Maryville Business Students Help High School Entrepreneurs Hone Their Business Plans

Student consultants from Maryville Business Solutions (MBS) recently welcomed high school students from the Spark! Incubator program to campus for two mornings of hands-on collaboration, creativity, and entrepreneurial learning.

On October 23 and 24, about two dozen Spark! students visited Maryville University's President's Conference Room to meet one-on-one with MBS consultants for a business consulting workshop. The Spark! Incubator program is a high school career-preparation initiative that challenges students to develop and pitch business plans for competitions, including the Progress 64 Entrepreneurial Scholarship .

As the students worked to refine their business ideas, business students from Maryville's MBS team offered a marketing workshop, strategic guidance, and individualized feedback to strengthen each team's business plan and pitch.

"This experience gave both Spark! Incubator associates and our Maryville Business Solutions consultants an opportunity for authentic learning," said Robyn Wand, Co-Director of Maryville Business Solutions. "Spark! students walked away with critical feedback and actionable insights for their business concepts. I'm so grateful to Spark! for their partnership, and I can't wait to continue working with them!"

What They're Saying:

Maryville students and their Spark! counterparts praised the opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other.

• "Connecting with people your age felt really comfortable. They gave me really helpful tips for sustainability which is part of my company's mission, and they gave me websites to stay organized. It was great!" - Ruhika Anand , senior at Parkway South
• "It was great using my marketing knowledge combined with their existing knowledge and experience to develop a tailored marketing plan for their business!" - Faith Horton , Senior Marketing Major, Maryville University
• "I really enjoyed sharing my marketing knowledge to craft and deliver a marketing workshop to engage the Spark! students!" - Caitlyn Songco , Senior, Business Administration with a Minor in Marketing, Maryville University
• "It was a great learning experience in real-world consulting! The Spark! students were so passionate and knowledgeable about their business plan." - Mitchell McCoy , Senior, Business Administration Major, Maryville University
• "It was overall a really great experience because I got to use my accounting knowledge and apply it to help the student develop his business plan." - Cooper Anderson , Senior, Accounting Major, Maryville University

"As I have a passion for empowering non-profit organizations, it was great to consult on a student's business plan that connects non-profit organizations to volunteers." - Brennan Timmons , Accounting Major, Maryville University

MBS Combines Experiential Education with Community Impact

Launched in 2024, Maryville Business Solutions is a student-led consulting firm housed within the John E. Simon School of Business. MBS gives students paid opportunities to apply classroom learning to real-world business challenges - partnering with organizations across industries on projects involving marketing, operations, accounting, finance, and strategy.

Student consultants gain experience solving business problems, building client relationships, and delivering professional results - while organizations benefit from fresh ideas and data-driven insights from emerging professionals at an affordable price.

Some projects to date have included cyber security risk assessments, cybersecurity penetration testing, phishing campaigns, search engine optimization, website development, AI consulting, business process optimization, and social media marketing.

Each project is supported by Maryville's business faculty, ensuring that MBS clients receive high-quality consulting services while students gain mentorship and hands-on learning that prepares them for success after graduation.

Maryville Business Solutions is now accepting new clients. Businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs interested in partnering with MBS can learn more and inquire about project opportunities by contacting [email protected] or connecting with them on LinkedIn .

About Maryville University
Founded in 1872, Maryville University is a comprehensive and nationally ranked private institution with an enrollment of well over 9,000 students. Maryville offers over 90 degrees at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels, as well as several certificates that align with the undergraduate and graduate education levels. Maryville is recognized as the third fastest-growing private university in the United States by The Chronicle of Higher Education, serving students from 50 states and 56 countries. More than 50,000 Maryville alumni globally, many of whom work and live in the St. Louis region.