MBA students nurture NC’s future
Working with NCGrowth, the pair developed a plan to bring jobs and access to healthy food to Robeson County.
Abdur Rahman ‘24 (MBA) and Hammad Nadeem ‘24 (MBA) graduated from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in May, landing high-profile jobs at Ernst & Young and Apple, respectively. But before that, they worked in Robeson County on the proposed Liberty Food Processing and Refrigeration co-packing facility.
As analysts for business school affiliate NCGrowth during their Full-Time MBA Program studies, Rahman and Nadeem crafted a strategic plan to create numerous jobs in the economically depressed region, support the culinary heritage of the indigenous Lumbee Tribe and enhance access to locally grown food.
It’s a big project with big goals, but NCGrowth has a big mission: building an economy where all have opportunities to prosper.
“I really absorbed the potential impact of the project when we first visited the Lumbee Tribe,” says Nadeem. “That’s when it really hit me — how this can create a lot of jobs and help local farmers get what they deserve. It’s crucial for Robeson County and the Lumbee Tribe. It could be a first step toward creating an economic domino effect in the area.”
Lasting impact
Launched in 2012 and based at the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, NCGrowth has developed hundreds of projects across North Carolina and neighboring states, sparking growth in downtowns and encouraging economic development within Black and Indigenous populations.
“That’s where we can make the greatest difference,” says Mark Little, NCGrowth co-founder and executive director, whose parents are from eastern North Carolina. “We’re always innovating and trying new ways of helping people and communities create more opportunities for themselves. Our team tries to work in ways where failure really isn’t an option. We might not be able to accomplish every goal we have, but we always can have some positive impact.”
Students are a huge part of making that difference. More than 300 students, predominately those in UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA Program, have worked as paid business analysts on projects. They’re paired with program managers who provide guidance and often have connections to communities in need. It’s experiential learning that broadens and deepens understanding of business on a hyper-local level.
“The gears change in a different direction when we go to a community and an analyst has a chance to walk the land, talk to the people and see what they’re working toward,” says Nicole Outlaw, NCGrowth’s assistant director of engagement. “These students are interning at places like Amazon and Microsoft, but for them to be able to work for a company that has one or two employees and apply what they’ve learned about the marketplace there, it gives them some real-life experience.”
It’s personal
Rahman and Nadeem brought unique backgrounds to their projects. Rahman has an engineering degree and experience in the oil and gas industry; Nadeem previously worked in operations at Nestlé. Both were looking for the kind of new experiences that NCGrowth offers.
“What attracted me to the role was that it was a consulting experience where you got a chance to work closely with local communities and small businesses and actually make an impact on the livelihood of an area and its citizens,” says Rahman. “I wanted to experience what it’s like working with local businesses, and I also wanted to strongly contribute to the community.”
The work is deeply personal for Outlaw, who grew up in Bertie County, where the median household income is about $42,000, compared to $68,000 statewide.
“We really have to set up better systems and jobs that will make people stay or come back. The types of projects we work on impact everything from our food insecurity to our overall well-being. Especially in rural and distressed communities, NCGrowth has the opportunity to help change the world.”
