MIT Sloan announces a new data analytics industry consortium
The consortium expands collaboration between industry and researchers at the MIT Sloan School of Management through the Master of Business Analytics program.
Cambridge, Mass., Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The MIT Sloan School of Management has launched the MIT Sloan Data Analytics Consortium, a new approach at MIT Sloan, which expands the way the school connects industry leaders with cutting-edge research, top student talent, and unique opportunities to shape the future of analytics education and practice.
“Creating this consortium is a fantastic opportunity to bring researchers and industries closer together, and to broaden MIT Sloan’s impact in the world,” said Richard M. Locke, the John C Head III Dean at the MIT Sloan School of Management. “This collaboration is mutually beneficial to both industry and academia. The MIT Sloan Data Analytics Consortium expands the companies and industries that our students will be able to learn from and share their talents with, and it connects industry with the important research happening across MIT.”
Affiliated with the MIT Sloan Master of Business Analytics program (MBAn), consortium members have an opportunity to deepen their connection with MIT Sloan through exclusive capstone projects, recruitment opportunities, a place on the MIT Analytics Advisory Board, and convenings with academics and leaders from across industries.
“It is an important time for industry and academia to collaborate more,” said Dimitris Bertsimas, the Boeing Leaders for Global Operations Professor of Management, a professor of Operations Research, and the associate dean, Online Education & Artificial Intelligence. “Consortium members will gain insight into the latest research in AI and emerging technologies, will propose and support nonprofit and social impact AI projects, will help align student work with mission-driven organizations and broader societal goals, and will benefit from peer-to-peer interaction with leaders from tech, consulting, finance, healthcare, retail, and more,” he continued. Bertsimas, an MIT faculty member since 1988, is the faculty director of the MBAn program and serves as vice provost for Open Learning at MIT.
In addition to access to MIT Sloan's talent pipeline, members sit on the MIT Sloan Data Analytics Advisory Board and receive complimentary invitations to the MIT Sloan Analytics Networking Night, MIT Sloan AI Summit, MIT Sloan Analytics Speaker Series, and the New York City Data Science & AI Networking Night. Members also have the opportunity to host multiple MIT Analytics Capstone Projects each year, creating meaningful value for both their organizations and the student teams through collaborative, high-impact analytics initiatives.
The consortium launches as the MBAn program celebrates its 10th year, with a celebration and summit to be held October 2, 2026, bringing together industry leaders, alumni, faculty, students, and consortium members to shape the future of data analytics and artificial intelligence.
Founding members and industry leaders
Advent: “Joining the MIT Sloan Data Analytics Consortium reflects Advent’s belief that the value of advanced analytics and AI is in disciplined application to industry’s most pressing problems. The consortium’s focus on rigorous research paired with live, complex problems closely mirrors how we approach value creation across our portfolio. We look forward to collaborating with MIT Sloan School of Management faculty, students, and fellow members — learning from new perspectives while contributing practical investment and operating challenges grounded in the realities of building and scaling businesses.” Jesse Thomas, Head of Data Science, Advent
Comcast: “Joining the MIT Sloan Data Analytics Consortium reflects Comcast’s commitment to advancing analytic excellence and applying AI to create real value at enterprise scale. Through this collaboration, we have unlocked tremendous value, engaging with MIT Sloan faculty and students who bring fresh perspectives to our complex business problems. Together, we connect rigorous methodologies with the realities of industry, help shape the next generation of analytics leaders, and strengthen the impact of data and AI across our organization.” Trace Hawkins, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Analytics, Data Science & Market Research
Ford Motor Co.: “Ford Advanced Industrial Technology Platform (ATP)'s dedication to remaining at the forefront of the industry is demonstrated by its involvement in the MIT Sloan Data Analytics Consortium. At Ford ATP, we are engineering the next generation of manufacturing by building the intelligent industrial platforms and AI-driven systems that define the future of production. We are giving the next generation of data scientists the unique opportunity to work alongside leaders, applying advanced analytics to the high-stakes realities of a global production line. This immersion in the latest AI-driven research is how we bridge the gap between theory and real-world results. We are excited to provide a platform where students can see their classroom learning permeate our operations at scale, so together, we can scale what matters and win what’s next.” Yung Fung, Managing Director - Advanced Industrial Technology Platforms, EMBA '23
GE Appliances: “This isn’t just a collaboration; it’s participation in a movement. By joining the consortium, we’re helping shape the next generation of analytics leaders, and we’re immersing ourselves in the latest tools, ideas, and research that will define the future of work in the age of AI. Together, we have the chance to translate groundbreaking academic thinking into real-world results, from the factory floor to the frontlines of advanced manufacturing. And through our collaboration with the MIT MBAn program, we’re giving students live challenges, real data, and urgent problems to solve.” Jose Luis (Pepe) Lopez, Head of Artificial Intelligence Lab, EMBA ’14
Itaú Unibanco: “At Itaú, our culture is deeply rooted in leveraging data to generate insights and make informed decisions that drive innovation. Joining the MIT Sloan Data Analytics Consortium allows us to connect our practical expertise with the extraordinary analytical and technical capabilities of the MIT ecosystem. Through this collaboration, we gain access to world-class research, advanced methodologies, and a vibrant community of talented individuals. Together, we can transform insights into meaningful action, accelerating the evolution of financial services and delivering greater value to our clients and the market. We look forward to collaborating, learning, and innovating alongside MIT and fellow consortium members to shape the future of our industry.” Frederick Alves, Partner and Risk Management Executive, Sloan Fellows MBA ’18
Microsoft: "Microsoft is an active member of the MIT Sloan Data Analytics Consortium, collaborating with world-class researchers, students, and industry leaders who are shaping the future of analytics and AI. The consortium provides an opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research, bring real-world industry perspectives, and help bridge the gap between academic innovation and practical business impact. We are excited to contribute to and learn from this community as it develops the next generation of data and AI leaders." Phil Gerity, Partner, Windows Cloud Experiences, EMBA ’23 and Rinku Dalwani, Senior Product Manager, Windows Cloud Experiences
Tampa General Hospital: “There are three reasons why I joined the consortium: One is, I am a lifelong student and I think being informed like this gives you an opportunity to ask really curious questions. Second, I am also a teacher; physicians are teachers, and we like to really teach advances in technology that are impacting our patients. And last and most importantly, I am a leader, and Tampa General is on the leading edge of the advancements in medicine, AI, data analytics, and technology, which are extremely impactful in the care of our patients.” Dr. Lien Le, VP, Hospital Medicine/Associate Chief Medical Officer, EMBA ‘22
Unum Group: “We joined the MIT Sloan Data Analytics Consortium for a few reasons, but mainly the cutting-edge research and frontier at work being done in the classroom here at MIT is second to none in the world. And getting young data scientists and minds to come into our corporation and look at problems that we’ve been studying for a while within the constraints and confines of our business operations and legacy infrastructure, for example. They’ll come in and they’ll view those problems differently than we did. They’ll think about it in a blank slate that we hope 1) helps push our own teams to think differently and 2) as we bring those conversations back into MIT and part of the consortium. We will think of ways to solve and improve problems together with the other members of the consortium who are facing similar problems or challenges and turn those into opportunities where classroom learning, research opportunities that are new mindset can kind of permeate in the way we deploy at scale.” Sam McElhinney, VP, Head of AI Products and Platforms, MBA ’17
“My capstone project with MIT Master of Business Analytics leveraged an innovative approach from healthcare analytics to solve a financial industry problem. That experience showed me how powerful AI can be when ideas move across industries. The consortium is a perfect place for our company to learn from industry peers, world-class faculty, and talented students who will collaborate with us. As a data science organization with innovation at its core, we see this consortium as a natural fit.” Tim Yang, Director, AI/ML Transformation, MBAn 18
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Casey Bayer MIT Sloan School of Management 914.584.9095 bayerc@mit.edu
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