Highlander Consulting Group (HCG) is the first student-run consulting group at the University of California, Riverside. HCG offers hands-on experience for students to expand their skill sets and gain invaluable first-hand experience in the consulting field.

HCG was founded in the Fall of 2022, and currently has a team of over 20 active members. The club consists of student consultants and interns, who work together to consult with companies on their business strategies. Consultants and interns must apply for their positions, whereas general members can participate by attending any of the larger meetings the club hosts throughout the school year.

Director of Marketing Preksha Kaushik encourages students of all disciplines to join HCG, “We are open to all majors, for anyone who’s interested in learning more about consulting, and looking for hands-on experience with business management and strategy. Every organization, at its root, is a business, so no matter what major you are, you can join and gain perspective.”

To obtain clients, the team reaches out to a variety of companies for collaboration opportunities. They have worked with a developing social media platform, a software development company, and a social investing platform. They work with a client to determine the scope of work and services. From there, the team, made up of the lead consultant and interns, develops a proposal for the client, before refining it to a final deliverable project to the client.

“We work with clients to identify specific needs, for example, developing market strategy. We provide specific recommendations with anticipated results to reach our clients’ desired goals” Kaushik said. 

Going forward, HCG is looking to work with a variety of companies and start-ups and is currently accepting applications to join their team. Students can apply on their website, highlanderconsultinggroup.org, which also features upcoming events.