miLEAD is a nonprofit organization built and run by a diverse group of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Michigan. We were founded in 2013 by a group of six postdoctoral fellows as an effort to provide practical experience to motivated graduate students and postdocs in collaboration with the business community. We strive to help Michigan graduate students and postdocs transition to non-academic career paths by applying their research skills to complex business problems. Since its founding, miLEAD has grown to over 100 active consultants and 200 alumni.
Distribution of Members
Departments of the diverse members in miLEAD.
miLEAD has completed over 100 projects, and our project load continues to expand rapidly both within our local Ann Arbor community and across the United States. miLEAD engages companies from emerging start-ups to established corporations and provides a wide array of deliverables to meet each project’s specific needs. We pride ourselves on the data-driven, proven results we deliver to our partners, and our success is emanated in the number of clients who return to us project after project.
Read Here to see what our former president, Michael Lang, has to say about the benefits of working in miLEAD as a graduate student in Nature.
Our Goal
miLEAD was founded upon the driving principles of i) giving its members the tools and experiences necessary to succeed in a non-academic setting, ii) developing leadership, team work, and business skills, and iii) supporting and promoting the growth of local business via consulting services. Detailed below are some of the opportunities our members can take advantage of to further their own professional development.
Opportunities for miLEAD Members
Case Studies
miLEAD members routinely compete in regional case study competitions to take on real-world, complex issues in business. miLEAD teams have been remarkably successful at these competitions, taking home 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes.
Projects
Active miLEAD members have the opportunity to join projects to solve real issues for start-ups and established companies across the US. Through these projects, members learn to interact with a client and employ data-driven approaches to provide proven recommendations. To learn more about the miLEAD Method, click here.
Consultant Resources
miLEAD aims to invest in its members by providing resources to develop professional skills and network with other members in the organization. For example, miLEAD hosts informal coffee hours, workshops, guest speakers, and social events. To find out more about the resources we offer, click here.
Professional Development Grant
miLEAD provides financial support for our members to engage in active professional development. These funds can be used to attend non-academic national meetings, seek career coaching, purchase personal branding materials, and more. To find out more about the Professional Development Grant, click here.
