For nearly two decades, Seattle 4 and the UW Foster School of Business have partnered to coach business students as they help companies in under-served communities grow. Managed through Seattle 4’s “Rotary Business Mentors Committee”, this year-long program allows Rotary mentors and business students to complete consulting projects that help businesses grow.
Each year, 20+ Seattle Rotary Mentors, 40+ alumni, and 85+ business students provide nearly 10K hours of consulting services to 16 companies in under-served communities. Since 1995, this work has led to more than $200 million in new revenues and the creation of nearly 120,000 jobs in economically distressed communities.
“Thank you for your gifts to our club's own Seattle Rotary Service Foundation. This year our service foundation made an investment of $4,550 in program support and $2,000 in scholarships for participating students in the program.”
Now I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m standing up here. Well my journey with the business mentors committee and rotary has come full circle. I was a student in the consulting program while at UW and I’d love to share a little bit of my experience.
The projects begin with a group of 3-4 students, a minority owned business, 1 rotary mentor, and 2 alumni mentors. After 6 weeks we put together our final recommendations for a presentation with the companies we were assigned to. This is real life consulting experience—we were putting together marketing, strategic, and financial recommendations that these companies use.
For example: I consulted for these 4 companies throughout my time at UW.
- Plate of Nations—Their signature event to help raise awareness of minority owned businesses in the MLK/rainier valley area
- Taro Roots Foundation is an academic and athletic football clinic to enhance athletic opportunities for less privileged students
- Stockbox—your neighborhood grocery store of fresh food, community and innovation. This was the first grocery store in First Hill
- The Northwest Mountain Supplier Development Council helps grow and develop minority businesses by facilitating partnerships from certified minority business enterprisesThe overall impact of these projects, mentorship, and community building is mind blowing. We are providing real world experience to students; giving them a platform to perform, to be creative, be knowledgeable and for us as mentors or as a client a different perspective.I am living proof, an example the impact this committee, this club, and this community creates. I wouldn’t be where I’m at without the consulting program at UW---it gave me the confidence, valuable life skills, the community, the mentors, and the opportunity to figure out what I love to do and where I’m supposed to be.Thank you so much for the co-chairs---Bill Marshall and Terry Van Nostrand of the Rotary Business Mentors Committee for their leadership. And of course thank you to our rep of the UW Foster School---Wil Tutol whom I’ve known since my freshmen year of college!‘This is our Rotary Service Foundation at work and a prime example of how we value such Service above Self, and that, together, we make our community a better place for everyone.
