As seen in the spring 2024 Ivy magazine.
For over a decade, CyBIZ Lab has provided student consultants with hands-on experiences that make transitioning from school to career a breeze. Staff members look back with gratitude and forward with excitement as CyBIZ Lab celebrates its 10-year anniversary of successfully providing data-driven and market-tested solutions to the program’s many partners.
CyBIZ Lab Program Manager Alex Andrade (’13 management, international business, ’15 MBA) was a graduate student working for a startup at the ISU Research Park when the Ivy College of Business launched CyBIZ Lab. He was among a small group named the “fantastic four” by Raisbeck Endowed Dean David Spalding. Other members of the group include Naveen Dhanpal (’15 MBA), Avantika Ram (’15 MBA), and Mohit Sharma (’15 MBA). All four were in the Ivy MBA program and were instrumental in naming CyBIZ Lab. Andrade was hired as the first full-time employee in 2014. He became program manager of CyBIZ Lab in 2023.
“I am lucky to say that CyBIZ Lab has been my dream job since I was hired in an MBA assistantship in 2013,” Andrade said. “Since then, and over 300 projects later, I am now in a role I never imagined. With the support of the Ivy College of Business, we are poised to grow the program sustainably to ensure that we have exceptional quality deliverables and more opportunities for students to participate!”
Now a flagship program of the Ivy College of Business, those involved in the program are excited to reflect on and celebrate the many awards received, successful project outcomes reached, and endless student opportunities that have shaped the CyBIZ Lab program into what it is today.
“I started with CyBIZ as an undergrad and soon knew this would be the perfect opportunity to continue as a grad assistant,” said past member Ananya Kaushik (’21 master of finance).
“What was really beneficial for me was the leadership and real-world experience of innovating solutions to tangible issues. Working with other students with diverse experiences was inspiring. It helped me understand how valuable it is to work in a team that brings different subject matter expertise to the table. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything else.”
The CyBIZ Lab legacy is built on many successful projects that have positively impacted the local and global business landscape. Projects have ranged from market research and strategy development to operational optimization and financial forecasting.
“My favorite project was doing sales forecasts for Emerson using regression analysis,” said program consultant Josh Gartin (’23 accounting, entrepreneurship). “I had a good understanding of Excel, so I got to stretch my current understanding and make a final product that was useful for them.”
“It was a joy to work with the multidisciplinary teams curated by CyBIZ leadership. The students were curious learners, creative problem solvers, and articulate presenters – consummate professionals. Engaging an expensive consulting company would not have yielded better outcomes.”
— Michelle Book (‘83 accounting) Food Bank of Iowa CEO
Throughout these projects, the program provides real value to its partners and student teams. Each project has been a unique puzzle, and CyBIZ Lab’s talented team has consistently discovered innovative solutions to fit each piece.
“My team helped the Food Bank of Iowa prepare business operations for various economic conditions,” said past member Murat Oztok (’22 economics). “The hard work we put into providing assistance to a nonprofit organization felt incredibly meaningful and fulfilling.”
The work that these students do provides professional-level help to the businesses they work with and has proved to be very beneficial for their partners.
“Food Bank of Iowa benefited from the talents of Iowa State students on several occasions,” said Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book (‘83 accounting). “It was a joy to work with the multidisciplinary teams curated by CyBIZ leadership. The students were curious learners, creative problem solvers, and articulate presenters – consummate professionals. Engaging an expensive consulting company would not have yielded better outcomes.”
In addition to the many successful projects, the program’s long-standing partnerships have been the cornerstone of CyBIZ Lab’s success. With over 200 project partners for more than 300 successful projects, the program has worked alongside diverse businesses that have trusted CyBIZ Lab with their most pressing challenges, and together, the program has charted paths toward sustainable growth and excellence.
“What I liked most about working with CyBIZ Lab was the energy of students and the specifically distributed modeling of each project,” said CyBIZ Lab partner Doug Webb, president of CRINC redemption center. “The approach of working with a team that is separate from the daily operations of our business brought many different and beneficial views to the problem at hand.”
At the heart of this program is its mentorship and building of soft skills.
The program takes pride in expanding the talents of over 200 student consultants who have worked with project partners. These individuals represent the future of business leadership, and the program equips them with invaluable real-world experience, skills, and industry connections.
“Working within CyBIZ was an incredible experience, and I will forever cherish the knowledge, friendships, and skills I gained during that time,” said past member Alex Bishop (’20 veterinary medicine). “The diversity of students’ backgrounds and degrees encourages in-depth conversations and pushes us to approach projects with a unique, all-inclusive perspective. I do not doubt that the individuals who excel within CyBIZ Lab will continue to work at a higher standard and be industry leaders in their areas of expertise.”
June 18, 2024
