Hands-On Business Plan Yields Over $14K for Charity: ULV Business Students Make Impact
On May 28, 2025, Students from the University of La Verne’s College of Business Integrated Business Program (IBP) celebrated the successful culmination of their spring semester efforts by presenting checks totaling over $14,000 in net profits to their chosen charities.
The event acknowledged the accomplishments of four student-run teams who spent the semester developing, marketing, and selling products to raise funds. Professor Rick Hasse, an IBP professor and the event’s moderator, announced a recent podcast featuring students from the College of Business Integrated Program.
Hasse added that the semester involved “lots of successes, some failures but that’s what running a business is all about: the failures and how you react and deal with them.” The Integrated Business Program provides hands-on experience to students who plan, and then run, a real company.
Dean Emmeline de Pillis praised the program, calling it “a jewel in our crown, it is one of the very best things that we do”. Dean de Pillis praised the students’ growth. She also highlighted their impact on the college and community.
The four teams presenting their donations this spring semester were:
- CORE of LA, supporting Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), which aids communities recovering from disasters like fires. They donated $3,148.18.
- Kool Ash Koozies, supporting the California Fire Foundation, providing assistance to firefighters and fire victims. They donated $4,259.41.
- Animal Quackers, supporting Best Friends Animal Society, focusing on displaced animals, particularly from fires. They donated $3,220.54.
- Totes for Tomorrow, supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, raising awareness for mental health. They donated $3,865.81.
The program requires students to integrate third-year management, marketing, and finance, all coordinated by a fourth, practicum course. They undertake tasks like developing a business plan, securing funding, managing operations, and selling products within a single semester. On each team, each participant has a distinct role: CEO, CFO, Marketing Director, etc.
Since its inception, the program has involved 141 teams, 1,110 students, and supported 143 charities.
Over this period, total sales have reached over $1,059,681, with net profits donated to charity exceeding $455,338.
Rita Thakur, the program’s founder, addressed the students, emphasizing the value of the IBP experience for their future careers.
“This program didn’t start with my dream,” Thakur explained, “it was four faculty members who really really worked hard to put it all together”. She urged the students to become advocates for the program, telling them, “you are the promoter of this program, you are the defender of this program, you are the supporter of this program and I’m counting on you for doing that”.
The success of the program is attributed not only to the students and core faculty but also to the extensive support network, including teaching assistants (some of whom are former students), SCORE advisors (retired business professionals who volunteer their services), and university staff in the business office, Small Business Development Center, dean’s office, and Rita Thakur Academic Advising Center.
The event served as a celebration of the students’ hard work, learning, and their tangible impact on the community through charitable giving.
Watch the entire award ceremony here!
