BEST Boston - UMass Boston

Where Students and Local Businesses Grow Together

A 10-week, paid consulting experience where College of Management students help Boston-area businesses solve real challenges - at no cost to businesses and with real impact for the regional workforce. Applications for Summer 2026 are now open.

Student Application Business Application

Group of students at a table at a reception in business casual attire.

About the Program

Held every summer, this 10-week program has rapidly become a cornerstone of the College of Management’s commitment to experiential learning and community engagement. The diverse group of participating businesses benefit from fresh perspectives and actionable solutions tailored to their specific needs, enhancing their competitiveness and growth in a rapidly changing market.

For Students

Accepted business students will be placed into teams and given a project based on the needs of their assigned business. Through collaboration with highly talented faculty and the business representative, students will identify problems, develop methodologies, analyze data, and implement a proposed solution. Those accepted will also be paid a stipend once they have completed their assignment.

Apply to Best Boston

Leadership meeting at a conference table dressed in business suits.

For Businesses

As a business partner, your collaboration is crucial in providing students with meaningful, real-world learning experiences. Your participation is free and ensures students gain valuable skills while delivering actionable insights to support your business objectives.

Submit Your Project

Why Partner with BEST Boston

BEST Boston offers organizations across Greater Boston direct access to talented, motivated business students who are ready to tackle real challenges.

Access High-Caliber Talent

Partnering organizations work with diverse, high-performing students trained in finance, marketing, analytics, management, and entrepreneurship. These students bring fresh thinking, strong analytical skills, and a commitment to delivering practical solutions.

Solve Real Business Challenges

Student teams focus on clearly defined projects such as market expansion, financial analysis, customer strategy, operational improvement, digital marketing, and data analytics. Each engagement is structured, faculty-guided, and outcome-oriented.

Build a Talent Pipeline

BEST Boston provides early access to future employees. Many partner organizations use the program as a recruitment pipeline for internships and full-time roles.

Strengthen Community Impact

By participating, organizations contribute to workforce development while supporting UMass Boston’s mission as a public research university serving the city and the region.

Faculty Oversight & Quality Assurance

All projects are supported by faculty mentors to ensure professional standards, accountability, and meaningful outcomes for both students and partner organizations.

Partner With Us

BEST Boston welcomes small, medium, and large businesses, nonprofits, and public enterprises seeking structured student engagement. Together, we can strengthen your organization while preparing the next generation of business leaders.

See What Our Participants Are Saying

BEST Boston is the master key for me. It has opened doors of opportunities, experience and learning.

BEST Boston 2025 Participating Student

I will never forget how great it felt putting my new skills to use and making our clients feel grateful and happy they had us. I started off nervous and not very confident and left noticing my full potential.

BEST Boston 2025 Participating Student

By taking part in BEST Boston experience and partnering with Qubic Labs, my research, marketing and analytical skills grew exponentially. This is an experience I won’t forget.

BEST Boston 2025 Participating Student

Christine, our student leader went above and beyond what was asked. More importantly, she provided our company actionable goals and tasks.

BEST Boston 2025 Participating Business

We’ll never forget how our BEST Boston students helped turn our passion into a clear, actionable roadmap for our Grand Opening - proving that young fresh minds can spark game changing momentum.

BEST Boston 2025 Participating Business

The students on this project brought boundless energy and enthusiasm as well as professionalism to help our client and they succeeded in over delivering.

BEST Boston 2025 Faculty Mentor

Our Story & Vision

A Message from the Dean

BEST Boston reflects the College of Management’s deep commitment to pairing academic excellence with meaningful economic impact.

At the UMass Boston College of Management, we believe universities play a vital role in strengthening regional economies. We prepare workforce-ready graduates. We support the businesses that drive local growth. BEST Boston was created with this responsibility at its core.

BEST Boston is a student-centered, project-based engagement model that connects our business students directly with organizations across the Greater Boston region.

Through real-world consulting projects, students work alongside local businesses to address pressing challenges, identify opportunities, and build capacity. At the same time, our students graduate with practical experience, professional confidence, and the skills needed to contribute immediately to the economy they serve.

Dr. Venky Venkatachalam
Dean & Distinguished Professor
College of Management
UMass Boston

Email the Dean

History

BEST Boston launched in 2023 as a flagship experiential learning initiative of the College of Management.

The program was originally founded in 2020 by Dean Venky Venkatachalam while serving as Dean at the University of South Dakota. It grew out of a successful student-business consulting model developed to help small businesses survive and grow during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BEST Boston was launched in the summer of 2023 with three clear goals:

Develop a strong pipeline of talented and diverse business professionals for organizations across Greater Boston.
Provide College of Management students with hands-on experience solving real-world business challenges.
Advance UMass Boston’s strategic priority, For the City, by strengthening the College’s role as an engine for sustainable economic and social development in the Boston region.

Growth & Impact

Since its pilot year, BEST Boston has grown rapidly:

2023: 5 business projects | 10 students
2024: 20 businesses | 40 students
2025: 34 businesses | 70 students

Today, BEST Boston stands as a cornerstone program advancing workforce readiness and regional economic impact across Greater Boston.

Looking Ahead

Expand participation among medium and large businesses, as well as public enterprises, while maintaining high-quality student-business matches.
Build long-term partnerships with local organizations, alumni, and industry leaders.
Integrate emerging tools and skills, including AI-enabled consulting and advanced data analytics.
Increase access for underrepresented students and businesses.
Develop alumni mentorship pathways that extend well beyond the program experience.