McIntire Welcomes [solidcore] as Its Newest Integrated Core Experience (ICE) Sponsor

Editor’s note: This Investors’ Report story, first published June 10, 2024, illustrates the profound impact of donor contributions and the meaningful difference they make in supporting the McIntire community and advancing our mission to deliver an exceptional business education to our students.

The University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce proudly welcomes groundbreaking fitness brand [solidcore] as a corporate sponsor of its hallmark undergraduate program, the Integrated Core Experience (ICE).

Founded in 2013, [solidcore] is well-known for its highly effective, specialized, redefined, and intensified low-impact strength-training workout classes held in a growing number of fitness studios across the U.S. Third-year Commerce students will engage with the Arlington, VA-headquartered company periodically throughout the fall 2024 semester, making [solidcore] the first fitness company to do something of this nature to advance college students interested in pursuing the business of fitness.

In the coming months, the corporate team and McIntire faculty will identify the project topic that students will consider. Once the fall semester begins, students will develop their professional skills across multiple areas, including analysis, strategy, organization, and communication. Their work will culminate in presentations to representatives in December, when student teams will offer detailed solutions to real-world business issues.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled for [solidcore] to serve as a sponsor for the Integrated Core Experience,” says President and CEO Bryan Myers (McIntire ’09). “McIntire students are some of the brightest, budding business minds in the country, and we’re excited for them to be engaged with us to tackle the unique opportunities that we have ahead in such a dynamic and rapidly changing industry.”

Gillian Almeida (McIntire ’10), Vice President of Strategy and Insights at [solidcore], is equally enthusiastic about working with Commerce students: “I am excited for [solidcore] to be an ICE sponsor, as it creates an opportunity to partner with some of the smartest students and faculty on the planet to help us solve one of our toughest strategic problems. As a McIntire graduate, I learned a tremendous amount from the ICE project. The lessons on effectively working with teams and breaking down tough problems are ones that I have carried with me as a management consultant and now as the VP of Strategy at [solidcore].”

Commerce School Professor Chris Maurer is looking forward to collaborating with the [solidcore] executive team. “It is great to have a corporate partner that our students are familiar with, and I am confident students will be energized to research opportunities that can assist [solidcore] in achieving their future strategic goals,” he says.

“It is also great to see McIntire alumni come full circle by leveraging their Commerce School education to achieve great success in the business world, then return to provide mentorship and guidance to a new class of future business leaders,” Maurer adds. “Bryan and Gillian will no doubt be instrumental in shaping the career paths of our students, and I am grateful for their continued support of our School and the ICE program.”

Associate Dean for Corporate & Employer Relations Allison Teweles says that connecting with [solidcore] as McIntire’s newest corporate partner is another example of an ongoing commitment by the Commerce School to engage with business leaders across industries.

“McIntire continues to value corporate relationships,” she says. “By partnering with [solidcore], a pioneer and growing authority in the fitness space, our students will have the advantage of the company’s insightful thought leadership, while [solidcore] will benefit from the fresh perspectives and inventive problem-solving UVA Commerce students provide.”

The Integrated Core Experience, which was launched in 1999, has long served as the cornerstone of the undergraduate experience at the McIntire School. The highly ranked program is valued for offering hands-on learning, case studies, and real-world activities that are consistently refreshed to reflect current business trends while developing skills that employers seek from graduates. The immersive quality of the program allows students to gain knowledge and engage deeply with pressing business subjects through a series of wide-ranging integrated courses that include both comprehensive and focused topics.