University at Buffalo School of Management

18 Buffalo Business | V icky LaBelle, BS '00, was one of more than 140 employers, faculty members, staff and students who attended UB's Future of Work Summit last year. The event was a collaboration between the School of Management's Career Resource Center, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and UB's Career Design Center that brought employers and the university together for a day of forward-thinking discussions and networking. It was at the summit where LaBelle learned about the School of Management's Projects Clinic, which employs graduate students in experiential learning projects with local and global businesses. LaBelle is director of human resources at Benderson Development, a real estate devel- opment firm with more than 1,000 properties across the U.S. She engaged a team of Projects Clinic students to develop a tool Benderson could use to search for tax incentives, grants and energy discounts available to the commer- cial real estate industry through federal, state and local governments. Over the course of a semester, the students delivered exactly what Benderson needed, which LaBelle says will save the company time, increase accuracy and ensure they aren't missing any possible incentives. "The team did an amazing job providing us with a very effective tool," she says. "They were engaged from the beginning, and I would encourage any business to research this program. They would be surprised to learn how much talent these students have, and it was a great experience." Under the guidance of Michael Krupski, clinical assistant professor of strategy, and Cassie Nguyen, clinical assistant professor of accounting and law, Projects Clinic interns partner with companies to solve real problems. Working in small teams, clinic interns leverage the skills learned in the classroom, while also bringing their own perspective to the projects. Since fall 2023, the Projects Clinic has employed more than 50 students and devel- oped solutions for more than 30 businesses and community organizations. Marketing solutions One of those students is Kavita Pant, who will graduate with an MS in Management Information Systems this summer. During the fall semester, one of two projects Pant worked on was in digital marketing for KMS Intercultural Education, a small business that offers educational programs for individuals or teams to build intercultural competence. BOOSTING BUSINESS, BUILDING SKILLS HOW THE PROJECTS CLINIC IS DELIVERING VALUE FOR STUDENTS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS By Kevin Manne LaBelle "The team did an amazing job providing us with a very effective tool. They were engaged from the beginning, and I would encourage any business to research this program." Vicky LaBelle, BS '00 Director of Human Resources Benderson Development

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