Logistics
MIT G-Lab consists of a 9-week, part-time, Virtual Phase —from late September through early December—when teams launch their projects with their host companies. Teams of 4 MIT MBA students work roughly 20 hours per week per team based on an agreed workplan and commence initial research and analysis. They then travel to their host company's home office to complete their projects, working full-time, onsite, in-person for 3 weeks in January.
Getting started: Submitting your project Questionnaire
How do we participate in MIT G-Lab?
Review this website, particularly the Logistics and the FAQ pages. Start thinking about really useful project scopes. Set up a scoping call with Shari Loessberg (yes, required). Complete the Questionnaire. Create a short casual video to introduce your firm and the humans in it. Submit the Questionnaire by Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
How should we choose our G-Lab project scope?
- Focus on project scopes that are as close to mission critical as possible. Our most successful projects are a function of engaged, responsive project owners and management. If the scope really matters to you, you’ll naturally pay more attention to the project—and your team will have more interaction and guidance to leverage into higher-impact insights and solutions to benefit you.
- Focus on scopes where there is premium value to you for having “fresh eyes,” new to your market, to assess and approach a challenge. Identify issues where our global MBAs can leverage their networks, cultural differences and lived experience as well as their professional expertise to deliver innovative, out-of-the-box analysis and solutions.
What are typical project scopes?
We ask host companies to identify 1 or 2 areas from the list below:
- Financial analysis and modeling
- AI strategy & transformation
- Strategic growth
- M&A strategy
- New market entry
- Pricing
- Venture capital & alternative financing
What are typical project deliverables?
Deliverables are determined by host companies, but commonly include a mix of:
- Financial models
- AI blueprints
- Strategic growth frameworks
- M&A and valuation toolkits
- Go-to-market roadmaps
- Pricing frameworks
- VC pipeline / portfolio analysis
Host companies with their teams agree the overall project processes, which can include:
- Desk and field research: interviews, surveys, focus groups, analysis
- Designing and leading pilot projects
- Wireframing and new product testing
- Execution or implementation strategies and roadmaps
What about the Onsite Phase?
We recruit great scaleups and entrepreneurs whose company culture leans in to in-person.
- Concretely, we require project owners/staffers to work in person with their G-Lab team onsite in January (rotating basis ok!)
- We highly recommend formal and informal gatherings between your G-Lab team and your broader staff. Encourage/incentivize your folks, particularly junior staffers, to work in-person during the G-Lab Onsite. Host companies uniformly emphasize how meaningful G-Lab teams are in lifting aspirations and skills of younger staffers.
- G-Lab is not a good match for mostly remote companies.
How should we structure our project between the Virtual and the Onsite Phase in the Questionnaire?
The project should have one focus and arc. Provide as much color and context as possible. The Onsite Phase typically focuses on validating—or creating implementation strategies for—the hypotheses or preliminary recommendations developed during the Virtual Phase.
How do the Virtual and Onsite Phases work together in real life?
G-Lab uses the framework below to provide structure and efficiency to the project. Host companies are asked to build these frameworks into their project planning and their project Questionnaires:
The Three Modules of the Virtual Phase
Please use this framework to structure your project Questionnaire:
Module 1: Onboarding & Integration <2 weeks (part-time, virtual)
- Your preparation for a rapid, substantive project launch
- The formal kick-off meeting with team. 90 min recommended
- Confirm project arc, structure, scope and deliverables. Limited ability for revision.
- Agree on all logistics, create workgroups, set weekly call time & other norms
Module 2: Investigation & Research ~4 weeks (part-time, virtual)
- Weekly meetings required.
- Start of your team’s structured research, appropriate to scope: the benchmarking phase, the competitive landscaping, etc.
- 2 presentations or other deliverables are required during Module 2: interim updates, preliminary insights, etc. Presentations typically done during weekly meetings.
Module 3: Synthesis & Preliminary Recommendations ~4 weeks (part-time, virtual)
- Weekly meetings required.
- Your team and your firm applying Module 2 insights collaboratively to concretely benefit your company.
- Depending on scope, this phase typically includes analysis and refinement of the initial research, engagement with MIT faculty or other experts, and leads to initial conclusions and preliminary recommendations.
- The final Module 3 presentation will include proposed work streams for the January Onsite Phase.
January Onsite Phase
Action and Collaboration 3 weeks (full-time, Onsite)
- Teams usually validate their Virtual Phase insights/preliminary recommendations through field surveys or interviews, localizing conclusions as appropriate for the market.
- Teams often then put their recommendations into action, which varies depending on company needs. Typical Onsite Phase work includes:
- launching execution or implementation strategies
- conducting pilots or other testing
- collaborating alongside staff to create actionable playbooks and roadmaps
The project concludes, all deliverables are completed, and the final presentation to senior management/board is made by the end of the Onsite Phase.
After you submit: The matching process
How are teams matched with projects?
Teams will review all project Questionnaires and videos in early September and be counseled by G-Lab faculty to optimize project and skillset matching. G-Lab faculty will determine the matches weighing a variety of factors, including host companies’ priorities as well as students’ preferences and expertise. We will then notify all host companies during Match Week, the week of September 21, 2026.
What happens during Match Week?
If your project is matched, we will notify you and provide your proposed team’s CVs for your approval. You’ll have 36 hours to approve; we will then introduce the team through a video they create for you. We’ll provide frameworks, support, and calendars for your use during G-Lab. You’ll then start to work with your team!
*IMPORTANT*: We do recruit more projects than we have teams, so not all projects can be matched.
We will notify you during Match Week if we are unable to match the ideal team to your project. Please know that we are available for questions and feedback.
We're matched! Now what?
What about the administrative logistics of G-Lab, like travel and hotels?
The Action Learning Office (ALO) at MIT Sloan has deep experience in supporting our students and host companies on all aspects, good and bad, unexpected or unique, of global MBA travel and projects. They will be in touch with your Project Owner promptly after your project has been matched and available throughout the project for your logistics questions.
How do Project Owners get up to speed on their role and responsibilities?
Many Project Owners (a team’s day-to-day substantive point of contact at the firm) have not been part of the project scoping and questionnaire process and are brought in only after matching. That’s ok! We’ve got a great quick overview to help. All Project Owners must attend or view our “MIT G-Lab 101” onboarding webinar just for Project Owners to ensure our program framework and expectations are clear. Project Owners can also be in touch with their team’s faculty mentor or the Action Learning Office with questions at any time during the project.
How does our Administrative Team get up to speed on their role and responsibilities?
For all logistics, travel, accommodations and support aspects of G-Lab, a logistics webinar will be hosted (and recorded) by the ALO the week of September 28, 2026 to review and answer your questions and ideas regarding G-Lab logistics.
What are the dates and logistical details of the January Onsite Phase?
The precise dates are agreed upon by you and your team. You should consider holidays and management’s schedules. The only absolute requirements are:
- Core host company project owners and team should work in-person (rotating basis ok) in office while their team is onsite.
- All members of the G-Lab team must start work on the same day and finish on the same day.
- The G-Lab team must work together onsite for 15 consecutive business days between January 4 and January 29, 2027.
Many host companies use the presence of the G-Lab team as a magnet for other in-office activities and also encourage hybrid or remote workers to plan more in-office time to interact formally and informally with the team. We strongly support this approach!
What are the expectations regarding expenses?
Typically, MIT books and purchases airline tickets and arranges accommodations. The goal of our Action Learning Office is to be transparent and to simplify Hostco logistics for you. All proposed flight and accommodation costs will be discussed with and approved by your firm in advance. If for some reason your firm wishes to arrange these logistics, that’s possible too.
What are the expectations regarding airline tickets?
Host companies are obligated only to pay round-trip coach airfare from Boston to your location and back; if students plan to arrive at your office from another city, they are responsible for paying any incremental difference in ticket prices.
What are the expectations for students’ lodging?
Modest, clean and safe accommodations within a reasonable commuting distance from the company. Sleeping arrangements should be sensible and appropriate to the composition of the team and the location. The ALO will work with your office to secure appropriate accommodation. If preferred, your firm can organize the accommodations on your own by providing three options to the ALO and the team for review prior to booking. The ALO can advise on suitable standards and past lodging choices in your market if helpful.
Our proposed project would require us to share sensitive and confidential information with the team. What protection can you provide?
All teams work with the greatest attention to maintaining the confidentiality of information shared with them. Each team’s research conclusions and presentation are submitted to the faculty for grading purposes, but all confidential materials will be redacted prior to any public presentation or classroom discussion. In cases where a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is appropriate or requested, MIT’s legal office will work with your company to sign MIT’s standard NDA form.
For even more color and detail on our G-Lab logistics, next check out the FAQ tab.
Questions for a human being? Please ping Shari Loessberg: loess@mit.edu.