Senior jumpstarts businesses by consulting on reopening plans in Boston

After returning home to Boston because of COVID-19, Metin Saraoglu, ’21, quickly realized he wanted to help those in need.

“I knew that I could do something to make a difference,” Saraoglu said.

He began by helping family friends create reopening plans, and these projects grew rapidly into Veridelta Consulting.

“In a span of a few weeks, Veridelta surpassed our initial targets,” Saraoglu said.

He and his team have consulted pro-bono for five organizations across various industries, including real estate, education, software, music, and healthcare.

One project involved creating a student safety marketing campaign for a Montessori school which doubled student enrollment.

“Not only is the influence real, the process is as well,” Saraoglu said. “One of our leading purposes is to ensure the growth of each of our team members and to offer them a perspective into a field with which they may be unfamiliar.”

These consulting cases also provided opportunities for other students. In total, 24 of his classmates who had lost internships due to the pandemic joined him in the process.

“The feeling of helping someone and building a strong relationship is important to me,” he said. “When the pandemic hit, I knew I could do something on a larger scale. I find that when one considers the needs of others, only good things are bound to grow.”

Jack Molenkamp, adjunct instructor in business, helped Saraoglu focus his efforts to jumpstart the business.

“I think experience can be the best teacher,” Molenkamp said. “So getting your feet wet early is important in developing and growing your skills that will be useful to you down the road.”

Saraoglu hopes to continue pro-bono consultation for small and medium sized businesses across the country when he returns to campus.

“This summer was a way for Veridelta to align itself to be better prepared for the future,” he said. “The biggest accomplishment that I believe I could see is the continuation of providing meaningful help to businesses in need and encouraging the growth of the team. I worked with 24 bright students this summer. Without them, none of this would be possible.”