BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and The Media School today announce an innovative and dynamic venture that will harness the expertise of both schools to create a significant advancement in student experiential learning.
The initiative, called the IU K+M Collective, is an integrated consultancy that will offer research, strategy, marketing and communications services and provide students professional, paid experience working with companies and non-profit organizations.
“Initiatives like the K+M Collective reflect our ongoing commitment to expanding experiential learning opportunities for students,” said IU Bloomington Provost Rahul Shrivastav. “They add another exciting way for students to apply what they’re learning in meaningful, real-world contexts.”
It will begin operations this fall, with client projects scheduled for spring 2026. The firm will launch with approximately 20 students.
This enterprise is a first-of-its-kind collaboration at IU, combining the unique expertise of both schools. It is also distinctive in higher education as an interdisciplinary partnership between two highly regarded schools. It is envisioned that it will grow to include other IU campuses and schools, and is a university rather than student-led effort.
Operating as a functioning consulting firm, the IU K+M Collective will enable students from the Kelley and Media schools to collaborate with faculty and combine classroom learning with professional experience.
Kelley School Dean Pat Hopkins
Before they begin working with clients, students will complete a seminar series taught by faculty in each school that will prepare them for success in a consulting environment.
Pat Hopkins, dean of the Kelley School and James R. Hodge Chair of Excellence, said this new opportunity for students is a natural extension of the school’s nationally ranked marketing program, which already emphasizes practical experience, including through research centers, student clubs and workshops.
“Together, Kelley and The Media School will provide research, strategic marketing, communications and other goal-accelerating resources to advance the success of client organizations, while providing critical experiential learning for our students,” Hopkins said. “In turn, this will strengthen students’ career-readiness and competitiveness in jobs after graduation.”
Media School Dean David Tolchinsky
David Tolchinsky, dean of The Media School, said the IU K+M Collective will complement other hands-on, creative opportunities that exist for students studying media advertising and public relations.
“By combining what students value most about our individual schools — Kelley’s top-ranked marketing department and The Media School’s hands-on, creative approach to learning — the IU K+M Collective offers a unique interdisciplinary experience that is greater than the sum of its parts,” Tolchinsky said. “This collaboration will prepare IU students to work and lead in an evolving media landscape.”
The structure of the IU K+M Collective will enable students to continue working on a project as it develops and evolves over more than one semester and perhaps even after graduation, if their work leads to employment.
Nancy Paton
Nancy Paton, teaching professor of marketing at Kelley and former IU vice president and chief communications and marketing officer, will lead the consultancy as its founder and executive director.
Paton was previously chief communications and marketing executive at the University of Florida and the University at Buffalo. At IU, she launched an inaugural, award-winning university-wide marketing and communications strategy.
“This firm will create a knowledge base of talented thinkers and doers who will collectively harness their skills to provide strategy, research, marketing and communications expertise and services, creating unique solutions that accelerate client success,” she said.
“Through this experience, students will emerge uniquely and strongly positioned to jump-start their careers.”