Rebranding a Special Needs School Through Marketing and Entrepreneurship: An MBA Capstone Consulting Case Study

The MBA program at Molloy College emphasizes a curriculum that creates ethically-minded leaders with a mindful disposition toward serving the local community. This pedagogical philosophy is consistent with the school’s mission that is deeply rooted in the Dominican tradition emphasizing the four pillars of study, spirituality, service, and community. This program culminates with the students applying what was learned in the classroom to a real-world consulting problem, often outside of their industry background comfort zone. The solutions need to be fully implementable and have a direct impact on the welfare of the local community. This paper presents the consulting recommendations and overall learning achieved when an MBA capstone consulting team applied their classroom skills and knowledge to develop a rebranding and overall awareness program to assist The Woodward Children’s Center (WCC). This student consulting team designed strategies aimed at modernizing the image of a school for special needs students through digital and print media, and the creation of an innovative entrepreneurship program utilizing the many talents of WCC’s students.