Background
The Propel Business Project (Propel), offered through the Master of Management (MMgmt) and MBA programs at the Haskayne School of Business and designed for students with diverse backgrounds, offers incredible real-life experience and networking opportunities. BALM was enthusiastic about collaborating with the Propel Project team, as their goals align well with ours, especially in our program area focused on advancing education and research. We were therefore very pleased to engage with Propel’s Coordinator to collaborate on this project.
While students received no compensation from BALM, they received remuneration for their work through their school.
Key Players
BALM’s collaboration with Propel started on January 14, 2024, and lasted till March 24, 2024, after providing 2 students a total of 100 hours of engagement. BALM’s Project Sponsor was Oliver Aygun while Gillian Robertson from Propel was the Business Case Coordinator.
Project Managers
Yemi Oyekan and Syed Asif Ahmed, who are students pursuing the MBA Program at University of Calgary, were our project Managers.
The Project
Since 2022, BALM has proposed creating the first online network of Black non-profit organizations to support capacity building and access to services that would grow community organizations serving Black and racialized communities across Canada.
Project 1: Environmental Scan
Yemi Oyekan performed a detailed environmental scan of 20 prominent non-profit organizations operating in the USA and Canada that are devoted to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), with an emphasis on eliminating discrimination based on race. The report offers comprehensive insights into each organization’s purpose, operations, funding models among other areas that will offer an invaluable foundation as BALM formulates grant applications for the upcoming launch of the network platform.
I am pursuing an MBA at the University of Calgary with the goal of promoting constructive social change. I have a strong commitment to promoting positive change because of my involvement in co-founding a non-profit organization in Nigeria that helps the underprivileged. Collaborating with BALM, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting black empowerment and anti-racism, has ignited my desire to make a significant impact on a broader scale. Having seen BALM’s incredible mission and notable successes, I was greatly inspired to work with them toward a common objective. Through this collaboration, I was able to advance my academic career, contribute significantly to their cause, and acquire priceless experiences and knowledge. I am confident that our collaboration will yield excellent outcomes, and I look forward to discussing further ways in which we can work together to support genuine change.
Project 2: Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Platform (Syed Asif Ahmed)
Syed’s report focused on BALM’s network platform’s go-to-market strategy: The document serves as a comprehensive blueprint, meticulously outlining the project’s purpose, objectives, and the step-by-step process involved in envisioning the build and subsequent deployment. The report encapsulates the project’s essence and lays out a clear roadmap. The business requirement document also ensures alignment and coherence throughout the project lifecycle.
Syed also developed a financial model which will serve as a strategic tool as it consolidates various aspects crucial for project viability and sustainability. By providing a holistic view of the project’s financial landscape, including different options for progression. The financial model empowers decision-makers with the insights needed to make informed choices on the project’s financial feasibility, identify and assess potential risks, and explore optimization strategies.
At Haskayne School of Business am learning the skill to blend my technical acumen with business knowledge to drive sustainable growth and Social Impact.
As part of the Propel project Collaborating with BALM, a Non-Profit Organization promoting empowerment and anti-racism among the black community, was an enthralling experience to work directly with an NGO organization in Canada.
I have worked in the African sub-continent for close to 3 years and knowing the cultural importance made me inspired by the vision BALM has envisioned through its platform creation for the disparate NGO Networks.
I am happy to have utilized my prior IT consulting experience and my MBA skills in business analysis in contributing towards ideating this platform keeping in mind the impact it could have once it’s brought to consumers. I am happy to be Engaged now and in the future for this cause and see it evolve to start bringing real change in society.
We are delighted by the quality of project outcome that both students delivered through their research, detailed reports and financial modeling. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Propel Business Project team at University of Calgary’s Haskayne Business School. – Dora M. – President BALM
