As my last semester at the Wisconsin School of Business MBA program gets underway, I want to take a moment to reflect on how much I have expanded my knowledge of the nonprofit sector and, more specifically, the potential of data analytics in this sector.
In the last three semesters, I have focused on proving that arts and nonprofit organizations have just scratched the surface of the potential benefits of data analytics. As a musician, I have intuitively developed an eye for pattern recognition, interpreting challenges, and dissecting problems into smaller and more manageable tasks. I did not know how powerful these skills are in the data field. It is now in classes such as Machine Learning or Marketing Analytics that I have had the opportunity to translate my analytical work as a musician into business problems.
My fall semester Applied Learning Project (ALP) was at the Overture Center under the supervision of the Marketing Director Heather Harris. During my time at the organization, I worked closely with TRG Arts, a data-driven consulting firm that teaches arts and cultural professionals a patron-based approach to increasing sustainable revenue. Not only I worked extracting data the lead consultant requested but also, I had the opportunity to develop new report methods. I started to design a score that would assess the risk of programming different shows throughout the year. By doing this, programming and marketing managers can make better-informed decisions on how to allocate expenses and project future revenues. I also designed a series of dashboards that give a quick but complete glimpse into important metrics for the organization regarding ticket sales and budget goal completion.
Looking ahead after graduation in May, I hope to continue using the analytical skills I have acquired during the last two years and lead the process of transformation that the sector is experiencing around making data-driven decisions within my organization. I want to finish this note thanking the Bolz Center and the Wisconsin MBA program for what it is a truly transformative two years. I hope many students after me have the opportunity to experience Bolz and Wisconsin MBA for many years.
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