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Kelley School of Business Indiana University Bloomington
Corporate and Foundation Relations

A great academic year concludes, setting up a great year ahead

Posted on by archeke

The IU trident sits above the Campus Center bell tower at IU Indianapolis, formerly IUPUI, with the Indianapolis skyline in the background.

Dear partners,

We recently celebrated more than 4,000 new graduates of the Kelley School of Business in Bloomington and Indianapolis. Many of those graduates gained special insights and benefited from industry experiences and opportunities through the years because of the generous engagement and support of our corporate partners.

Dean Ash Soni

It is impossible to measure the ways our corporate partners enhance a Kelley education. This past academic year, some of our undergraduate honors students presented recommendations to General Mills for innovations in the healthy cereal and snack space, and a grant from Procter & Gamble helped expand the Equal Justice Initiative-Kelley Leadership Collaborative to advance DEIB education while having a positive impact on the Kelley community and larger society. This year also marked the inaugural awarding of the Janet Foutty/Deloitte Foundation Leadership Scholarship to four young women who hope to follow in the footsteps of the former chair and CEO. These are just a few of the many examples of generosity from our corporate partners.

The experiences we are able to offer our students have a broader impact on Kelley’s reputation as an elite business school that is reflected in numerous impressive rankings. For example, U.S. News & World Report ranks all three of our MBA programs in the top 20—our in-residence Full-Time MBA in Bloomington (20), our part-time Evening MBA in Indianapolis (13), and our Kelley Direct Online MBA, which was again ranked No. 1. Our Kelley Bloomington Undergraduate Program is ranked No. 8 by U.S. News. Our faculty are highly ranked, too, earning the No. 9 spot in the UT Dallas Top 100 Business School Research Rankings. Special initiatives also garner attention, including our National Diversity Case Competition—supported by many of our corporate partners—which earned the 2024 Inspiring Programs in Business Award from Insight into Diversity magazine.

Looking ahead, it’s going to be another special year at Kelley. IUPUI became IU Indianapolis on July 1, and we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kelley Indianapolis, where we are developing a new MS in the Business of Biotechnology, along with other special programming related to the life sciences industry. In addition, we are launching a new Business Plus Co-op program this fall that offers directly admitted Indianapolis undergraduates the opportunity to combine traditional classroom learning with onsite work experience at central Indiana’s leading companies each year. It’s also the 20th anniversary of the Tobias Leadership Center, which has helped expand networks, strengthen the Indiana business community, and shape nearly 300 leaders who have gone through the year-long Fellows program.

In Bloomington, we’re celebrating 25 years of our ground-breaking Kelley Direct Online MBA Program, which is consistently ranked No. 1 from multiple organizations, as well as the 25th anniversary of the first graduates of our Graduate Accounting Program. We’re launching a new residential MS in Management and our re-imagined online MS degrees in Business Analytics and Finance. More innovative degrees and partnerships are in the works.

I feel very fortunate to be the dean of a school that has meant so much to me for so long. I believe in its mission and its future. I know you do, too. Thank you for partnering with us and creating momentum for our exceptional students.

Ash Soni

Dean, Kelley School of Business

The Sungkyunkwan Professor

Robust Intelligence partners with Kelley lab on AI Risk Database

Posted on by archeke

AI Risk Management leader Robust Intelligence and the Kelley School of Business Data Science and AI Lab (DSAIL), in collaboration with MITRE, have partnered on a database that logs risks among open source AI models.

DSAIL is an interdisciplinary group of doctoral, master’s, and undergraduate students from various majors at Indiana University that focuses on developing practical data science and AI-enabled analytics methods and systems for societally relevant applications, particularly in cybersecurity, mental health, and business intelligence. DSAIL is focused on training students in data science research processes for relevant application areas and serving as a resource for Kelley, IU, and firms to make a positive societal impact.

Thanks to a generous gift from Robust Intelligence in Summer 2023, DSAIL undergraduate students and Robust Intelligence embarked on a partnership to begin collecting open-source AI models from Hugging Face and assessing their source code for vulnerabilities, aiming to address the growing importance of AI risk management.

Sagar Samtani

The partnership’s research outcomes were integrated into the AI Risk Database, a system that provides capabilities for organizations to search, sort, and browse risks associated with AI models. The research results were published in IEEE Intelligence and Security Informatics (ISI) and presented at DEFCON AI Village. Additionally, the students contributed to a White Paper to be part of NIST’s AI Risk Management Framework. Collaborations like this and others can significantly impact the fields of AI ethics and security.

Sagar Samtani, associate professor of Information Systems and the director of the lab, emphasizes core values such as integrity, work ethic, teamwork, service, problem-solving, critical thinking, accountability, curiosity, passion, diversity, respect, and perseverance.

As the school’s first recipient of a prestigious CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation and the principal investigator on the research project the award supports, Sagar understands the importance of collaboration with organizations to advance AI ethics and security.

“These projects aim to develop integrated AI-enabled analytics research and education around important topics in cyber threat intelligence, including modeling adversarial behaviors, vulnerability management, and open-source software security, ” Samtani said.

Business Honors students get hands-on practice with General Mills

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Business Honors students present their ideas to General Mills representatives.

In the fast-paced world of business, effective communication skills are important. In the Kelley School of Business Honors presentations course, students focus on delivering audience-centered messages, working collaboratively, and crafting compelling oral arguments. This year a partnership with General Mills, a leading name in the consumer goods industry, was invaluable to students working to master the art of presentation.

More than 400 students who were enrolled in the course participated in Q&A sessions with General Mills representatives. During these sessions, students gained valuable insights into the company’s corporate culture and brand values, which then guided them in preparing recommendations for innovation in the healthy cereal and snack bar space.

Dawn Wisher

Senior Lecturer Dawn Wisher highlighted the significance of General Mills’ emphasis on effective collaboration in a hybrid setting.

“They encouraged students to anticipate technological challenges while showcasing their personality during pitches,” Wisher said. “This project also enhanced students’ audience-tailoring skills, a key course objective.”

One of the highlights of the course was the opportunity for students to deliver team presentations virtually, followed by dynamic discussions with General Mills team members, who probed deeper into the presentations. These sessions not only honed students’ presentation skills, but also fostered their ability to think critically and respond to challenging questions in real time.

Paige Land

Senior Lecturer Paige Land emphasized the excitement of working directly with General Mills representatives who were also Kelley grads.

“Since the students can present their ideas directly to General Mills representatives, they can see firsthand how the skills they are developing in class transfer over into real business scenarios.”

The culmination of the course including the recognition of winning teams at a special reception, highlighting the significance of their achievements and contributions.

One Business Honors team paired General Mills with the popular character Bluey, from the Australian animated series of the same name.

Thanks to the collaboration with General Mills, students understand the power of hands-on, real-world learning experiences to prepare for success in the business world. Having Kelley grads who once experienced this same course interact with future leaders is a crucial connection, because working with someone who has been exactly where they are allows them to picture themselves as professionals.

After applying theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios, and engaging with industry professionals at General Mills, students are equipped with the skills and confidence needed to excel as a business communicator.

“We thoroughly enjoyed our partnership with C106 this school year and were impressed by the quality of ideas the students brought forward for our General Mills brands,” said Jill Schwartz, associate finance manager with General Mills and Kelley alumna. “The professors partnered with us to bring this case to life in a way that worked for us with a hybrid approach. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Kelley to continue bringing strong talent into General Mills.”

Networking the Night Away at Kelley

Posted on by Emma Aman

 

Students gather to network with our corporate partners in the Prebys Center

The 2023-2024 academic year is well underway here at Kelley, and our undergraduate and graduate Career Services teams have seen tremendous positivity. After three highly successful in-person Employer Networking Nights (mini career fairs) and two virtual career fairs with Kelley students, the team is not slowing down. On the graduate side, the MBA networking nights have drawn large crowds, and the virtual company information sessions and coffee chats have been increasingly popular across the various graduate programs.

Designed to facilitate meaningful conversations between industry professionals and Kelley talent, these events allow students from all class years to expand their professional networks through career-centric interactions. Employers have been thrilled with the turnout this fall, and attendance from both students and employers remains high. We saw over 1000 students and 65 employers at our first two undergraduate networking nights, and over 500 students participated in our focused accounting networking nights for undergraduate students earlier this fall. Our virtual career fairs saw 163 companies and over 2,900 students online across the two days. The two MBA networking nights drew 28 companies in to meet with both 1st and 2nd year students.

“Hiring continues to be strong for our Kelley undergraduate and graduate students, with masters programs typically following the same trends as undergraduate hiring. However, while hiring is a little lower in consulting and technology given the current market environment, we are seeing great growth in other industries. ” – Rebecca Cook, CFA, PCC, Executive Director, Kelley Career Services

We are seeing the increased demand from employers for our Kelley undergraduate and graduate students. Being able to host events with such a large variety of industries allows for an increase in the roles available to our students. We still have a lot of events going on, so if you are interested in hiring any of our talented graduate or undergraduate students, please contact our Career Services team at  HireKelley@iu.edu. We look forward to designing the best plan to connect with the students you are looking for and coming up with creative ways to get their attention.

2nd Annual KISI Social Issue Fair is November 8

Posted on by Emma Aman

Kelley students and corporate partners talk to each other during the Kelley Social Issues Fair sponsored by the Kelley Institute for Social Impact.

2022 Social Issue Fair – Students gather for a casual open house to exchange ideas for addressing a variety of social issues. More than 250 students and 3 partners were in attendance.

Interested in sharing your company’s social impact initiatives with courageous student leaders actively engaged in having an impact on social and economic justice?

Fostering social change is important to Kelley School of Business faculty, staff, and students.  The Kelley Institute for Social Impact (KISI) offers programs and internships that encourage students to think broadly about the impact of their work on the local community and the world. The second annual KISI Social Issue Fair, hosted by KISI and the six KISI student organizations, is an open invitation to all student organizations to share their social impact initiatives with faculty, students, and corporate partners. Not only can our corporate partners learn about the fearless work these students are doing, but we invite you to share insights about the programs at your company, and how students can discover meaningful careers with your corporation. New this year, we are inviting our fair partners to join us in the spring for a panel focused on how your companies are making an impact today and going forward. We are expecting another record number of students at this event on November 8th.

Last year we were grateful to have several corporate partners support the fair, which gave them an opportunity to meet highly motivated students earning top-ranked Kelley majors. For Accenture, Aldi, and TCC, the inaugural Kelley Social Issue Fair was full of enthusiasm, drawing more than 250 socially minded participants excited to foster social change through business.

Accenture, a company dedicated to sustainability leadership, hosted a booth to speak with students interested in learning about social innovators. TCC leaders introduced Kelley students to their “More Than a Phone” program, a nonprofit partnership with domestic violence programs across the US to provide reliable and safe smartphones to survivors of abuse. Aldi generously provided food that made the event a celebration.   

Kelley students were invited to next steps including volunteer opportunities, newsletter sign-ups, and participation in upcoming events, allowing them to dive deeper into issues that excite them. Kelley students are eager to get engaged and work for an organization that can make a difference in the world.

We’re continuously grateful to Accenture, Aldi, and TCC—and all of our corporate partners—whose support of Kelley students builds momentum for the next generation of courageous business leaders. If you would like to support and participate in the 2023 KISI Social Issue Fair, please contact ksbcorp@iu.edu for more information.

The Social Issue Fair is November 8, 2023

 

Interested in Supporting KISI?

To learn more about KISI and other funding opportunities related to Social Impact here at Kelley please visit the KISI partner page.

Want to get engaged with change makers at Kelley? 

Contact Emma Aman,  Associate Director of Development, Corporate Engagement to learn more about becoming a corporate partner.

IU Teams Prepare to Compete for a Spot in the National Diversity Case Competition

Posted on by Emma Aman

JOIN US in our efforts to increase diversity in the workforce, one student at a time.

On October 27th, several teams of IU students will face off at the Indiana University Diversity Case Competition (IUDCC). The winning team will earn a spot to compete against close to 40 other schools, with a goal of being crowned the winner of the 2024 National Diversity Case Competition (NDCC). For the October event, Delta Airlines, Inc. will ask teams to provide a solution to their real-life business case, while corporate partners of IUDCC and NDCC take on judging duties, and award 1 winning team the trophy.

NDCC is a premier event that brings together top level, diverse talent from colleges and universities across the country.  The competition typically welcomes nearly 40 teams from distinguished colleges and universities across the United States. Each team consist of up to four students. In the spirit of the competition, we ask that each four-member team include at least two members representing an ethnic minority background and no more than one senior.  As corporate partners seek to increase diversity in their workforce, supporting and attending NDCC affords access to over 160 talented students from widely varying racial, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds.

2023 National Diversity Case Competition winners from Texas A&M celebrate the 2023 championship with their faculty advisors and 6 thumbs up!

There is still time to become a Corporate Partner of IUDCC and NDCC! Corporate partners get the unique opportunity to engage with these talented students throughout the two events by judging, speaking, sitting on panels, presenting workshops, and networking. Partners also have the opportunity to help fund costs associated with student participation in the program and eliminate barriers to participation ultimately allowing the event to showcase some of the best student talent in the country.

We are excited to embark on the 12th year of this one-of-a-kind competition. If your company is interested in partnering with us to expand diversity in the workplace, please reach out to ksbcorp@iu.edu for more information. Thank you, to our already confirmed partners for the 2023-2024 school year:

  • Forvis
  • Altria
  • Delta
  • EY
  • Bank of America
  • Crowe
  • KPMG
  • Abbvie
  • GE Healthcare

 

Thank you for your consideration and support of the NDCC. Strong partners and supporters of our events are one of the main things that help attract such high caliber participants to our Kelley Events.

Upcoming Events

IU Case (October 27th, 2023 )

National Case (January 12th – 13th, 2024)

 

New center, students benefit from corporate and alumni support

Posted on by Tracy James

The new Kinsey-Kelley Center for Gender Equity in Business hosts regular faculty research workshops to amplify ongoing gender-related research. With PwC, the center recently co-sponsored the Ethics Case Competition for undergraduate students.

Students on a winning team stand with Karla Montero, director of ethics and social responsibility for Kelley Student Government (far right), and Holly McKenzie, partner at PwC (second from right).

Karla Montero, director of ethics and social responsibility for Kelley Student Government (far right) and Holly McKenzie, partner at PwC (second from right) stand with one of the winning teams.

The teams analyzed a student-drafted case—focused on a fictional but realistic scenario involving workplace bias—and presented their recommendations to judges. Thanks to co-sponsor PwC, who helped fund the prize money for the winning teams. PwC employees also traveled to Bloomington to help judge the competition and even helped students while they worked on the case before the competition. 

Headshot of Anton Vincent

Anton Vincent, MBA’93

Meanwhile, the Kinsey-Kelley Center recently helped fund a faculty research project related to bias in crowdfunding, and is hosting regular faculty research workshops to amplify ongoing gender-related research and to encourage more. The center will create teaching and learning opportunities related to workplace relationships, sexual harassment, and bias in hiring and promotion. Areas of focus for the center include pay inequities, power differentials, and effective interventions in discriminatory workplaces. The Kinsey-Kelley Center formed last summer with a very generous donation from IU alumna Pam Meyer Yttri.

New founding partner

The Kelley School is thankful for the Kinsey-Kelley Center’s new founding partner Anton Vincent, MBA’93, president of Mars Wrigley North America.

Want to create a custom engagement strategy at Kelley and make connections with students and world-class programs?

Contact Kara Hieser, Senior Director of Development and Engagement, at khieser@iu.edu, or Jill Storm, Director of Development and Engagement, at jilstorm@iu.edu.

Accenture, Aldi, TCC participate in inaugural Kelley event

Posted on by Tracy James

When corporate partners engage with Kelley students, impactful connections result.  

For Accenture, Aldi, and TCC, the inaugural Kelley Social Issue Fair—hosted by the Kelley Institute for Social Impact (KISI) in November—was an opportunity to meet highly motivated students earning top-ranked Kelley majors. Enthusiasm for the event was high, drawing more than 250 socially minded participants excited to foster social change through business. 

Kelley students and corporate partners talk to each other during the Kelley Social Issues Fair sponsored by the Kelley Institute for Social Impact.

Kelley students and corporate partners engage during the Social Issues Fair sponsored by the Kelley Institute for Social Impact.

Accenture, a company dedicated to sustainability leadership, hosted a booth to speak with students interested in learning about social innovators. TCC leaders introduced Kelley students to their “More Than a Phone” program, a nonprofit partnership with domestic violence programs across the US to provide reliable and safe smartphones to survivors of abuse. Aldi generously provided food that made the event a celebration.   

Kelley students were invited to next steps including volunteer opportunities, newsletter sign-ups, and participation in upcoming events, allowing them to dive deeper into issues that excite them. 

We’re grateful to Accenture, Aldi, and TCC—and all of our corporate partners—whose support of Kelley students builds momentum for the next generation of courageous business leaders. 

Want to engage with change makers at Kelley? Contact Kara Hieser, senior director of development, Corporate Engagement.

Aldi and Deloitte join I-Core case kickoff event

Posted on by Tracy James

At Kelley, real-world business scenarios prepare students to launch innovative solutions for top companies. 

“The Integrated Core (I-Core) is a crucial component of the curriculum, allowing students to look across the operational functions of businesses holistically and broadly,” says Bridget Stomberg, Kelley Undergraduate Program faculty chair. 

At the I-Core case launch for Kelley undergraduate students in November, Aldi and Deloitte brought leadership, motivation, and alumni perspectives for students starting their pinnacle team project. Molly Surette, BS’18, district manager at Aldi, talked about her own I-Core experiences. Aldi CEO Jason Hart, BS’93, and Aldi Director of National Buying Dave Winck, BS’16, shared valuable insights via video. Deloitte Partner Steve Pratt spoke on teamwork in the workplace and shared a video greeting from Kelley alumna Janet Foutty, executive chair of the board of directors, Deloitte US.  

Two representatives of Aldi talk on the IU Auditorium stage at the I-Core kickoff

Molly Surette, Aldi, speaks to Kelley undergrads.

“Students were engaged and committed, the presentation was professional, the IU Auditorium was packed, and there were good vibes all around,” said a Kelley faculty member who teaches in the I-Core curriculum. 

Our deep appreciation goes to the Aldi and Deloitte representatives who inspired Kelley students to apply what they’ve learned about finance, marketing, operations, and leadership to see this Kelley rite of passage—the final I-Core case—to successful completion. 

Want to create a custom engagement strategy at Kelley and make connections with students and world-class programs?

Contact Kara Hieser, Senior Director of Development and Engagement, at khieser@iu.edu, or Jill Storm, Director of Development and Engagement, at jilstorm@iu.edu.

 

Letter from Julie Manning Magid, Vice Dean, Kelley Indianapolis

Posted on by Tracy James

Dear partners,

The Kelley School of Business Indianapolis provides research and talent that fuels the vitality of our city and state. It’s a commitment we take seriously—and one we couldn’t fulfill without your support. 

Let me share how Kelley Indianapolis researchers are tackling big questions and uncovering new solutions that help make sense of today’s complex world.  

Julie Manning Magid, Vice Dean – Indianapolis Campus, stands in a hallway.

Julie Manning Magid, Vice Dean – Indianapolis Campus

Amrou Awaysheh, associate professor of operations and supply chain management, studies how firms integrate and manage socially responsible practices in their operations and supply chains to enhance profitability and improve firm valuations. He’s led projects with Amazon—to better understand the environmental impact of e-commerce warehouses—and Unilever, which achieved €220 million ($240 million) in cost savings and created more than 1,000 job opportunities.  

In the last year, Kelley Indianapolis faculty and students have partnered with large corporations, small businesses, and not-for-profit organizations across central Indiana to offer solutions that drive growth and provide access. 

For example, students in our top-ranked Evening MBA Program worked with a fitness and wellness center to scale its business revenue in preparation for an equity investment. Another student team recommended a menswear boutique consolidate its downtown and northside operations to better serve customers and retain employees. Both are among 40 strategic consulting projects that are removing barriers for minority- and women-owned small businesses.   

As “Kelley in the City,” we contribute to Indianapolis’ business and social ecosystem and foster entrepreneurial exploration for students who want more than a traditional academic degree.  

After winning a pitch competition at Elevate Ventures, 2022 finance graduate Anna Dorris worked with a venture capital firm to beta launch her new company, a mail-order personalized style service that uses secondhand clothing. She went from zero to 100 customers in six months and generated $10,000 in revenue during the pilot period. 

From expanding access to making dreams come true, your investment in the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis empowers us to be a collaborative community of consequential impact. Thank you. 

Julie Manning Magid 

Vice Dean – Indianapolis Campus

Kelley Venture Fellow 

Professor of Business Law 

 

 

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