Service: Strategy
Center of Workforce Innovations
Overview
Center of Workforce Innovations (CWI) is committed to advancing workforce development across Northwest Indiana by offering solutions that cultivate regional talent and meet the evolving needs of employers.
The Opportunity
Recognizing its pivotal role in driving economic growth and adapting to national shifts in workforce development, CWI embarked on the creation of a new strategic plan to position Northwest Indiana as a leading regional workforce hub—where individuals and communities can thrive. To achieve this, CWI understood the need to align all sectors of the regional workforce ecosystem. In response, CWI partnered with SmallBox to engage both existing and potential partners in co-developing a shared vision and strategic priorities for the organization, as well as for the broader region. This collaborative effort has fostered collective action and sparked a spirit of innovation throughout the region.
Lumina Foundation
Overview
In 2008, Lumina Foundation set an ambitious goal: by 2025, 60% of adults in the US would hold a college degree or other valuable credential. Achieving this goal requires unwavering focus and dedication. For close to two decades, Lumina has worked tirelessly toward this mission—for nearly all of that time, SmallBox has been proud to support them along the way. As their web strategy partner, we’ve collaborated closely with Lumina to help organize and communicate the complexity of their work and the extraordinary impact they’ve made in building a stronger nation.
We believe the launch of any website is just the beginning, and Lumina’s journey has been no exception. As Lumina has evolved, we’ve been right by their side, ensuring their website evolves with them. Over the course of our 12-plus-year partnership, we’ve launched two new websites. Through strategic collaboration driven by data and audience insights, we’ve consistently worked to improve the user experience by ensuring the website is simple to use, despite the complexity of Lumina’s work. With a focus on achieving the highest standards of web accessibility, our shared commitment to equity and access for all has been at the heart of our efforts.
Warsaw Community Schools
Overview
For residents of Kosciusko County, Indiana, Warsaw Community Schools (WCS) serves as a public square. It’s a place that welcomes and celebrates families from all backgrounds, a place that businesses turn to when they need a trusted partner, and a place where community members come together to create the best possible future for Warsaw students.
The Opportunity
The strength of WCS is its people and their proactive commitment to their students’ success. That same commitment is evident in WCS’s history of five-year strategic planning. By prioritizing a common set of goals that align operations and resources for a half-decade at a time, WCS has been able to set its sights on ambitious outcomes and achieve great things as a school community—including multiple STEM certifications, an integrated social-emotional learning curriculum, and an innovative career center.
In early 2020, WCS partnered with SmallBox to create a new five-year strategic plan with their students at its core. With our support, WCS wanted to engage the current school community in co-creating the outcome. The new plan needed to better reach growing and underserved populations, be at the forefront of educating for new job markets, attract and retain students from other communities, and, ultimately, inspire all students, teachers, and community members to realize their dreams.
Schwarz Partners
Overview
From the package that arrived on your porch this morning to the recycled box you used to make last year’s Halloween costume, corrugated material is everywhere. Schwarz Partners represents a $4 billion portfolio of companies responsible for producing 6% of the industry’s corrugated goods.
The Challenge
While it appears as though Schwarz Partners is in the business of paper, in reality, they’re in the business of people. The company has always considered employees to be the most important piece of the puzzle—and Jack Schwarz had a knack for finding the talent in his people and putting them in the right position. “Anyone can buy equipment,” he would say. “It’s what we do with it that makes it special.”
For that, you need the right folks. As Schwarz Partners grew, they continued to invest in people. Today, Schwarz Partners operates more than 40 facilities across 20 states with more than 6,800 employees.
With a new state-of-the-art headquarters, Schwarz Partners came to SmallBox in need of a new website to match their innovative, people-centered approach to business. Both of our teams, however, quickly realized that there was more work to be done—if Schwarz Partners truly wanted to elevate their presence, they also needed to consider their brand identity.
Indiana University Alumni Association
The Challenge
The Indiana University Alumni Association celebrates and supports IU while bringing together all who share a love for the university. With 650,000 graduates from nearly ten campuses, their membership base spans not just generations – but the entire globe! – a challenge for creating a membership experience that fulfills current alumni while attracting soon-to-be graduates.
Our relationship with IUAA began with a facilitated board retreat. In working with the organization as they prepared for a new 5-year strategic plan, we learned that no matter what benefits IUAA offered, all alumni desired a personalized experience. With two core campuses and six regional campuses, chapters in cities across the globe, dozens of affinity groups, and staff and alumni from all walks of life, engaging all parties in a unique way wouldn’t be easy. This challenge became one of the core pillars for their new plan, and one that we continued working on with them.