Message from the President

Why Rice Business Partners?
For 27 years, Rice Business Partners has connected, informed and inspired you – members of the Houston business community both non-alums and alums of Rice Business. You have joined us for our premiere Thought Leadership Series of C-suite speakers, and our Roundtable series led by renowned Rice Business Faculty, to network and share ideas on the timeless topics of business. We hope you have enjoyed these events.

In keeping with our mission, we are exploring opportunities to strengthen your connection to Rice Business. For instance, our faculty host and lead specialized academic camps with presentations by renowned professors from other leading business schools. Academic camps are typically one-day, high-level, technical and cutting-edge discussions in one area of specialization. A topic explored at the 2022 Marketing Camp was the application of NFTs for brand and performance marketing. We are engaging with Rice Business faculty in support of your participation in the camps, pursuing a series focused on the unique needs of our small business Corporate Partners, and working toward partnerships with other Rice- and Rice Business-affiliated organizations to further your connection with the school.

Helping you stay informed is part of our vision. The recently renovated Business Information Center (BIC) in McNair Hall offers a comprehensive collection of tools and resources, including high-priced, highly valued subscriptions to services such as Lexis-Nexis, Factiva and PrivCo, that are available to you for free as an Individual or Corporate Partner. The BIC staff is available in person to help you find the resources you need to understand your current market environment and solve your business challenges.

Inspiring your customers and your team is an evolving challenge. Today, video is a central component of any marketing or training program. The state-of-the-art Rice Business video lab in McNair Hall is used by faculty to deliver and record MBA Online courses. As a Corporate Partner, you have access to the lab to produce the quality recordings that can help promote your brand and galvanize your team.

We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events and to connecting, informing and inspiring for the next 27 years.

Tamara Hughes
President, Rice Business Partners Board (Rice MBA '16)