Northwestern University

Northwestern University joined the LEAD family in 1981. Since then, over 800 high school students have participated in the LEAD program at the Kellogg School of Management.

During the Business Plan and Stock Market Competitions at the Kellogg School, competing groups of LEADers each receive a special MBA mentor who provides advice and support during the preparatory stages leading up to the contests.

LEADers at Northwestern have participated in corporate site visits and the following on-campus corporate presentations: Ariel Capital Management, Brandtrust, Boston Consulting Group, Chicago Board of Trade, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, M&M/Mars, Owens Corning and the Chicago Tribune. Northwestern University participants have been treated to presentations by the Executive Vice President of the Chicago Board of Trade and the President of Banco Popular North America.

The 2009 LEADers partook in a three- week program exposing them to the full scope of Northwestern’s core curriculum in accounting, ethics, finance, management, marketing and negotiations. Students were required to work in teams to compete in a stock market competition, develop a business plan and apply the skills learned in the classroom to the project. Each team worked with a special MBA mentor to assist them through the planning process and provide real world expertise. Some of the corporate visits this year included Deloitte, J.P. Morgan Chase, Sears Holding and Edelman Public Relations. Students also enjoyed sightseeing trips to the University beach, Evanston Holiday fireworks, Taste of Chicago, and fun at Six Flags Great America.