Lowe’s And Goizueta IMPACT: Turning Students Into Strategists

This past semester, 24 student teams from Goizueta Business School’s full time MBA program partnered with 18 organizations through Goizueta IMPACT, the school’s flagship experiential learning program focused on strategy and problem-solving. Companies like Lowe’s, AT&T, HP Inc., UniFirst, PERC Coffee, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the Atlanta History Center challenged students with real-world business problems and asked them to deliver innovative solutions. Last month, the top teams took the stage at the Goizueta IMPACT Showcase to present their final recommendations.

“IMPACT accelerates career readiness while driving real value for businesses and nonprofits,” says Lynne Segall 99MBA, associate dean of management practice initiatives. “By working on strategic challenges with our partners, students gain hands-on experience that sharpens how they think, collaborate, and lead—preparing them to make an immediate impact in their careers.”

IMPACT: Benefits to Students

In his second semester at Goizueta Business School, Chinmay Kulkarni 25MBA worked with an IMPACT team to solve a challenge for Lowe’s, applying the problem-solving and communication skills he had developed in the first-semester curriculum.

“The experience not only refined my presentation skills but also taught me the power of storytelling in business using qualitative and quantitative data,” he says. “Instead of simply sharing data and recommendations, I learned how to craft a compelling narrative, connecting insights to real business challenges and demonstrating the tangible impact of our solutions.”

The experience also strengthened his leadership and team collaboration skills. In a later course, Multinational Firms & Strategy, he drew directly from his IMPACT project experience while developing strategic recommendations with classmates from varied backgrounds.

“We had to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data, ensuring our insights were data-driven yet compelling,” he explains. “However, the successful execution of the class project would not have been possible without the strong collaboration skills I developed while working such a diverse team during the IMPACT project. Our different opinions, approaches, and perspectives helped us create a holistic and successful solution for Lowe’s.”

Benefits to Project Sponsors

While these projects provide the students with valuable learning experiences, they also deliver tangible benefits to the project sponsors. IMPACT teams aren’t constrained by a sponsor organization’s norms or past decisions—and they bring fresh thinking rooted in current business theory and strategy.

 

Each student team, guided by faculty advisors, puts in over 600 hours of work, conducting research and analysis to develop and present comprehensive, evidence-based insights.

For the past three years, Lowe’s has partnered with Goizueta IMPACT, often fielding multiple teams due to strong student interest. Mark Loebach 01MBA, vice president of omni-channel operations at Lowe’s, describes Goizueta as having an “immersive problem-solving culture that drives collaborative solutioning.”

“Using Goizueta’s MBA students as consultants has given us valuable insight without bias on real business problems we struggle with,” Loebach says. “If we continue to invest in this collaboration, Goizueta will continue to support us right back.”

Over the course of the multi-year partnership, Lowe’s has put into practice several of the recommendations IMPACT project teams delivered—ranging from enhancements to its consumer app’s in-store mode to improvements in delivery communication with customers.

“These students approach the problems with a structured and tested methodology,” Loebach says. “From the initial onboarding of the project and through all the touchpoints, these students truly act as a professional consulting firm. Their professionalism and rigor to the methods they implore surpass our expectations year after year.”

Talent Engagement

IMPACT also offers organizations an opportunity to engage with top talent. As a first-year MBA student, Maya Dantzler 24MBA worked with Lowe’s on her team’s IMPACT project. That experience led her to serve as one of the student hosts during a later campus visit by the company’s CEO, Marvin Ellison 05EMBA.

Her conversations with Ellison led to an interview with the company’s marketing team, and ultimately, a full-time role. Upon graduation, Dantzler joined Lowe’s as a brand strategy and planning manager. “We owe gaining this talent to the IMPACT program,” says Loebach.

Becoming a Project Sponsor

Segall notes that Goizueta alumni often make ideal strategic partners. “They know our culture and invest in the educational mission of building the best talent—much like Loebach has with Lowe’s,” she says. “The multi-year relationship with Lowe’s brings value to both organizations. We share feedback on what works and what can be better across all aspects of the program. It’s an ideal partnership.”

When asked what advice he’d offer other companies considering becoming an IMPACT project sponsor, Loebach doesn’t hesitate.

Go for it! You get a wealth of insights and research at an incredible value.

Mark Loebach 01MBA, Vice President of Omni-Channel Operations, Lowe’s

“You will get more out of it than you anticipate,” he says. “There is some investment from you as a sponsor, but what you get back is absolutely worth it.”

2025 IMPACT Showcase Winners

Goizueta Gold

PERC Coffee
Students: Akshit Singh 26MBA, Jenna Gevertz 26MBA, Nafi Aman 26MBA, Maddie McMurray 26MBA, Jin Han 26MBA, Justin Helm 26MBA
Marketing Practice: Omar Rodriguez-Vila, professor in the practice of marketing
IMPACT Coaching Fellow: Andrew Schulman 25MBA
Goizueta Librarian: Dhy Edwardsberry 25EvMBA

Runner-Up Teams

UniFirst
Students: Luke Barden 26MBA, Hersh Patel 26MBA, Michael Coyne 26MBA, Sanchit Abrol 26MBA, Sagar Patil 26MBA, Harsh Tilwani 26MBA
Marketing Practice: Rachel Hamilton, adjunct professor
IMPACT Coaching Fellow: Nishant Shrikandhe 25MBA
Goizueta Librarian: Saira Raza

PPEC of Palm Beach
Students: Sam Sykstus 26MBA, Richard Mallory 26MBA, James Cochran 26MBA, Xuan Nguyen 26MBA, Soniya Singh 26MBA
Marketing Practice: Prof. L.G. Thomas, professor of organization and management
IMPACT Coaching Fellow: Hashem Amer 25MBA
Goizueta Librarian: Nora McKenzie

Interested in partnering with Goizueta IMPACT? Learn more about becoming a project sponsor.

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