Real Businesses. Real Results. BEST Boston's Biggest Class Yet Delivers Its Biggest Impact Yet
UMass Boston College of Management's flagship consulting program brought 80 students and 40 Greater Boston businesses together this summer - and this year, the businesses did the talking.
On August 6, the College of Management asked 40 business owners a simple question: What actually changed after partnering with our students? Their answers - delivered in front of the entire BEST Boston community - became the centerpiece of this year’s program celebration. Completing its fourth annual year, BEST (Business Engagement for Students) Boston is the College’s paid student consulting program offered free to local businesses.
New pricing strategies. Streamlined operations. Data-backed marketing plans that replaced guesswork with evidence. Over a 10-week summer engagement, student consulting teams didn't just complete class projects - they produced work that business owners say they are already putting into action.
The Results
The following five projects are a snapshot of the 40 completed this year - each guided by faculty mentors who provided structure, expertise, and real-time coaching.
QUBIC Labs | Blockchain / Web3 innovation hub | Quincy, MA
Students benchmarked seven leading U.S. innovation ecosystems. Boston remains strong in research and life sciences but is falling behind in AI and founder support. The team delivered a clear investment and policy roadmap to help Massachusetts retain more of the talent it trains.
Sherlock Performance AI | Enterprise AI coaching platform | Northborough, MA
A full digital audit by the student team uncovered SEO gaps and competitor keyword advantages. Active users grew nearly 3x in four weeks (367 > 1,178). Sherlock received its first evidence-based competitive picture and an immediate action list.
MassMEP | Manufacturing Extension Partnership | Auburn, MA
The students analyzed 9,882 Massachusetts manufacturers (2,368 clients and 7,454 non-clients) and built a five-division territory model. Found 75.9% of manufacturers remain unengaged - a 3.1:1 potential-to-existing ratio. MassMEP received a clearer coverage gap and prioritized path for growth and re-engagement.
The Castle Group | Public Relations Agency | Charlestown, MA
Students mapped AI communication practices across PR agencies and uncovered a clear differentiation opportunity. Most peers say little about their AI use or keep it low-profile. Castle received a practical framework for transparent, responsible AI messaging and governance.
Energy New England | Energy Efficiency Programs | Mansfield, MA
Verified 227 rebates, cataloged 70 capabilities, and compared 8 peers across 18 categories. The student team turned fragmented public data into a single decision system showing where ENE leads and which gaps matter. ENE gained clearer priorities and a reusable tool for smarter program and customer-experience decisions.
The Student Experience
For students, the impact cuts both ways. BEST Boston student consultant Celina Mannan, who worked on the RJ Installation project, put it this way.
"It's incredibly rewarding to know that our work delivered real business value and will have a lasting impact beyond the conclusion of this BEST Boston program," Mannan said.
A Community Celebration
The results were shared at a program celebration that brought together the full BEST Boston community - students, business owners, and faculty mentors - alongside university leadership. UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, Provost Joe Berger, UMass System Senior Vice President Dr. Nefertiti Walker, and Sandy Lish, chair of the College of Management's Dean's Advisory Board, joined the celebration and spoke to the program's growing impact on the region.
None of it would exist without the vision of College of Management Dean Venky Venkatachalam, who founded the model that became BEST Boston and has grown it from a five-business pilot in 2023 into this year's 40-business, 80-student program.
"BEST Boston puts students to work on real problems for real companies - strengthening local businesses while building the talent pipeline our regional economy needs. Scaling from five projects to forty has only reinforced my belief that this is how management education should work," said Venkatachalam.
Thank You to Our 2026 Business Partners
BEST Boston exists because 40 businesses across Greater Boston opened their doors to our students this summer. We are grateful for their trust, their time, and their willingness to let students tackle real problems with real stakes - and we hope every one of them leaves this program with momentum they didn't have before. Thank you to:
- ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston, Wakefield, MA
- Belle Visage, Milton, MA
- Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, Lenox, MA
- Blue Willow Acupuncture, Milton, MA
- Braintree Electric Light Department, Braintree, MA
- CandleLux, Boston, MA
- Canvas Studio Boston, Hyde Park, MA
- The Castle Group, Inc., Charlestown, MA
- Catering by Terrie, Quincy, MA
- Center for Collaborative Leadership, Dorchester, MA
- Centum Search LLC, Boston, MA
- CERO Cooperative, Inc., Boston, MA
- Citixen Joy LLC, Waltham, MA
- Energy New England, Mansfield, MA
- Foundation Fighting Blindness, Boston, MA
- Fresh Start Detailing Inc., Quincy, MA
- HR Rebooted, Colebrook, NH
- Infinite Athletics, Stoughton, MA
- The Inkwell, Boston, MA
- Maia Mediation LLC, Somerville, MA
- Manifested Events, Dorchester, MA
- MassMEP, Auburn, MA
- Mumbai Spice, Boston, MA
- No Limits Home Bakery, Milton, MA
- OnyxGroup Planning, Development, and Brokerage, Boston, MA
- Phoenix Electric Corp., Canton, MA
- The Pink Studio Spa, Saugus, MA
- QUBIC Labs, Quincy, MA
- Quincy Youth Hockey, Quincy, MA
- Reliable Fabrics, Everett, MA
- RevenueBase, Waltham, MA
- RJ Installation and Design, Dracut, MA
- Roundhead Brewing LLC, Hyde Park, MA
- Sherlock Performance AI, Northborough, MA
- Slushy Lady Boston, Boston, MA
- South Shore Health Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Weymouth, MA
- Summer Street Wellness, South Boston, MA
- TiE Boston, Cambridge, MA
- Tournament Solutions, Danvers, MA
ABOUT BEST BOSTON
BEST (Business Engagement for Students) Boston is a 10-week, paid student consulting program from the UMass Boston College of Management that pairs student teams with Greater Boston businesses to solve real operational, marketing, and strategic challenges. Since launching in 2023 with 10 students and 5 businesses, the program has grown to 80 students and 40 businesses in 2026, guided each summer by more than 20 faculty mentors. Learn more or apply to participate at umb.edu/business/best-boston. Support our students and the program through a one-time or ongoing donation.
ABOUT UMASS BOSTON COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT
As Boston's only public accredited business school, the College of Management is dedicated to educating the region’s next generation of business and community leaders. Recognized for its first-rate faculty and diverse, high-achieving student body, the College offers exceptional learning experiences in collaboration with local businesses. For more information, visit busines.umb.edu and connect with us on LinkedIn.