Welcome, Kellogg Students, to the info page for Analytical and AI Consulting Lab (MECN-615), taught by me, Prof. Joel Shapiro.

Spring 2026 application is available here: https://reg.kellogg.northwestern.edu/experientiallearning/

Deadline: For Spring 2026, the application deadline is 8 am on Tuesday, February 10.

If you are applying as a team, EACH team member must complete an individual application by the deadline.

If you are admitted to ACL, I will do my best to assign you to a project that you would really like. However, especially with sports clients, demand is often higher than supply. I recommend that you apply to ACL only if multiple projects sound interesting to you.

Please note: “Analytical and AI consulting” isn’t just about statistical analysis and ML model-building around large datasets. Many companies already have data science teams for that. What they often lack, but truly value, are business-minded experts who can help them think differently about how to use data and AI. In some of the below projects, the real value (and often, the real fun) lies in uncovering new ways to solve business problems using existing data: reframing challenges, surfacing hidden opportunities, and shaping innovative use cases.

Most ACL projects fall into one of the following categories:

  • Empirical analysis of a data set to generate recommendations - sometimes these projects might require building ML models and sophisticated model diagnostics, while others might involve simpler “insight generation”

  • Helping clients map out how data can be useful to a particular goal, like “personalization for revenue generation.” These projects are a bit more about creating a strategy to use data to achieve a business goal, rather than conducting primary empirical work.

  • Helping clients map out how generative AI tools / LLMs can be used to achieve specific business goals. Given the early stage of industry’s use of gen AI, these projects tend to be more open-ended and require significant self-direction by the student team.

I will be finalizing the list of clients and sharing project descriptions soon, but here is a list of likely clients for Spring 2026: Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, Chicago Fire, Chicago Sky, E15 Group (part of Levy), Empire Today, Hyatt Hotels, Langham Resorts, Nature’s Grace and Wellness (cannabis retail)

Email me here with questions - happy to help!

What is ACL?

ACL is a 10-week experiential course where you and your team work on a real project for a real company with real data challenges. We have periodic meetings during the quarter. I also work with your team as needed / desired.

How to enroll?

You must apply and be accepted to ACL.

I HIGHLY recommend that you enroll in ACL as part of a team of 4-5. Your chances of getting into the class are much improved if you apply as a team. Each team member must apply separately, are admitted separately, and all must meet the minimum qualifications.

FAQs

How often is ACL being offered this year? Currently, ACL is being offered every Fall, Winter, and Spring quarter.

What are the pre-reqs for ACL? You must have completed Business Analytics II or the equivalent. Greater analytics expertise is strongly preferred, but not required.