At the intersection of data science and social good, students at Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business are helping nonprofits turn data into impact. Through the Krenicki Center for Business Analytics and Machine Learning’s Community Impact Initiative, interdisciplinary student teams partnered with two local organizations — Indy Reads and the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana — to deliver custom, data-driven solutions that improved operations, reduced costs and enhanced mission-driven outcomes.
For Indy Reads, which works to improve adult literacy in central Indiana, the student team focused on streamlining the enrollment process.
“Our team worked closely with Indy Reads to assess their operational workflows and identify areas where data-driven insights could enhance their impact,” says MS student Harsh Srivastava, a Krenicki Center consultant and team lead. “By analyzing their enrollment process using PowerAutomate, we were able to provide actionable recommendations around scheduling, communication strategies and retention approaches.”
The project replaced a slow, manual system with automated workflows, freeing staff to focus more on learners and volunteers. “Indy Reads can use our findings to streamline their enrollment process by reducing redundancies, clarifying intake steps and improving data capture through Salesforce,” says Srivastava. “These improvements also lay the groundwork for tracking key metrics more efficiently.”
Lydia Johnson, vice president of operations at Indy Reads, says the students made a lasting impact. “The most impressive part of the students' work was their ability to listen closely to our needs, use their skills to solve problems, and incorporate our experiences and ideas into their recommendations,” she says. “Their work has absolutely helped us better understand our needs and the scope of solutions so that we’re better prepared to move forward.”
Srivastava says the experience went beyond technical skills. “It was a powerful reminder of how interdisciplinary collaboration — combining analytics with human-centered thinking — can drive socially impactful outcomes.”
The second team worked with the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, aiming to improve the accuracy of cookie sales forecasts.
“Our team’s primary goal was to empower the Girl Scouts with more accurate and flexible forecasting tools for their annual cookie sales,” says Rishita Korapati, a Daniels School junior majoring in business analytics and team lead. “Traditionally, troops relied on previous year’s numbers, which only explained about 70% of the actual outcomes. That led to surplus inventory, shortages or missed fundraising opportunities.”
The students developed a system that improved forecast accuracy by 1.35 cases per troop for each cookie type — translating to more than 181,000 boxes forecasted more precisely. “That potentially adds over $1 million in fundraising value, helping troops make more informed decisions and better support their communities,” Korapati says.
Beyond the data, the solution was built with users in mind. “We learned the importance of not just building accurate models, but also ensuring that our solutions are practical, adaptable, and user-friendly for the people who rely on them,” she says. “It was incredibly rewarding to know that our work could help local troops plan better, reduce waste and ultimately raise more funds for their programs.”
The team also built a website to make the forecasts accessible to troop leaders. “It’s better than their previous tool because it uses the latest data to give smarter recommendations,” Korapati says. “The system is designed to update every year, so it keeps getting better.”
Cynthia Roath, senior director of brand and product program strategy at Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, called the project transformative. “The partnership exceeded our expectations,” she says. “At the end of the project, the students were able to give us a working platform to help better our volunteer experience. It was inspiring to watch them learn, grow, and collaborate with our organization.”
Behind the scenes, students weren’t just solving problems — they were growing as professionals.
“The students were proactive, collaborative, and genuinely committed to delivering meaningful and actionable results,” says Clinical Assistant Professor Davi Moreira, who mentored both teams. “They consistently demonstrated a strong focus on understanding and addressing the client’s specific needs.”
Moreira emphasizes that the learning was mutual. “Students developed the ability to actively listen and understand client needs — an essential skill in any consulting or data-driven role,” he says. “They also learned how to strategically select tools and techniques that align with the client’s infrastructure and gained real-world experience applying their academic training.”
Through their work, the student teams proved that with the right tools — and the right mindset — data can be more than numbers; it can be a force for good.
“Both partner organizations benefited from increased operational efficiency and the potential for cost reduction and revenue improvement based on the solutions delivered,” says Moreira. “And the students walked away with deeper insight into how data science can create real-world, community-driven value.”
