AWG Cultivates Future Business Leaders Through University Partnership
Associated Wholesale Grocers recently completed two data research projects with students at the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that provided the company with analytics, strategy recommendations and an AI dashboard.
The relationship, now in its fourth year, brings together AWG Brands with the data science skills of the university’s Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) students to address grocery business opportunities in innovative ways.
“Connecting with college students through AWG’s internship program and through yearly partnerships, such as with the University of Illinois, provides valuable opportunities for both AWG and the students to grow and learn together,” said Patrick Reeves, AWG’s chief human resources officer. “We appreciate their dedication and enjoy the chance to cultivate future business leaders.”
Guided by Professor Ashish Khandelwal, who oversees experiential learning projects for the MSBA program at Gies Business, student cohorts studied two different consumer-focused areas of the AWG Brands business.
One cohort analyzed seven years of data from AWG’s Save-A-Label program, founded in 1987, which allows member retailers to give back to local nonprofit organizations and schools.
In an effort to continue to evolve this program for member retailers and their consumers, the students analyzed trends among geographic regions and nonprofit classifications, which resulted in a machine-learning dashboard designed to improve predictions of donation source and timing.
“Working with AWG was a great experience,” said Flavien Marwin Patrice Foreste, who led the Save-A-Label project team. “We had the opportunity to apply data analytics and machine learning to solve a meaningful real-world challenge. It was both exciting and rewarding.”
The second cohort analyzed two years of email marketing data to suggest optimal times and content that would resonate most with readers. By taking a deep dive into open rates, link clicks, and other data sets, the students were able to recommend email strategy adjustments that have already been implemented by the AWG Brands team to drive significant business improvements.
“These students demonstrated that analytics can do more than uncover insights — it can influence real business decisions,” Khandelwal said. “Partnerships like this are essential for preparing students to thrive in data-driven organizations.”
The partnership is structured to be mutually beneficial, providing MSBA students with real-world experience by working on live projects that directly impact AWG Brands business strategies. The students not only enhance their data science skills, but also develop business needs such as meeting preparation, insight summarization and presentation skills. At the conclusion of each research project, students present their findings to AWG in a formal presentation. In exchange, AWG benefits from fresh perspectives and cutting-edge analytical techniques and tools.
“Beyond the interesting insights the students are able to bring to light, I really enjoy collaborating with them to hear how they’re approaching different situations throughout the AWG Brands business,” said Kate Favrow, director of marketing and brand development for AWG Brands and a Gies Business alumna. “The grocery business is complex, and there’s so much data to harness. Working with the students allows us all to focus on real opportunities and bring about new solutions to help AWG Brands continue to succeed for AWG member retailers.”
