When students in Tim Halloran’s Strategic Brand Management course partnered with Minturn Whisky, a small but fast-growing Colorado distillery, they signed on for much more than a typical class project. Over the course of the semester, MBA students worked alongside Minturn’s founders, Spence and Stefanie Neubauer, to test ideas, adapt to rapid change, and ultimately help the company rethink its marketing strategy.
Across the four-month project, Halloran saw the students immerse themselves in the realities of brand strategy as it unfolded beyond the classroom.
“My goal was to provide students with as much ‘real world’ context as possible,” Halloran said. “The best way to do that is to throw them into the pool and let them learn to swim. Brand management starts with identifying a core user who truly represents your target customer, understanding that person inside and out, and then developing a brand proposition that speaks directly to them. Ultimately, it’s about communicating in a way that makes consumers believe, ‘This brand is for me.’”
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Learning in the Weeds
Minturn’s founders met with the class regularly throughout the semester, sharing updates on everything from website overhauls to tourism partnerships. This transparency meant that student teams had to continuously adjust their thinking, mirroring the ambiguity and fast decision-making that define real brand management work.
That approach resonated with students early on. For Sarthak Mohapatra, Full-time MBA ‘26, the experience felt strikingly close to an actual consulting environment.
“It was fun being so close to the action,” Mohapatra said. “The Minturn team checked in with us to keep us updated on changes they were making to their website and social media. We commented when the brand posted content on social media and helped them iterate in real-time. It was nice being this present in the weeds with a client.”
Strategy With Real Stakes
Marcus Reese, an Evening MBA student, said the Minturn project stood apart from other team-based assignments in the program.
“Working with the Minturn Whisky Company, we were able to engage with a real client that provided us with actual company data and consumer insights with tangible objectives and goals,” Reese said. “This was an amazingly unique opportunity to work with a smaller company with aspirations to grow their brand awareness regionally and nationally.”
Reese’s team proposed a multi-part approach that included digital education tools, ambassador partnerships, and a pilot “Minturn Bartender Program” designed to convert consumers into long-term brand advocates.
As a whisky enthusiast, Lydia Zaleski, Full-time MBA ’26, felt an immediate personal connection to Minturn. Over the course of the semester, that enthusiasm — combined with the opportunity to collaborate closely with the brand’s founders — made the real-world consulting project feel like a capstone to her two years at Scheller.
“I was thrilled to work with a small client,” Zaleski shared. “We wanted to make sure our recommendations were authentic to Minturn Whisky’s core brand and who they are. My team focused on realistic recommendations that were appropriate for a small business budget. I could feel them listening and thinking of ways to put our suggestions to work right away.”
A Meaningful Impact for Minturn Whisky
For Minturn’s leadership team, the partnership delivered immediate value and unexpected clarity.
“One of the most valuable things the students did was give us permission to stop second-guessing ourselves,” said Stefanie Neubauer, owner and CEO of Minturn Whisky. “They came prepared with specific, targeted questions and a data-driven approach that helped us move forward with confidence.”
When Minturn shared last-minute news that it had signed on as the official whiskey and cocktail sponsor for a large Memorial Day weekend event at Beaver Creek Resort, the conversation quickly shifted from theory to execution. Students immediately offered ideas for consumer engagement. Interactive cocktail competitions and crowd-sourced voting were ideas focused on helping Minturn stand out at a high-profile tourism event.
The Neubauer’s welcomed the suggestions. Scheller student input helped them think through how to activate the brand experience thoughtfully and authentically.
For Minturn, the work doesn’t end with the semester. The impact of Scheller MBA’s strategic insights span well into the future, prompting a shift in how Minturn thinks about its audience and growth strategy.
“We are already in the process of pivoting away from our initial target audience and advertising methods based directly on their findings,” said Spence Neubauer, owner and COO. “They pushed us to focus on defined customer segments where we already have a natural advantage. Our community roots and our commitment to sustainability aren’t just stories; they’re genuine differentiators.”
As Halloran looks ahead, projects like Minturn Whisky remain central to how he envisions brand education at Scheller.
“Students learn best when they’re genuinely interested and when the stakes are real,” he said. “That’s when strategy stops being abstract and starts becoming a skill they’ll carry into their careers.”
