Community Consulting Lab Business Partners

Find solutions, grow your company

The Community Consulting Lab is an eight-week hands-on, fully supported, consulting experience and business accelerator that pairs local entrepreneurs with Johns Hopkins students to deliver business expertise, strengthen business trajectory, and grow local economies.

As a CCL Business Partner, you will engage in a collaborative, matched partnership to leverage the business knowledge and expertise of student consultants through one-on-one mentoring. Together, you’ll contribute to the growth of your local small business, startup, or non-profit by delivering business solutions with lasting impact.

CCL’s core focus is to empower student consultants by serving BIPOC business owners and entrepreneurs in ways that strengthen their business trajectory and confidence to generate revenue and impact. Students partner with local minority-owned small businesses from the Greater Baltimore and DMV area.

Interested in becoming a CCL Business Partner? Applications open December 2024.

Program outcomes as a business owner:

• Develop the skills and abilities to refine financial projections and business profitability
• Receive the tools and support to develop a customized growth plan that will take your business to the next level 
• Master the confidence needed to advocate your business potential and secure lending

Business owners will also gain practical skills in topics such as:  identifying growth opportunities; accessing government procurement opportunities; building capacity for larger contracts; and negotiation and financial literacy that can immediately be put into action.

Surpass your business goals

The Community Consulting Lab has had over 4,000 hours committed to service and learning in past years. Small BIPOC owned business participants have spanned across industries like health and nutrition, technology, graphic design, clothing and apparel, education, social impact, and more. Past participating companies have included  Black Girls Eat, Envision Creative A.R.T, Full Blast STEAM, CLLCTIVLY, Mindstand Technologies, and DIFFERENTREGARD.

CCL Business Owner Curriculum:

• Week One: Introductions, Program Orientation, and Intro to Cash Flow Projections
• Week Two: Building a Sustainable Organization’s Infrastructure
• Week Three: Leading People and Planning for Growth
• Week Four: Marketing and Selling- Business to Consumer, Business to Business, and Business to Government
• Week Five: Essentials of Accounting, Human Resources, and Taxes
• Week Six: Preparing for Capital

Program Details:

• Three-hour weekly class led by Will Holmes, Founder, WHC; Chairman Emeritus, Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce; Founder, Baltimore Economic Leadership League
• One-hour weekly consulting session led by a matched student consultant (cadence may vary)
• One-on-one consulting mentor sessions with Will Holmes
• Six weeks of instruction leading up to the CCL showcase
• One week of final preparation prior to the CCL showcase
• Final showcase presentation

All program advising led by Tracy Akinade, Associate Director, Community Engagement & Economic Impact.

Student consultants participating in the CCL have studied at a variety of different Johns Hopkins programs:

Carey Business School |  JHU Krieger School of Arts & Sciences | JHU School of Medicine
JHU School of Nursing |  MICA | Bloomberg School of Public Health

Questions about the Community Consulting Lab and how to apply?

Please contact Tracy Akinade, Associate Director, Community Engagement & Economic Impact, at Tracy.Akinade@jhu.edu