Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management is pleased to announce its 10th annual consulting project course for MBA students, “Doing Business in Israel.” We are now accepting applications from entrepreneurs or established companies seeking to better understand the market for their product or service – in the US or globally. Companies are teamed up with a group of 4-5 MBA students from Vanderbilt University who will meet with the company in Israel (March 2023), develop a research agenda based on company needs, and prepare a professional analysis and presentation with their findings and recommendations.  Final presentations will be made remotely at the end of April 2023. Typical projects include a competitive analysis, product pricing, marketing plan, or other strategic business issues. In the past, clients have ranged from one-person start-ups with barely more than a concept to established Israeli businesses with over $100 million in sales seeking to expand. Students are supervised by Professor Mark Cohen, an economics and strategy professor, and will receive course credit and a grade for their efforts. 

 

Why Vanderbilt ? 

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• Vanderbilt University rated #13 in US News World Report

• Business School ranked #25 in US News and #21 by Fortune

• Typical student has 5 years work experience

• Health Care MBA specialty w/top rated Medical School (#13 in Research in US News Report)

• Proven program with 9 years success consulting for 50+ Israeli companies in high tech, medical devices, and consumer products. 

 

Client Company Expectations:

 

Client companies are expected to be available on Sunday, March 5, 2023 for a meeting with students in Tel Aviv. Once our students return to the US, companies are expected to be actively engaged with the students by email and Zoom as needed to determine the scope of the project and to answer questions as they do their research. The time commitment should not be a burden, but it is important that students have access to the company contact and that their questions are answered. Students must finish their project by the end of April as the semester ends.  Students (and faculty) will sign a nondisclosure agreement upon request. There is no cost to the client firms. 

 

How to Apply:  

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Please send the following information to mark.cohen@vanderbilt.edu: 

1. Company description (can be website or printed PDF already prepared)

2. What stage is product or service (only idea stage, under development, working prototype, currently being marketed, etc.)

3. What do you hope to learn from this consulting project? 

4. Contact person’s name, title, email, and Skype or WhatsApp contact for follow-up questions

5. Brief video presentation by the main contact person. NOTE: This should not be a commercially produced video. Instead, we are asking for a simple ‘smart phone’ video of the person who will be working with our students explaining the company and goals for the research project. You may submit an MP4 file via email or send a video link. The video should be no more than 3-5 minutes. 

 

Deadline:

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To be fully considered for this opportunity, please submit your application by January 8, 2023.

 

Further information:

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See  Power Point Presentation – Overview of Program or contact Professor Cohen at mark.cohen@vanderbilt.edu. 

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Timeline: