The Strategy Lab led by CU Denver Business School Lecturer Susan Heinzeroth is meant to give Graduate business students a hands-on approach to learning about strategy. Partnered with Jackson Financial, students became real-life consultants aiding their Marketing department into new ‘blue oceans’ of opportunity. By doing extensive research and industry analysis, the class was divided into teams and pinned against each other to offer innovative solutions surrounding the evolving retirement industry.

This video shows a tiny sliver of the required research, ‘person-on-the-street’ interviews, obtained by capturing pre-retirees and retirees’ opinions on financial and emotional topics during that period of their life. The semester ended with students presenting their full-set of findings, conclusions, and recommendations with feasibility concerns, actionable steps, and a foundation for their ‘client’ to build upon.

Matt Sewick, who created the video said, “As I look back at my final semester, I wish more classes were taught like this. Through Susan holding our feet to the fire and letting us fail on our own while still coaching us through the learning process, the valuable knowledge stuck and was easier to apply outside of the classroom setting. The best professors, like Susan, I believe think less academically and more like business professionals themselves — ultimately, making the class a real-world scenario rather than an education bubble that easily bursts when applied outside of the university.”

For more information about the Strategy Lab Course offered at CU Denver, contact Susan Heinzeroth.