SIMPACT Pro Bono Consulting
Shape Tomorrow's Leaders
VBSR is collecting interest in working with University of Vermont SI-MBA students and alumni, which will be shared with these emerging leaders through a partnership with the University of Vermont Grossman School of Business.
About SIMPACT Consulting
The Sustainable Impact (“SIMPACT”) Consulting Group is a pro-bono business consulting organization led by current and former students within the University of Vermont SI-MBA program, a rigorous and nationally-acclaimed one-year Sustainable Innovation MBA program.
SIMPACT defines sustainability as: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The purpose of SIMPACT is to provide students with real-life opportunities to better learn and apply course content while simultaneously providing value and expertise to local Vermont businesses. Our mission is to provide sustainable solutions to local business problems.
SIMPACT accepts pro bono consulting projects that would contribute to students’ experiential learning. These are unpaid, extracurricular 4-6 week engagements with current SI-MBA students (January-July).
Host a SIMPACT Consultant
If you're interested in hosting a SI-MBA student as a Pro Bono Consultant, we'd like to hear from you!
Have Questions?
- For questions about VBSR’s services in connecting VBSR members with SI-MBA talent, contact Madison Wood, VBSR Membership & Development Manager.
- For questions about the SI-MBA program, contact John Kim, UVM Grossman School of Business Graduate Programs Career Advisor.
SIMPACT Consulting Overview
The consulting project is a part-time, hands-on, pro-bono experiential engagement with established companies and organizations or early stage ventures (sponsors) that are focused on addressing real-world challenges and opportunities directly related to sustainable business.
The project is typically completed by a team of 3-6 MBA graduate students from the current SI-MBA cohort in periods between four to six weeks in total.
Requirements of sponsor companies include:
- Discovery call
- Initial project kickoff call
- Point person to be available via email throughout the duration of the project
- Concluding wrap-up call
Projects typically include:
- Written final deliverable of recommendations
- Presentation by students on the results of the project
- Public-facing project summary for social media purposes
Services can include:
- Market Research
- Strategic Planning
- B-Corp Assessment
- Sustainability Analysis, Metrics & Reporting
- Blended Finance
- Brand Strategy
Examples of Past Engagements:
- Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VBSR Member) – Workforce needs
- VT Green Football Club (VBSR Member) – GHG emissions inventory
- Engagement Collective – Product-market fit, business model canvas Rigorous – Agro-technology
- Cutting Hill Beef – Business plan for regenerative agriculture
Here are a few examples of SIMPACT projects that were completed in 2023:
Gardener Supply Company
This past spring, four SIMPACT consultants worked with longtime VBSR member Gardener’s Supply Company (GSC) to create a sustainability roadmap. The goal of the consulting project was to help GSC develop an environmental sustainability strategy by providing recommendations for tools, frameworks, and approaches to implement in the form of a roadmap.
The project was a success: it delivered value to GSC and curated a learning experience for SIMPACT that allowed the SI-MBA students to utilize their knowledge in the field and gain experience working with clients.
Vermont Women’s Fund
Three SIMPACT consultants completed a project in collaboration with VBSR partners the Vermont Women’s Fund – specifically, the Fund’s “This Way UP!” project.
As a nonprofit, the Women’s Fund employs philanthropic resources to promote gender equity and inclusion, as well as to empower women and girls across Vermont. Through its “This Way UP: there’s power in our numbers” initiative, the Vermont Women’s Fund is gathering essential data on women-owned businesses in the state. Leveraging insights from their data analytics and visualization courses, the SIMPACT team compiled and presented compelling, valuable information and graphs to the Vermont Women’s Fund team and to the broader Vermont entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The findings of this project will aid stakeholders in effectively supporting, communicating, and connecting with the 2800 (and still counting!) women-owned businesses in Vermont.
Burlington Football Club
Three SIMPACT team members conducted an analysis of both the Burlington Football Club (BFC) and the youth soccer landscape in Vermont. The intention of the project was to provide BFC with a number of different leverage points that can be homed in on using strategies and tactics in order to grow the club and the social impact they are creating in the community.