180 Degree Consulting is a student-run consulting organization—a chapter of the worldwide 180DC group that has branches at undergraduate institutions around the world—that gives Bi-Co students hands-on experience while they are still in college.
Organizations use consultants when they have a specific challenge that they do not have the time or resources to figure out themselves. These problems could be marketing, legal, or strategic challenges. Consultants can analyze the organization’s issue and recommend solutions.
Haverford and Bryn Mawr’s club started in 2017. Their clients include Beyond the Bell Tours, founded by Rebecca Fisher ’18 and Joey Leroux ’18, and Nestidd, a company that buys houses, customizes them for people with disabilities, leases, and maintains them at an affordable price.
180DC’s clients are all organizations making positive impacts in their communities. Clients get free consulting services and students get hand-on consulting experience.
“Our Bi-Co branch is an opportunity for students to engage in nonprofit consulting and develop a passion for creating social impact,” said Consulting Director Polina Lipskaya ’21.
Their work with each client looks different based on their individual needs and goals. But some of their services include market analysis, impact measurement, and brand management. For example, 180DC gave Nestidd suggestions about how to make their website more accessible to users.
The Bi-Co branch also gets guidance from alumni like Jaimon Olmsted ’17, a consultant at Boston Consulting Group.
“We always reach out to alumni when we source collaboration for our semester projects, but also apply their guidance throughout the semester as well,” said Lipskaya. “Our branch would not be the same without the help from Bi-Co alums.”
As the consulting director, Lipskaya is the point of contact with the clients and manages the consulting team’s work.
“Even though there are a lot of stressful deadlines to look out for, I enjoy my work,” she said. “I spend a great deal of my time connecting with people and learning from them.”
For students interested in joining 180DC, information sessions and applications open at the beginning of each semester. They are also holding a Bi-Co Alums in Consulting Panel and a virtual open house on Wednesday, May 12. You can learn more about the Bi-Co branch of 180DC on their website and Instagram page.