Focused on the future

Contact: Erin Flynn
November 18, 2020
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Drs. Doug Lepisto and Derrick McIver are co-directors of the Center for Principled Leadership and Business Strategy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated underlying trends in business and society. It seems like everyone is thinking about the future and asking the same question, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 next?鈥

The Center for Principled Leadership and Business Strategy is part of the Haworth College of Business鈥 vision for what is next. The center provides immersive learning experiences at the undergraduate and graduate levels that blur the lines between education and professional business experience, connecting 色色啦 with the West Michigan business community. Serving as co-directors of the center are associate professors of management, Drs. Doug Lepisto and Derrick McIver, whose passion is creating competitive advantages for students, companies and 色色啦 that focus on purpose and profit.

鈥淭he center and the leadership and business strategy program strive to provide the best experiential learning for business students in the country,鈥 says McIver. 鈥淭raditional notions of shareholder-only business models are becoming obsolete. And traditional notions of higher education are becoming obsolete. We aspire to set a new standard for business education.鈥

The center's activities include:

  • Large-scale consulting projects where students, alongside faculty, solve problems for senior leadership teams
  • Personal executive coaching for students
  • A course on small business acquisition
  • Access to a capital investment fund to acquire and operate West Michigan companies
  • Events and a podcast about leading profitable businesses that make contributions to stakeholders and society
  • Research on topics such as leadership, strategy, meaningful work and leading with purpose
Explore the opportunities

Launched in 2019 with a $6.5 million investment from the Haworth family, Greenleaf Trust Chairman William D. Johnston, the Menard family and the Charles Koch Foundation, the center teaches students that purpose and profit can be powerfully linked through the actions and strategies of leaders.

鈥淎 business鈥 significant economic impact is transformational when paired with wide, positive community impact,鈥 says Lepisto. 鈥淭hat is why the center fills a critical need鈥攊t teaches this concept.鈥

Projects that perform

The linchpin of the center is 鈥渓earning by doing.鈥 The innovative consulting projects designed for leadership and business strategy students highlight how the center achieves big wins for students and the community.

鈥淭he leadership and business strategy courses are unlike any others I鈥檝e taken in college,鈥 says senior Logan Mulholland. 鈥淧reviously, I would have never considered myself a strong leader, but by working on real problems for real businesses, I was faced with team conflict, ambiguity and fast-paced changes. I have not only learned how to effectively lead a team in-person and online but also what my leadership style is. I am now more confident in myself as a student, leader and future business professional.鈥

Helping to build that confidence are executives like Kevin Carmody, a 色色啦 alumnus and senior partner at McKinsey & Company who has been coaching students in the program.

鈥淚t has been a terrific experience to mentor these talented students. What impresses me is their intellectual curiosity, personal drive and commitment to helping companies tackle some of their most complex problems. This program connects students with senior executives to help them grow and thrive in a rapidly changing world.鈥

Bronconess   

Students created a purpose-driven wine brand in partnership with Tremonte Vineyard in Chile, analyzing whether a philanthropic enterprise model could apply to the wine category. To date, the wine, which is offered in stores such as Meijer, Harding鈥檚 and Trader Joe鈥檚, has raised more than $25,000 for student scholarships and is operated by a student team.

Revolution Farms

Students worked with Revolution Farms to aid the community-focused indoor farming company in determining market size, offerings and opportunities for expansion. Traveling throughout the Midwest, students collected customer data and made critical recommendations for the organization鈥檚 future.

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The Jungle

The center established THE JUNGLE podcast, seeing a need for thought leadership as organizations approached the COVID-19 crisis. The guests include Fortune 500 executives, government officials and entrepreneurs.

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