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Ratcliffe Innovation Consultants

Powered by the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation

Consultants helping your business succeed.

Solving Today's Business Problems with Tomorrow's Top Talent

Unlock innovation and accelerate growth with the next generation of leaders. The Ratcliffe Innovation Consultant teams connect entrepreneurs and employer partners with high-performing student teams, guided by expert faculty, entrepreneurs-in-residence, and industry professionals.

The Ratcliffe Innovation Consultants program includes the BW Digital Marketing Center and the Ratcliffe Growth Practice where our consulting teams deliver solutions that enhance performance and fuel growth for the region.

As a Ratcliffe Innovation Consultant partner, you benefit from:

  • Customized, results-oriented solutions tailored to your organization's needs
  • Access to emerging talent that is leader-ready, career-ready and future-ready
  • A commitment to regional growth through hands-on, purpose-driven collaboration

How Consulting Projects Work

Unlike traditional internships, each engagement is carefully scoped in collaboration with you. Projects can span in length from four to eight weeks, a full semester and beyond. A team of student consultants is selected based on skillset and alignment with your project objectives.

Students conduct their work on BW's campus, meeting regularly with your organization. Each project is led by experienced faculty and practitioners, who ensure excellence in both the project and student development.

Your organization gains fresh thinking and tangible results, while students gain real-world experience and exposure to organizations in our region.

How to Begin

Not sure where to begin? Connect with leaders in the Digital Marketing Center or the Ratcliffe Growth Practice, for personalized guidance and next steps.

If you would like more information about Ratcliffe Innovation Consultants, contact our program manager, Donna VanRooy, at dvanrooy@bw.edu or (440) 826-3821.

  • Students collaborating with a small business client on AI tools, reviewing processes and discussing how to integrate technology into daily operations.

    The ROI of AI for Small Businesses

    Innovation consultants within the Digital Marketing Center have been helping clients align artificial intelligence adoption with business goals long before ChatGPT launched. Through our AI Business Consulting program, students are matched with AI-savvy entrepreneurs to select or build the right apps, map out workflows for efficiency, and assist with onboarding, training, and troubleshooting. Clients have included an investment bank, various B2B consultants, CPG/retail, consumer services, and others.

  • Students recording or producing short-form video content, setting up equipment and collaborating to create social media posts for a client campaign.

    Nothing Trivial: Strategic Content Creation

    To drive sales of an innovative game show buzzer system, which can be used in classrooms, for family gatherings, and even workplace events, a group of Digital Marketing Center innovation consultants organized weekly trivia contests to film content for TikTok, Reels, and other channels. The videos were then edited, optimized with captions, and loaded into a social media management platform for client approval and scheduling. The content was designed to boost engagement with current audiences, build brand awareness among prospects, and ultimately generate traffic for increased ecommerce transactions.

  • Student photographer taking professional headshots of other students, with individuals posing while others wait or prepare in a campus setting.

    Building Brands While Supporting Fellow Students

    Our consultants gain professional experience by helping clients grow, but their development often extends beyond the client project. Last fall the program came full circle when a former student consultant returned to campus as a professional photographer after launching his own photography business. Through this partnership, student consultants received professional headshots to strengthen their LinkedIn profiles and resumes, while students attending the career expo also had access to these services. The project supported student career readiness, elevated professional branding, and showcased how the program continues to create opportunities for students and alumni.