KELLEY ACADEMIES
Sometimes there’s no better way to learn something than by jumping in headfirst and just doing it. Kelley’s industry-focused academies allow MBA students to do just that, and they’re a big part of what makes the School unique. Few other MBA programs allow their students to dive into an area of interest and rub elbows with top business leaders.

Gaining Velocity, New York Style
One of the great things about Kelley’s industry-focused academies is that they offer unique, interactive learning opportunities. None is more innovative than the Entrepreneurial Management Academy (EMG). Every year, its students attend the Velocity Conference, an annual event organized by the Kelley School and held in partnership with other universities. At the 2006 conference in New York City, students got to meet CEOs from up and coming businesses and the venture capitalists that fund them.

“The Velocity Conference was inspiring,” said 2nd year MBA and Entrepreneurship Academy member John Walter. “Interacting with successful entrepreneurs, seasoned venture capitalists and like-minded students from other programs created an atmosphere where my most ambitious entrepreneurial aspiration seemed completely feasible.”

Thanks in large part to the Velocity Conference and other EMG initiatives, in 2007 the Kelley entrepreneurship program was named National Model MBA in Entrepreneurship by the U.S. Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Hanging with Buffet
Academies give Kelley MBA students the chance to interact with bigwigs in a wide range of industries. And there’s none bigger than financial legend Warren Buffett. In 2007, more than 80 students and faculty from the Investment Banking, Investment Management, Corporate Finance Academies and other groups spent a day in Nebraska with Buffett and top management from two of his companies.

Students were impressed by Buffett’s business acumen and his warm personality. “He really tried to get to know us as people and asked us questions about what we learned,” said JD/MBA student Lindsey Blauer.

Sandeep Surana, a member of the Investment Banking Academy, valued the opportunity to talk with Buffett about his investment philosophy. “One of the great thing I liked is that he buys companies and management; he doesn’t just buy the company to strip it apart.”

Kelley MBAs won’t soon forget their day with Buffett. It was, as Sandeep put it, “a once in a lifetime opportunity!’

Rising to the FedEx Challenge
FedEx Express is all about getting packages to people fast and on time—which is a lot harder than it may seem. To make it all work the company needs to know how many packages they’re dealing with and how best to get them where they need to go.

That was precisely the challenge put to members of the Kelley Supply Chain and Global Management Academy. Using historic package volumes, four student teams had to produce a ten-year volume forecast and come up with a long-range vehicle replacement strategy. Oh, and the teams also had to figure out how to throw hybrid “green” vehicles into the mix.

After presenting their individual work to FedEx, the teams then came together to integrate their data and prepare a comprehensive recommendation for the FedEx Global Asset Management team, which came to Kelley for the presentation.

According to Carl Briggs, co-director of the Supply Chain and Global Management academy, the result was a smashing success. “The final integrated project the students delivered was outstanding. It gave the sponsor [FedEx] some important insight into a pressing issue,” he said. “It required students to go above and beyond the expectations of the traditional classroom.”

Getting Ahead in the Life Sciences
Life sciences is one of today’s fastest growing industries. Now, members of existing academies can focus on the life sciences by taking advantage of Academy PLUS Life Sciences. Students admitted to the life sciences group learn the ins and outs of this burgeoning industry in two “Business of Life Sciences courses” and have the unique opportunity to learn directly from industry leaders on Kelley’s 14-member life sciences industry board.

“Though only in my first semester, I have found the PLUS Academy to be a great professional move,” said 1st year MBA student Scott Maloney. “Whether at receptions hosted by PLUS Academy, through company sponsored student projects, or through informal interactions, the PLUS Academy has proven already to be a great signal to companies of my interest and passion in life science business work.”

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