When Dr. Lucille Mazo partnered with the Northern Alberta Business Incubator (NABI) to get a Mitacs grant to hire two student interns, she knew just who to suggest to fill one of the roles. Cole Koch, a fourth-year communications student, has worked with Dr. Mazo on a number of projects as a research assistant. He is now in the midst of an eight-month internship, helping the organization to recruit and draw in new clients.

NABI deals with small businesses, primarily in St. Albert, and provides office space as well as resources and learning opportunities to help them to succeed. When Koch joined the team, he was tasked with creating a strategic communications plan to expand NABI’s client base.

“Right now, they have 87 businesses. And all of their businesses had made it through COVID,” says Koch. “That is an enormous feat. I was like, ‘this should be your whole ad campaign.’”

Koch is now working on a video campaign for NABI using client testimonials about the support the organization offered during the pandemic, which included finding temporary, affordable office space when space restrictions in the NABI offices caused some businesses to be displaced.

“We’re trying to show that NABI is all about supporting the St. Albert community. What better way than to show that we’re here not only in the good times, but also in the bad?”

Koch credits Rajesh Jaiswal, NABI’s executive director, with supporting him in the campaign and the videos that he’s planning for it, as well as giving him a boost in meeting industry contacts. “I’m certainly making connections through this experience that are going to be meaningful in my future.”

Those contacts will come in handy as Koch works on building his own businesses. He not only does work in communications, but he also creates music and documentaries, and recently launched a video production company that is working closely with the Northern Alberta Drum and Bass Community.

In addition to the experience in strategic marketing that Koch received from his work with NABI, he was also paid $10,000 per semester for his work. The Mitacs grant pays 50 per cent of students’ wages while NABI covers the other half. Koch’s work is supervised by Dr. Mazo.

“We meet with NABI once a week,” says Dr. Mazo. “It’s not just our students going to work, there’s a research component to it.”

While working with Jaiswal, Koch has developed two research surveys to gather information about NABI’s place in the community, and how they can work with St. Albert City Council to offer more to local businesses. The survey results will contribute to Dr. Mazo’s research into the relationship between the business community and strategic communication.

“Hopefully more professors seek this out, because this has been a tremendous experience for me as a student,” says Koch. “Lucille is with me every step of the way. It’s a great way of getting your first year of experience, because there’s someone with you helping you through it.”