Finance is a field that can be easily overlooked––after all, crunching numbers rarely is headline-inducing work. But finance is the lifeblood of a business, providing the flexibility and resources necessary to meet business objectives – and having a deep understanding of how finance impacts all parts of a business is essential to success.

This semester, Ross MBAs are working with companies around the world to learn first hand how finance can both bring big companies to new achievements, and help smaller ones make hugely impactful changes around the world.

These students are among 400 first-year MBAs working across the world to tackle new challenges at real companies. It’s all part of the Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAP) course, which has sent Michigan Ross students to consult, learn, and innovate at businesses and corporations for 25 years.

Rossers are working on innovative finance projects at the following companies:

GLOBAL FAIRNESS INITIATIVE

Rossers are determining a sustainable financial model for Better Brick--Nepal, a market-based program that is transforming Nepal’s brick industry by eliminating forced, bonded, and child labor. (Image above is from Ross MBA Alllen Xu on Instagram)
 

BANYAN GLOBAL

The development consulting firm has tasked a team of Ross students with conducting an in-depth investigation into the financial constraints and opportunities for private maternity homes in rural Ghana under the USAID-funded Saving Maternity Homes in Ghana, Innovate for Health Project.
 

COMERICA BANK

Comerica Bank is one of the country’s largest financial holdings. Working in both Palo Alto, Calif. and Auburn Hills, Mich., a team of Ross students are figuring out how to create a fintech operation within Comerica that will speed the pace of innovation.
 

VIETNAM PARTNERS

Rossers are working in collaboration with Vietnam Partners and the Hanoi School of Business on creating a Center for Innovation and establishing a start up venture capital fund for this investment firm based in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The above is just a small selection of the 83 diverse projects currently happening around the world — check out some of the other projects Ross students are working on:

READ ABOUT THIS YEAR’S TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS

READ ABOUT THIS YEAR’S SOCIAL IMPACT-FOCUSED PROJECTS

READ ABOUT THIS YEAR’S CPG PROJECTS

A full-list of 2017 project descriptions will be available at a later date on the Ross website.