Inquiry, research, critical thinking, and problem solving—these are just some of the skills twenty-first century business students need to establish a competitive edge in their fields as they join the workforce. Jack Nielson ’25, a digital marketing specialist at , says the culminating project of his education at ������Ƶ’s School of Business – his Calvin Action Project (CAP) in Professor Rachel Hammond's class – provided just that.

Experiential learning is a distinctive of a Calvin business education. “A big emphasis of the business school is working in team-oriented, collaborative environments,” says Nielson, who explains many of the skills he took with him to his new marketing role at Continental were gained through hands-on learning experiences.

For his final CAP, Nielson, Josh Bode, Gabi Ballard and Ryan Brown were paired with , a closet storage and organization manufacturer based in Holland, Michigan. Vice president of brand management and Calvin alumnus Michael Wolf ’06 served as the group’s client. 

Real World Challenges

At Stow, Wolf’s team leads the product marketing and commercialization activities for the company’s portfolio of brands. “Stow has experienced many years of record growth, and the change in consumer behavior during the pandemic accelerated that even further. We’re now one of the largest manufacturers of closet and home organization products in the United States,” Wolf says. In response to increased product demand, The Stow Company recently built a second manufacturing facility in Nampa, Idaho, giving them nearly a million square feet of manufacturing capacity and a long runway for future growth. 

Wolf selected , one of the company’s e-commerce brands, as the CAP team’s focus and asked Nielson and his classmates to research, evaluate, and propose brand partnerships that could open new revenue streams. “I wanted the students to think outside of just our industry and consider the types of companies that might be interested in brand partnerships.” 

When Collaboration Pays Off 

From a student perspective, Nielson says Wolf “let us take the reins, which allowed us to showcase our skills as a group. It really did feel like a business or consulting simulation. If you take it seriously and have fun with it, the risk is minimal, but the learning potential is great.” 

Nielson also learned a lot about himself. “I like being the guy who rallies everyone around a core idea and makes sure we find enjoyment in what we’re doing, approaching the problem with curiosity, and asking, “How can we creatively get this done?” 

The team presented a thorough report which included a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis as well as an economic analysis, industry trends, and a Porter’s Five Forces framework before making recommendations for brand partnerships. 

“It was obvious that the team listened well during our discovery calls and made sure their deliverables were directly tied to the opportunity statement we crafted at the beginning of the project,” Wolf said. “We walked away with actionable recommendations to bring to our larger team for further evaluation and exploration.” 

A Meaningful Partnership 

Wolf’s long-term partnership with Calvin’s School of Business stems from his desire to give back to the learning community that set him up for success 20 years ago. “I’m currently working full time, 20 years later, for the client I worked with during my CAP project,” says Wolf, who first found footing at The Stow Company as a Calvin student intern in 2005. 

“When I came to Calvin, I really didn’t know what I wanted to study. But then I took Introduction to Marketing with Professor Bob Eames. He had recently left and was passionate about getting us real-life experience, connecting us with project-based learning opportunities through his network of former colleagues.” 

Wolf worked with The Stow Company on three different projects during his junior and senior years. In May 2006, he was offered a full-time position and has held five roles during his tenure at Stow. He still returns to Calvin’s campus once a semester to speak in Professor Jill Reisner’s class, and Bob Eames remains a close friend. 

“I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bob. He helped me fall in love with marketing, provided valuable mentorship, and opened a lot of doors in the early days of my career, building bridges within his business network and ultimately helping me land my first job that I’m still at today.” 

That sense of gratitude continues to motivate Wolf’s desire to give back, and Nielson, for one, is grateful. “Working with Mike and Easy Closets instilled confidence in me in ways I didn't know I needed,” he says. “The transition from student to employee can be difficult, but Calvin's business program and the CAP project gave me imperative, real-world experience that will ultimately aid in helping me build a successful, God-honoring career.”