- Assess outsourcing opportunities and third-party risk management
Organization Governance/HR
- Employee satisfaction and long-term part-time employee retention optimizations
- Succession planning guide and employee training plan
- Performance metrics scorecard/dashboard toolkit
- Organization structure assessment