US Strategy Challenge: Hitting the Midpoint Milestone with CPNYC

Posted by Debbie, Morgan Stanley Team Member for Children of Promise, NYC, New York

Our team is currently preparing for our midpoint client meeting, where we will present our initial observations to Sharon and Rebecca, our partners from Children of Promise, NYC (CPNYC). We're putting the final touches on a 25-slide presentation detailing each of our four work streams, our preliminary observations and next steps. It has been an intense but enlightening time! Rovic, Anita, Michael and I are spending more hours on the Strategy Challenge now, especially in the last several days, as we have prepared for the midpoint meeting.

My focus has been on evaluating the level of demand for CPNYC's services in Central Harlem and understanding the competitive landscape. The work has been rewarding and deeply personal for me. As a mom with two grown children, I am acutely aware of the overwhelming number of at-risk youth in New York City alone.

I've analyzed a number of data points, including incarceration rates nationally, in New York State and in New York City. Based on the numbers, we believe that there is a robust population of children in Central Harlem who would benefit from CPNYC's programs.

Based on our preliminary research, we have become more aware of what makes CPNYC's mission so unique and we are seeing that there isn't really an organization in Central Harlem offering the comprehensive level of programs serving children of incarcerated parents the way that CPNYC delivers. This lack of competition is one indication that the area could be an attractive location for potential expansion. One program that really sets apart CPNYC from other organizations is its mental health services, which address the unique set of challenges faced by children of incarcerated parents.

Needless to say, we have been spending a lot of time together, and one very pleasant surprise of the Challenge has been how well our team has connected. We're all fully committed to the project and learning a lot from our collaboration and using our individual strengths. Participating in this unique experience has been a highlight of my career.

I'm excited to share what we've learned so far with Sharon and Rebecca. They've been incredibly open and supportive of our work, and deeply engaged in discussions based around our findings. It will be interesting to get their formal feedback at our midpoint meeting which will help set our team's course for the second half of the Strategy Challenge and delivering our final client presentation.

For more information about the Morgan Stanley Strategy Challenge, please visit: www.morganstanley.com/strategychallenge/.