Amplifying the voices of Summer Search

06/13/2018

Amplifying the voices of Summer Search

By Shvéta Ahuja

Amplifying the voices of Summer Search

It might have been the way she carried herself but I thought she was very tall. Her sari was always perfect and she had thick-rimmed black glasses that lived on the tip of her nose. She was quick-witted and worldly and might have read every book in the library. I felt honored when Shobha ma’am, my high school English teacher, took a special interest in me and imparted her life lessons and suggestions for new books. She was my first official mentor and she filled my mind with the possibilities of different careers.

In helping Summer Search promote their annual luncheon gala recently, these memories of my high school role model came flooding back. Summer Search provides professional mentoring for students from low-income communities throughout the U.S. High school can be tough. It’s even harder to make it to graduation if certain factors create a disadvantage and contribute to higher rates of dropping out. Through Summer Search Seattle, students in South King County are paired with mentors, and given guidance and support to help them finish school.

For nonprofits such as Summer Search, storytelling plays a significant role in helping them garner interest and attract donors. Summer Search is full of stories of students braving adverse situations and succeeding with help from their mentors and summer experiences. At the gala this year, the team wanted to share students’ stories and showcase the unique bond between mentors and mentees. We helped them put together a presentation and three-minute audio recording that played during the luncheon. In a dark room of about 600 people, students’ and mentors’ voices took the audience through their Summer Search journeys.

I am proud that we support Summer Search and all the work that they do. And I’m grateful for my English teacher and other mentors like her who are there at the right time to listen, guide, and support students to become the best versions of themselves!

Meet The Firm Happy Hour

11/15/2017

Reaching for hire ground at UW Foster

By Shvéta Ahuja

Meet The Firm Happy Hour

The average person spends about 23% of their time working. At 2A we endeavor to make every minute of that 23% something to look forward to!

We take pride in the culture we’ve built. We believe that our secret sauce comes from our people who’ve been carefully chosen not only for their skills, but also for the way they work with others. These people have a knack for building strong partnerships with clients and fellow colleagues, resulting in better work.

2A has strong ties to the University of Washington. It was started by alumni from the Foster School of Business, and many other 2A team members have graduated from UW. So, it comes as no surprise that we go back to Foster each year to recruit MBAs for our growing team. Foster prepares its MBA students with the smarts needed to succeed as a 2A consultant, and cultivates a strong team spirit.

We hosted (what we like to call) a strategic mingling session on campus last week with our traditional 2A spread of oysters from Taylor Shellfish and bubbles. The session gave students an idea of a day in the life of a 2A consultant and covered aspects of what makes marketing consulting at 2A unique.

Our focus was to create a comfortable environment where students aren’t subjected to a dreary presentation, or starved for choice with stale sandwiches, or scrambling to get noticed. At 2A we take the time to get to know the audience. We work off insights, best practices, lessons learned and we’re not afraid to break out of the mold.

We want to take the stress out of networking, and make it easier for us to find consultants who would fit into our culture. So, if you’re a Foster MBA, graduating soon, and you missed the happy hour on campus, drop us an email at thiscouldbeme@2A.consulting, tell us about your favorite Seattle brand in 50 words or less and we’ll take you to coffee.

We want to get to know you, and hear your story. After all, you could be the 2A secret sauce that will keep our clients coming back for more!