NYC Consulting Capstone

Course Syllabus
MULT-UB 303.006
Spring 2025

Instructor Details
Name: Hans Taparia
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: by appointment
Office Location: KMC 7-94

Course Meetings
Meeting time(s): Wednesdays, 2 – 4:45 pm
Location: KMC 5-75

Course Overview and Objectives

This course provides all students enrolled in the B.S. in Business program at Stern with a shared
capstone learning experience. By engaging with the course, students will be better able to:

 Manage Teams & Stakeholders: We define managing teams & stakeholders as building
interpersonal relationships and successful team dynamics in order to work efficiently and
effectively.
 Navigate Complexity: We define navigating complexity as framing, scoping, and
analyzing an ambiguous problem; creating and implementing a project plan; and learning
how to pivot as needed.
 Deliver Compelling Solutions: We define delivering solutions as the ability to obtain
stakeholder buy-in by synthesizing research and analysis to create a compelling narrative
that sells your recommendation.

Overview of Partners and Projects

S:US (Services for the Underserved)

S:US is one of New York City’s largest social service nonprofit organizations providing services
such as supportive housing, employment, skills-building, developmental disabilities services,
homeless services, behavioral health services and veterans services. In operation since 1978,
S:US has a staff of 1800 people with an annual budget of $275 million, and it works with over
37,000 individuals and their families each year to create pathways to rich and productive lives.
Interestingly, the organization also manages urban farms in 91 locations across 4 boroughs. It
has a team of urban farmers that serve as landscapers, farm specialists and peer educators, and in
2023, it grew over 10,000 pounds of food, which is the equivalent of 8500 meals.

Given S:US’ size, entrepreneurial culture and expertise in a number of domains, the nonprofit
aims to support new business incubations amongst its members and staff. S:US staff and
members already run dozens of urban gardens and farms yielding thousands of pounds of food,
and have incubated small businesses producing products ranging from honey to essential oils.

During Spring 2024, NYU Stern’s Consulting Capstone course partnered with S:US to support
the ideation, prototyping and business modeling of new businesses in the healthy, affordable
food segment that members of its community could potentially start. S:US shared these ideas
within their community and have further fine-tuned them along with other ideas based on the
community’s strengths and needs.

S:US is now looking to launch a small food business accelerator for its members and staff. The
accelerator could be equipped to provide a range of services including ideation support, business
plan development, customer acquisition, licensing and permitting support, financial advisory,
team development and more. It should be set up to bring ideas to market for its members and
staff, but also potentially for S:US itself.

Good Food Works

Good Food Works is a spin-off of one of New York’s leading nonprofits, the Doe Fund. Its
mission is to provide healthy, affordable food and good jobs to those most in need. Good Food
Works operates 2 electric-powered kiosks—one in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn and
the other in Williamsburg. Its specialty salads are made in homeless shelters and sold for $5-
$10. Good Food Works aims to scale this model across New York City to make healthy food
accessible for all.

Preliminary Brief

S:US (4 teams)
Develop a business plan for a community-oriented food accelerator. This should include:

1. Identifying small business service needs of the community and existing business
strengths of S:US.
2. Identify and analyze best practices of community-oriented business accelerators in New
York, the US and globally.
3. Based on a mapping of best practices with needs and strengths of S:US, develop a blue-
print of initial services that S:US should offer.
4. Develop a plan that articulates:
a. the mission and vision of the accelerator
b. its intended impact
c. its theory of change
d. the key activities for each identified service
e. how each activity should be resourced initially and scaled over time.
Good Food Works (3 teams)
Develop a 5-year business plan for Good Food Works. This should include:

1. Assess size of the problem and opportunity in New York City

2. How should the products be priced in each neighborhood? What are the unit economics
at each price point?
3. What are additional product opportunities for Good Food Works?
4. What is the best way to design the supply chain (sourcing, production and distribution)?
5. How should the business scale over time? What resources will it require?
6. What is the 5-year forecast for the business
7. How would you measure impact?
8. What impact would the business have over 5 years?

Assignments, Assessment and Grading

 Project charter (10%)

o Each student team will be responsible for completing a charter using a template
provided in Brightspace that includes an overview of the project, a brief account
of the background for the project (including the company as well as the sponsor),
an account of the scope of work, a list of key stakeholders, a list of primary tasks,
and a schedule or plan for the completion of those tasks.
 Primary and Secondary Research Findings (20%)
o Based on the secondary research needs identified by the team, each team will
complete a literature review of the research conducted.
 Midterm presentation (20%)
o Each student team will create an annotated slide deck and present it to the partner
midway through the semester. This deck will include an account of what has
been accomplished so far, and an outline of what should be accomplished in the
remainder of the semester. Faculty will provide additional information and
guidance regarding the structure and format in which these presentations should
be submitted.
 Draft deliverable (5%)
o Student teams will present a short draft deliverable to the partner three weeks
before the final deliverables. The purpose of this draft is to ensure that all teams
are fully aligned with the partner’s goals - teams will receive feedback on these
drafts from their peers as well as from faculty.
 Final deliverable (25%)
o Student teams will submit their final deliverables to the partners in the
penultimate week of the semester. Faculty will provide information and
guidance regarding the structure and format in which these deliverables should be
submitted.
 Teamwork and participation (15%)
o Students are expected to be fully present and engaged throughout the semester,
participating actively in class sessions and contributing productively as members
of their teams. Faculty will provide additional information and guidance
 regarding the expectations associated with the practice of consulting as well as
teamwork.
 Reflection on experiential learning process (5%)
o The course is designed to enable students to learn through experience about
consulting, and the process of experiential learning involves iterative cycles of
action and reflection. Students will reflect individually and in teams about their
experiences throughout the semester, using a series of Google forms that will be
provided by faculty.

Course Contents
All project-related readings, videos and website links are posted on Brightspace unless noted
otherwise. All partner-related materials will be provided by the partner organizations and kept in
a Brightspace folder where students can access them.

Course Schedule

Week Date Topic Relevant Assignments

1 1/21 Opening Plenary in Paulson Auditorium

1 1/22 Course Overview

2 1/29 Engagement Kickoff with Clients

3 2/5 Team Dynamics Exercise

4 2/12 Site Visits Project Charter Due

Lecture and Exercise: Conducting Primary

5 2/19 Research to identify user needs and
opportunities

Lecture and Exercise: Conducting Secondary

6 2/26 Research to identify user needs and
opportunities

Lecture and Exercise: The Key Elements of a

Primary Research and
Business Plan at the Startup Stage: Converting
7 3/6 Secondary Research
needs to opportunities and opportunities to
findings due
ideas

Lecture and Exercise: The Key Elements of a

8 3/12 Business Plan at the Startup Stage: Converting
ideas to products and a business model

Midpoint Presentation
9 3/19 Midpoint Presentation
Due
 Week Date Topic Relevant Assignments

Spring 3/24-
No Class
Break 3/28

Team Break-outs for Presentation feedback and

10 4/2 Draft Deliverable Due
project work

Lecture: Strategy, Theory of Change and

11 4/9
Measuring Impact

12 4/16 Presentation Skills Workshop

13 4/23 Mock Presentations

14 4/30 Final Presentations Final Deliverable Due

Reflection and case

15 5/6 Closing Plenary in Paulson Auditorium
summary due

NYC Consulting Capstone Policies

Student Roles and Responsibilities

For the NYC Consulting Capstone, the role played by students can be compared to the role of an
analyst in a consulting or advisory services firm. The course involves interaction with
organizations outside the Stern community, so it is of the utmost importance that students
understand their role and responsibilities. All students will:

 Engage in experiential learning, working in teams with faculty mentorship on real-world

projects provided by partner partners;
 Submit final project deliverables to partner partners in a timely and appropriate manner;
 Receive faculty and partner feedback on interim project deliverables, and use that
feedback to improve subsequent project deliverables;
 Engage fully throughout the semester in cycles of action and reflection to support the
experiential learning process; and,
 Engage with the utmost integrity, representing Stern well to external stakeholders
including but not limited to the partner organizations.

Faculty Role and Responsibilities

For the NYC Consulting Capstone, the role played by faculty teaching the course can be
compared to the role of a principal or partner in a consulting or advisory services firm. Faculty
have subject matter expertise relevant to the partner and the project scope for their section, but in
the context of an experiential learning course, the role of faculty involves more process
facilitation and mentoring, enabling and empowering students to engage in a process of inquiry
that leads to innovative and unexpected insights intended to create value for the partner
organization.
Specifically, faculty will provide:

 An introduction to the framing and context for the project;

 A point of contact for coordination and communication with the partner organization;
 Expertise relevant to the project as well as the practice of consulting;
 Ongoing guidance to student teams and primary feedback on deliverables; and
 Final assessment of student learning outcomes and performance.

Partner Organization Role and Responsibilities

Partner organizations are identified and recruited by Stern’s Experiential Education team in
collaboration with faculty. These organizations may be businesses or nonprofit organizations
with operations located in and around New York City. The partners agree to provide the
program with the following key elements to support student learning:

 Scoping the project in dialogue with faculty and the Experiential Education Team;
 Providing students with an initial briefing on the organization, its competitive landscape,
the context in which the project takes shape, and the value that the students can
potentially create;
 Providing relevant supporting information to facilitate student research;
 Communicating on an ongoing or regular basis with faculty and students;
 Providing feedback to student teams on progress at key milestones;
 Providing feedback on final deliverables.

Purpose and Use of Class Time

Class time has three aims: providing the relevant knowledge for the partner project, hearing
project status reports and giving feedback on the project based on structured milestones, and
providing time for team project work.

We will spend class time delivering content we believe is generally useful to explain the industry
and firm context, share the partner's expectations, develop the data and methods needed to
succeed in the project, and structure your approach to the problem or opportunity such that the
project can be completed during the semester.

Students are responsible for designing their projects, organizing work within their teams,
obtaining project-specific research materials, and meeting project deadlines. Class attendance
and participation is mandatory.

Course Contents
All project-related readings, videos and website links are posted on Brightspace unless noted
otherwise. All partner-related materials will be provided by the partner organizations and kept in
a Brightspace folder where students can access them.

What is Experiential Learning?

Experiential Learning consists of iterative cycles of immersion, action, and reflection. These
courses and projects provide multiple opportunities for students to reflect on their entire learning
experience, combining accrued knowledge through the core with their work in both the
classroom and onsite within industry with organizations. The students are asked to reflect on
these experiences multiple times throughout the process, enabling them to better understand
management theory and practice—and about their own management and leadership skills.

Experiential Learning Expectations

Experiential Learning courses are meant to be challenging and ambiguous. As part of these
challenges, students are meant to learn about not only the subject matter, but how to better
manage teams and stakeholders; navigate complexity; and deliver compelling solutions.
Throughout the semester, the instructor and Experiential Learning team will provide resources
and tips on best practices to better help students advance these skills. Throughout this course,
students may find that their emotions follow a curve similar to the one included below. Students
are encouraged to reach out to their professor with any questions and concerns throughout the
semester.
Stern Undergraduate Course Policies
Attendance
Attendance is required in all class sessions, and any unexcused absences will have a negative
impact on your final grade. Accommodations can be made for Covid-related situations. Contact
your professor if you have attendance issues.
According to university policy, excused absences are only granted in cases of documented
serious illness, grave family emergency, religious observance, or civic obligation. Please report
any religious observance or civic obligation to your instructor by the first week of class.
Unexcused absences include recruiting activities, job interviews, athletic events, and
incompatible travel plans. As in any professional situation, you need to notify your instructor of
the reasons for any absence before class if possible or, at a minimum, after class.
You will receive credit for attendance only when you arrive in class on time and remain until the
end of the class period. You may enter class late or leave class early only if given permission by
the instructor, and if you can do so without disrupting the class.
Religious Observances and Other Unique Situations
NYU Stern is committed to ensuring an equitable educational experience for all students
regardless of identity or religious/cultural background. The observance of religious and cultural
holidays/traditions and the recognition of unique circumstances - such as serving as a caregiver-
are important aspects of this commitment. Please review all class dates at the start of the
semester and review all course requirements to identify any foreseeable conflicts with exams,
course assignments, projects, or other items required for participation and attendance. Please
contact me within the first two weeks of the class semester to discuss any potential conflicts.
Student Wellness
Classes can get stressful. We encourage you to reach out if you need help. Our aim is for
students to be as successful academically as they can, and to help them overcome any
impediments to that. Bookmark the NYU Stern Well-being Resource Hub
(www.stern.nyu.edu/wellbeing) for existing services at NYU and Stern covering a wide variety
of topics including financial well-being, relationship well-being, mental well-being, and more.
Any student who may be struggling and believes this may affect their performance in this course
is urged to contact the Moses Center for Student Accessibility (see also the Student Accessibility
section of this syllabus) at 212-998-4980 to discuss academic accommodations. If mental health
assistance is needed, call the NYU’s 24/7 Wellness Exchange hotline 212 443-9999.
Furthermore, please approach me if you feel comfortable doing so. This will enable me to
provide relevant resources or referrals. There are also drop-in hours and appointments. Find out
more at www.nyu.edu/students/health-and-wellness/counseling-services.html.

Name Pronunciation & Pronouns

NYU Stern students now have the ability to include their pronouns and name pronunciation in
Albert. We encourage you to share your name pronunciation and preferred pronouns this way.
Please utilize this link for additional information: Pronouns & Name Pronunciation.

Academic Integrity
Our undergraduate Academics Pillar states that we take pride in our well-rounded education and
approach our academics with honesty and integrity. Indeed, integrity is critical to all that we do
here at NYU Stern. As members of our community, all students agree to abide by the NYU Stern
Student Code of Conduct, which includes a commitment to:

 Exercise integrity in all aspects of one’s academic work including, but not limited to, the
preparation and completion of exams, papers, and all other course requirements by not
engaging in any method or means that provides an unfair advantage.
 Clearly acknowledge the work and efforts of others (human or machine) when submitting
written work as one’s own. Ideas, data, direct quotations (which should be designated
with quotation marks), paraphrasing, creative expression, or any other incorporation of
the work of others should be fully referenced.
 Refrain from behaving in ways that knowingly support, assist, or in any way attempt to
enable another person to engage in any violation of the Code of Conduct. Our support
also includes reporting any observed violations of this Code of Conduct or other School
and University policies that are deemed to adversely affect the NYU Stern community.

The entire Stern Student Code of Conduct applies to all students enrolled in Stern courses and
can be found here: www.stern.nyu.edu/uc/codeofconduct.

General Conduct & Behavior

Students are expected to maintain and abide by the highest standards of professional conduct and
behavior. In addition to the [easter egg: if you are reading this please send me an email
[email protected] with a link to one of your current favorite songs} Stern Student Code of
Conduct above, please familiarize yourself with Stern’s policy regarding in-class behavior &
expectations (www.stern.nyu.edu/portal-partners/current-students/undergraduate/
resources-policies/academic-policies/index.htm) and the NYU Student Conduct Policy
(www.nyu.edu/about/policies-guidelines-compliance/policies-and-guidelines/
university-student-conduct-policy.html).

The safety and freedom of all members of the university community to engage in a civil process
of teaching and learning are essential. Accordingly, no student should engage in any form of
behavior that interferes with the educational process, compromises the personal safety or
wellbeing of another, or disrupts the administration of university programs or services.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Representing the ideas of others as your own is plagiarism, whether accidental or by design ---
and includes presenting prose generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT as your
own. Do not plagiarize. Here are three helpful links:

 Plagiarism and How to Avoid It: Overview from NYU Libraries

guides.nyu.edu/plagiarism.
 “How to Avoid Plagiarism” from Northwestern University,
www.northwestern.edu/provost/policies-procedures/academic-integrity/how-to-avoid-
plagiarism.html.
 “Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It” from Indiana University,
wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/plagiarism.html.

All references need to be cited or explained. See easybib.com or owl.purdue.edu for more about
research and citations.

To further help ensure the integrity of our learning community, written assignments will be
submitted to Turnitin. The software will compare your submission to a database of prior
submissions to Turnitin, current and archived web pages, periodicals, journals, and publications.
Additionally, your document will become part of the Turnitin database. Please ask your
professor if you need more clarification.

Student Accessibility
If you will require academic accommodation of any kind during this course, you must notify me
at the beginning of the course and provide a letter from the Moses Center for Student
Accessibility (212-998-4980, [email protected]) verifying your registration and outlining the
accommodations it recommends. If you will need to take an exam at the Moses Center for
Student Accessibility, you must submit a completed Exam Accommodations Form at least one
week prior to the scheduled exam time to be guaranteed accommodation. For more information,
visit the CSA website: www.nyu.edu/students/communities-and-groups/student-
accessibility.html.
Electronic Device Policies
Laptops, cell phones, smartphones, recorders, and other electronic devices may be addictive. As
such, you should think critically before using electronics anytime. One goal of this course is to
develop listening skills, focused attention, and critical thinking. Therefore, you should not use
any unnecessary electronics unless requested by the instructor.
Writing Center Options at NYU
For additional writing help, please talk to your professor, as there will be a Teaching Fellow
assigned to your class for discussion about your paper ideas. These TFs will be students who
have completed the Business & Society course with high honors and will be available to help
you during the semester.