Open Road at Ross
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Since 2014, Ross has sent MBAs to participate in Ross Open Road, a program that pairs MBA students with visionary entrepreneurs. Open Road is an established action-based social entrepreneurship program developed by Ross students and powered by Business+Impact and the Ford Motor Company. The aim of the program is to give small business owners extra hands in solving complex challenges and to help students gain real experience understanding the various issues social ventures face.
Over the course of five weeks, students drive from state to state meeting socially- and environmentally-driven entrepreneurs. Students spend one week on-site in each location, working closely with the entrepreneur, to provide a solution or recommendation to a business problem they are facing. At the end of each week, students pack up the car and hit the road again to meet with the next entrepreneur!
Are you interested in applying to Open Road? Visit the official student-authored Open Road website to find more information.
Applications for this May program are accepted in February, with information sessions in December.
Open Road 2021
Though working primarily remotely this year, these intrepid travelers are focused on addressing business challenges for Detroit is the New Black, Shelby + Coffee Down Under, and Coton Clothiers, all in Detroit, MI. Business+Impact and Zell Lurie Institute are proud to partners on this program, funded by Ford Motor Company.
Coton Clothiers:
Chris Gradone, MBA
Rachel Ing, MBA
Natasha Suddhi, MBA
Detroit Is the New Black:
Dustin Huibregtse, MBA
Alex Johnson, MBA
Briana Jones, MBA
Sasha Kapur, MBA
Shelby + Coffee Down Under:
Chris Gradone, MBA
Rachel Ing, MBA
Chris Nguyen, MBA
Natasha Suddhi, MBA
Allison Winstel, MBA, MPP
When Open Road was on the road - May 2019
2019 Ross Open Road
In May 2019, three Ross teams embarked on their journey across America to partner with social entrepreneurs. To find out details about Team LOVA, Team MPower and Team RAIK, visit the Ross Open Road team page or our 2019 Open Road story and meet team members, see itineraries, and learn about the destinations. You can follow their experiences on Twitter #RossOpenRoad and Instagram #RossOpenRoad
Testimonials from 2019
Team LOVA
“One of the week’s highlights were the entrepreneur’s nuggets of wisdom, which we’ve found ourselves repeating already! A few of our favorites include, “the riches are in niches,” and “no money, no mission.”” — Katarina Athanasiou
Team MPower
“Open Road was one of my favorite experiences at Ross. Each week we got to know a new entrepreneur, a new city, and apply what we’ve learned all year in business school to make an impact.” — Brooke Burton
Team RAIK
“Detroit is showing strong signs of revitalization, and I am excited to have met one of the individuals who are leading this change. I am strongly reminded on the importance on not generalizing a population without understanding the history and culture of that population.” — Ritesh Kumar
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