Consult for America

Case Study 2 (CS2) – Co-Founder & Lead Project Manager

Description: Consult For America is a pro-bono small business consulting organization dedicated to the development of West Philadelphia by providing business consulting services to local entrepreneurs and inventors.

History: In the fall of 2012, a woman and a man had a vision. What if students at the Wharton Business School used their knowledge to give back to the local community? West Philadelphia, where Penn is located, has historically been an impoverished neighborhood. Yet, there were countless entrepreneurs and residents who strove every day to make a positive difference. With direction and assistance, their impact could be magnified. Elsewhere on campus, an economics class had become heated as a student and a professor brawled over the necessity of corporate social responsibility. The professor thought that corporate social impact work was not a business’s responsibility. I argued that not only do corporations have a responsibility to help the communities they work in, but their contributions also improve the lives of their employees and thus improve the business. Samaira, a classmate, listened intently to this exchange and invited me to start Consult For America. A new social impact organization was to be born.

Members: CFA attracts mainly pre-professional and social impact oriented students aiming to position themselves for a career in management consulting for businesses. Due to the mid-level time commitment, members tended to participate in some other extracurricular activities.

Challenges: Our first year, we had one client and around 10 members. CFA had no established rules and no official budget.

Accomplishments:

Impact – We wrote a business plan and helped raise over $40,000 for a university chef to start his own socially conscious food truck.

Expansion: Membership increased from 3 founding members to over 40 total members by the time I graduated.