The Bridge Program at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business is the proverbial win-win – students get hands on experience working with a community organization, the organization in turn, gets assistance addressing a complex need.
This year, 17 graduate students spent eight weeks working with four organizations: AHN Center for Inclusion Health, the American Heart Association, Auberle, and TEIS Early Intervention Provider. Each team of four students received the mentorship and guidance of an executive coach who helped the students sharpen their problem-solving approaches.
The four coaches were:
- Yara Elbeshbishi, Senior Business Consultant, MD Medicaid at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
- Linda Topoleski, Principal, Linda Topoleski Communications Consulting LLC
- Theresa Gallick, Principal, T Gallick Consulting and Executive in Residence
- Hermes Cordoba, Head of Finance, Voximetry
Feedback Points to Success
Both the organizations who provided a project and the students who performed the specific analysis and recommendations sang praises for the experience.
Leanna Bird, Manager, Program Development for Allegheny Health Network Center for Inclusion Health called the experience “outstanding.”
“The students’ attention to detail and ability to synthesize information into clear, actionable recommendations was impressive. The final presentation was polished and insightful, leaving us with valuable strategies we can apply moving forward. Overall, the collaboration exceeded our expectations and reaffirmed the value of partnering with Katz,” says Bird.
The students learned how to approach organizational challenges from the lens of societal impact, enhanced their problem-solving and leadership skills while applying concepts from courses such as the Consulting Field Project, Marketing Research, and Corporate Finance.
Archna Sharma (MBA ’26) was a member of the team working with Auberle to improve their operating efficiencies. She says, “This project gave me unique hands-on exposure to consulting with a nonprofit organization, which is something I hadn’t experienced before. I learned how to translate real operational needs into concrete, client-focused technology recommendations – balancing research, compliance, and budget considerations.”
Ali Haider (MS ’25) worked with the Allegheny Health Network Center for Inclusion Health to determine fiscal and social ROI models.
“One key lesson I learned is the importance of aligning financial analysis with broader organizational and societal goals. Being able to quantify both economic and social impact not only adds depth to financial models but also strengthens the case for sustainable, mission-driven decision-making – an approach I will carry forward in my professional career,” says Haider.
For the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Heart Association, the students developed a marketing campaign to attract teams to take part in the Fall 2025 Heart Walk, while TEIS Early Intervention Provider received a break-even analysis and cost minimization model for new hires.
Interested in Learning More?
Here is the complete summary of the 2025 Bridge Program as well as previous projects.
Since 2020, more than 150 Pitt Business students have applied their business skills to help the local community. The program is aligned with our Pitt Business 2030 Strategic Roadmap and its Societal Impact Path to Distinction, which seeks to leverage our unique research and education capabilities for community engagement in areas such as social responsibility and sustainability.
The program is facilitated by cooperation among the Office of Integrated Learning, the Office of Strategic Partnerships and the Office of Career Development and Employer Engagement.
If you would like to help support the Bridge Program, please contact the Office of Integrated Learning: integratedlearning@pitt.edu.