Graduate Student Programs

The Power of Access: Impact Lending to Underserved Communities (FIN 579)

Do you want to gain valuable career skills?  Expand your professional network through a unique opportunity for firsthand experience in financial consulting! Apply to our MBA Lending Course this winter, The Power of Access: Impact Lending to Underserved Communities (FIN 579 E/F)!

Class Purpose: Engage our MBA students in working with small BIPOC businesses to gain access to business loans. Teams of students will perform financial assessments, risk analyses, and forecasts and create loan packages for these businesses to submit to The Commerce Bank of Washington for approval. In addition to helping businesses secure debt financing, MBA students will learn how systemic bias can play into the gaps in access to capital.

What You’ll Learn:

• Conduct comprehensive financial assessments.
• Perform risk analyses and financial forecasts.
• Create a tailored loan document for BIPOC businesses.
• Collaborate with business owners to project their financing needs.
• Understand and address systemic biases in access to capital.
• Expand your professional network within the industry.

Course Highlights:

• Gain hands-on experience in financial consulting.
• Work in teams to develop a unique loan document.
• Submit loan document to The Commerce Bank for approval.
• Collaborate with BIPOC businesses to bridge the gap in access to capital.
• NO FINAL TEST

Course Details:

• Class Title: The Power of Access: Impact Lending to Underserved Communities (FIN 579 E/F)
• Duration: Winter Quarter 2024
• Instructor: Michelle Purnell-Hepburn
• Location: PCAR 393
• Credits: 4 (Practical Experience Credit) 

For More Information:

If you’re excited about making a real impact and want to learn more about this course, contact Kennedy Cockrel, Assistant Director of the Consulting & Business Development Center at the UW Foster School of Business, at [email protected].

Apply Here

Graduate Student Programs

Ascend Fellowship

Ascend Fellows will work with Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) during the 2023-2024 academic year. Each MBA Ascend Fellow will work with 1 or 2 companies and complete a project that will take approximately 50 hours of work per company over a six-month period (October 2023-March 2024). These MBA Ascend Fellows will also connect with other MBA Ascend Fellows nationwide in support of the Consulting and Business Development Center’s Ascend National Cohort. Strong candidates for this position will be those with interest or experience in business consulting.

MBA Ascend Fellows can receive a stipend ($1,500 per company) or practical experience credit (2 credits per quarter).

Duties

• Work with C-suite leaders to develop and implement solutions to operations, financial management, supply chain, technology, and marketing challenges. This work will help MBEs develop and implement strategies and capabilities to support enterprise-wide decision-making that will lead to measurable improvements. MBA Ascend Fellows will also be paired with business coaches supporting these businesses.
• Analyze issues, interview staff, formulate and make recommendations, and help MBEs implement leading practice solutions.
• Leverage a ‘business first lens’ across functional and industry topics to shape strategic agendas, drive enterprise transformations, and deliver innovative solutions to clients. And have a passion for tackling a variety of business, technological, and organizational challenges head-on.
• Work both independently and collaboratively with a team.
• At the end of the program:
  • Students will receive critical constructive feedback head-on. Work they have done over the last six months with the assigned businesses.
  • Students are required to conduct an oral presentation and submit a written deliverable to their assigned businesses after their projects.

Qualifications

• A critical thinker, tech-savvy innovator, entrepreneur, and purpose-driven leader who thrives in ambiguity and enjoys working in a team environment.
• Strong written and oral communication skills and professionalism with co-workers and customers.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, spelling, grammatical and proofreading abilities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, Outlook) and other presentation/ analysis tools.
• Must be a self-starter with great initiative, multi-tasking activities, customer service, and problem-solving skills.
• Able to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
• Experience working with business owners of color.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without needing employer sponsorship, now or at any time.

Timeline
February 28: Application Opens

May 1: Application Closes

May 5: Applicants will be notified if they are selected for an interview.

May 8 – 11: Interviews

May 15: Fellows selected and notified.

May 22 – 26 (exact date TBD): Welcome Session I (In-Person at UW Foster)

September 5 – 8: MBE matching

September 18 – 22: Matching announced.

September 25- 29 (exact date TBD): National Cohort Opening (meeting MBEs) In-person.

October – May: Progression and completion of the Fellow’s Project. Fellows will be communicating with MBEs on the scope and requirements of their project- through remote meetings. Expect a mid-point check-in with CBDC and a final presentation at the end of the project.

End of May: National Cohort Closing (with MBEs) In-Person at UW Foster.

Apply
Fill out the application with your basic contact information, submit a resume and cover letter, and address your relevant experience.

Application

Contact
Martha Flores Perez
[email protected]