INFORMATION FOR PACE COMPANIES
PACE program students work in small teams of three to five people to help create solutions to an array of complex issues that companies either can’t solve or don’t have the time or resources to address. Our students possess outstanding academic records in a range of business concentrations such as accounting, marketing, finance and management.
As part of PACE, students receive instruction in strategic planning and public speaking to ensure they are properly trained. They have 14 weeks to assess the issue and provide a recommended solution.
Past PACE Clients
- American Fueling Systems
- Arby’s
- Brooks McGinnis
- Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES)
- Carter USA
- City of Atlanta
- Clintract
- Flying Biscuit Cafe
- Georgia Food Bank Association
- GlobalAtlanta
- Havertys
- Intersect Group
- Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Purchasing Power
- Shaw Industries
- Souper Jenny
- SportClips
Frequently Asked Questions
PACE client companies engaging in PACE projects gain valuable insights and get access to student talent when there is a committed champion inside the organization supporting the project. We seek financial support to offer high-touch faculty coaching to the teams ensuring both the client and the students gain value and to scale the PACE program. Various sponsorship levels are available, from supporting a single pilot project to a multi-year commitment or gaining access to the PACE talent pool as a PACE Advocate. Please get in touch with Jacobus Boers to learn more.
We are happy to sign confidentiality agreements when proprietary information is involved in assignments.
PACE teams are interdisciplinary with undergraduate students across the business school and may include students enrolled in the Management Consulting Certificate from across GSU. Typically, teams of four to six students work best.
Currently, we run 8-10 projects each semester, but that number will increase as we secure resources to add additional class sections.
To ensure the best outcomes for both the clients and the students, we ask our student teams to meet with/call their clients no less frequently than every two weeks, although many companies schedule meetings/calls each week. Frequency depends on the nature and scope of the project.
We work closely with the client to define each project's scope. PACE projects are typically strategically important to the client, including projects such as market opportunity assessments, recruiting and retaining talent, improving operational efficiencies in workforce deployment, funding programs in a non-profit organization, sales and marketing, media communications, and the use of AI in your business. Projects all run from the beginning to the end of a semester.
The first step is to assess an opportunity. Jacobus Boers will discuss project ideas with you and develop an appropriate and feasible project scope together. We develop a brief description of the project that students will use to make project preferences. For Fall semester projects to be considered, conversations must be completed by August 1st and for the Spring semester by December 1st.
We ask you to be prepared to:
- Meet with the team and professor for an introductory overview meeting within two weeks of beginning the semester
- Be available for regular (typically at least biweekly) meetings with the team
- Provide information and data to the team needed to understand the problem and develop meaningful recommendation
- Engage with the PACE team to ensure that they stay on track and your objectives are met
- Host a final presentation at your office or virtually if needed
"I’m reading through the written report that the PACE team did. I am blown away by the quality and usability of this report and accompanying model. This is truly excellent. Just superb. I would put our PACE team up against ANY team from ANY school, ANYWHERE on the planet."
– Jim Presmanes, risk manager, Havertys
"The PACE program students really helped us come into better alignment with our goals. Sometimes you need that outside perspective to help evaluate your process and find ways to improve. They did a lot of work to make some remarkable recommendations that we plan to implement."
– Dana Craft, executive director, Georgia Food Bank Association
"We tasked the PACE [students] to develop a comprehensive report overviewing the Mexican and South American oil, gas, CNG, LNG and biodiesel markets for feasibility, sales, business development and regulations. The results of their efforts have streamlined our development strategy for entry into the Mexican fuel markets beginning in 2017."
– Rahim Charania, chief executive officer, American Fueling Systems