MINNEAPOLIS — Three students from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management tackled a pressing community challenge: expanding access to pediatric dental services across the Twin Cities metro.
The team, part of Carlson Consulting Enterprise (CCE), partnered with Ready, Set, Smile, a Minneapolis nonprofit dedicated to providing affordable dental care to children. The four-month project allowed the students to apply classroom learning to a real-world social issue.
“Our goal is to help kids establish a lifetime of sound oral health,” said Tessa Trepp-Wetjen, executive director of Ready, Set, Smile. The organization now operates in three Twin Cities public school districts, several charter schools, and early learning centers.
Founded in 2013 by dentist Adele Della Torre, Ready, Set, Smile focuses on lower-income children. Despite widespread Medicaid coverage, only 53 percent of Minnesota dentists accept it, limiting access for many families.
CCE Managing Director Siddharth Chandramouli said the project addressed a critical intersection of healthcare access, economics, and system design. “It provides our students with a valuable opportunity to work on an issue that can improve care for children across Minnesota,” he noted.
The Carlson team, including MBA students Sevda Akbari and Wade Garrison, and senior Stefan Larsen, analyzed financial data and interviewed local dentists. They identified key barriers, such as low Medicaid reimbursement rates and complex administrative requirements, while highlighting practices that successfully accept Medicaid patients.
The students produced four “playbooks” offering strategies for dental practices of varying sizes. These guides help dentists model financial sustainability, optimize patient mixes, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance patient engagement, making the case for treating Medicaid patients, particularly children.
Larsen said the experience was personally rewarding. “It feels really good to do your best work and know what you’re doing is going to help people directly—people who are in need,” he said.
Akbari, who plans to focus on strategy and transformational projects after graduating, called the work meaningful. “It aligned perfectly with my passion for improving accessibility for underserved communities. I want to continue pursuing this kind of mission-driven work alongside a corporate career,” she said.
Since its founding in 2003, CCE has completed over 600 projects spanning strategy, operations, financial modeling, organizational effectiveness, and public-sector problem-solving, giving students opportunities to make tangible social impact.