The economic consulting major analyzed and presented recommendations for a case focused on Detroit’s consumer “desert” neighborhoods.
Jovani Mendez-Sandoval ’22, an economic consulting major and Leadership Fellow, collaborated on an intercollegiate virtual team taking on the role of consultants during the 2021 BTG National Case Competition.
Hosted by BTG Consulting, the annual event focuses on creating solutions to real-world issues facing Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and providing students with networking opportunities with top firms. This year, 110 students representing 46 universities participated in the one-day case competition powered by PwC.
The case focused on whether the client should create a mixed-use town center in Detroit’s consumer “desert” neighborhoods for both residential and commercial use. The residents of these neighborhoods have insufficient access to goods and services such as food, housing, healthcare, internet and banking services.
Mendez-Sandoval and his teammates from N.C. State University and Technological University of Dublin analyzed the investment risks and pitched the project feasibility during a 15-minute presentation. The students used data visualizations and research to highlight Detroit’s need for more affordable housing, the untapped market of BIPOC communities, and the overall unfulfilled demand for healthcare and education in that region.
“It was a great opportunity to work with other competitive members from different universities, dialogue our ideas and put together a professional presentation in just a few hours,” Mendez-Sandoval said.
“The theme of the case competition was an important issue as there are many underserved communities that will continue to have barriers to basic services, goods and education,” he added. “I’m glad to see that the business world can spark economic prosperity through better housing, income growth opportunities and access to higher education.”
BTG is a national non-profit organization working to close the racial wealth divide by providing pro-bono consulting services to minority-owned businesses across the U.S. and cultivating top, diverse talent for the business community.