In October 2016, then-seniors Maggie Stotzer and Raghav Ghandi (both BSIE 2017) founded Purdue Solutions. Its mission is to provide technology, systems, and operations consulting to clients in the Greater Lafayette area. The organization gives students first-hand experience in working with clients and solving problems in teams. 

During the past year, Purdue Solutions has worked with a variety of businesses, including projects for The Wealth Pool, Ivy Tech, and FroYo Express (a student start-up co-founded by 2 Purdue IE students and a Department of Computer Science student).

For Ivy Tech, Purdue Solutions created a financial model for the college president to advise the Board of Chancellors on how to fund various campuses. For FroYo Xpress, the student consultant team aided in the process design of the second generation self-serving frozen yogurt machine. In addition, they created a method for tracking the supply of yogurt and toppings for the supplier and 3rd Street Market.

"In addition to providing members with the opportunity to gain real-world consulting experience at the undergraduate level, Purdue Solutions forms a community of students from any major/year with an interest in pursuing a career in consulting," said Managing Director Caroline Fallon, an IE junior. "As a result, members of Purdue Solutions benefit from learning and growing alongside students with varying passions and experiences."

During this past year, the group also hosted its second Case Competition with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) LLP. The goal of the case competition was to provide participants who are interested in technology consulting to get first-hand experience by working on real cases from PwC analysts. 

"The directors of Purdue Solutions have three primary focus points for encouraging member development: projects, guest speakers, and case competitions," said Director of Operations Jennifer Teefey. "This semester, we're working to increase our network for acquiring projects by developing a relationship with the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and high profile companies, we are reaching out to more industry professionals to present to and network with our consultants, and we are hosting the third annual PwC and Purdue Solutions Case Competition, which will be open to the entire undergraduate student body."

The organization is advised by Dave Kotterman, IE Industry Relations Director, and Matthew Lynall, Clinical Associate Professor of Management and the Director of Experiential Learning and Management Consulting at Krannert School of Management. Current officers are: IE students Fallon, Managing Director; Teefey, Director of Operations; and Harrison Smith, Director of Talent. Non-IE officers are Rohan Balel, Director of Relations; and Khushi Suri, Director of Engagement. 

Potential clients: Email Purdue Solutions

Writer: DeEtte Starr, starrd@purdue.edu

Source: Caroline Fallon, purduesolutions@gmail.com