By Marta Vallejo, Staff Writer 

At Xavier, experiential learning is a defining part of the business education model. 

One organization that embodies that approach is Xavier Element, a student-run digital marketing agency in the Williams College of Business (WCB) that allows students to work directly with real clients while they are still in college. 

Housed within the Sedler Center for Experiential Learning in Business in the WCB, Xavier Element functions as a fully operational marketing consulting agency. Students collaborate with a wide range of clients, from local Cincinnati startups and small businesses to larger, nationally recognized organizations such as Procter & Gamble (P&G) and the Cincinnati Reds. This organization gives students a vast amount of hands-on experience in digital marketing strategy, branding, campaign execution and client relations. 

“Xavier Element is a student led, student run digital marketing agency and consultancy that gets the Xavier students the opportunity to work on real, live client projects, whether they be external clients for Cincinnati based companies, sometimes entrepreneurial startup type companies, smaller Mom and Pop type businesses, and even big companies,” Executive Director of the Sedler Center and staff advisor and co-founder of Xavier Element Anne Mooney said. 

Unlike many student organizations that operate primarily as networking or professional development groups, Xavier Element mirrors the structure of a professional agency. Students are responsible for creating job descriptions, conducting hiring processes, onboarding clients and ensuring that projects meet set expectations. 

“My favorite thing about Xavier Element is watching the students lead every single part of it. They create the job descriptions, they do the hiring. They do the intake process with prospective clients. They check in on clients as to whether or not we’re meeting their needs,” Mooney said. 

Students typically begin as consultants, working directly on marketing projects, and can progress into leadership roles within the agency as time goes on. This allows members to gain both technical marketing skills and management experience before graduation. 

The organization’s emphasis on real-world experience provides students with a competitive advantage in the job market. Rather than speaking hypothetically about coursework, members can point to measurable results, client campaigns and operational leadership. 

“The greatest benefit to students is getting real-world experience while they’re in college. They can talk about all of the experiences that they’re having working on real client projects — and also running the agency itself — when they get into interviews, whether it be for internships or jobs,” Mooney said. 

By combining classroom knowledge with direct client engagement, Xavier Element bridges the gap between theory and application. As a student-run agency embedded within the university’s business school, it offers members not only experience, but ownership — preparing them to enter the workforce with both confidence and proven skills. 

As the 2025-2026 academic year comes to an end, Xavier Element will see new leadership under sophomore marketing major Sarah Logan, who will take on the task of running the agency for the year to come. 

“I’m excited to step into the role of President of Xavier Element, where I will help provide strategic direction and guide the overall vision of the agency. A major focus of this position is building strong client relationships, ensuring high client satisfaction and engagement, and fostering a positive, high-performing team culture,” Logan said.