Ivy MBA students experience sweeping success

MBA students at the Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business achieved notable success in and outside of the classroom. Each year, teams of master’s students travel across the country to compete in case competitions against top university talent from around the world. Case competitions provide students with an opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world problems, test their strategic thinking abilities, and learn how to perform under pressure. During the 2023-2024 academic year, three outstanding teams of MBA students achieved remarkable success, placing first in three separate competitions.

MBA Case Competition in Ethical Leadership

The first victory was at the MBA Case Competition in Ethical Leadership hosted by Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business in Waco, Texas. Ivy College of Business MBA students Rebecca Addo, Laura Stowater, Sahil Bakhai, and Chris Meyer worked late into the night perfecting their final presentations on a case centered around OpenAI. Their hard work paid off as the team not only won the overall competition but also earned individual awards, with Bakhai and Stowater recognized as Best Presenter and Best Q&A.

Iowa State University’s Mind to Market Case Competition

On home turf, the team of Violet Lapke, Sai Jeshwanth Goud Illuri, James Saulsbury, and Damien Henry competed in Iowa State University’s Mind to Market case competition and brought the trophy back to campus. Differing from most case competitions, Mind to Market was a live case where teams collaborated with a tenant in the ISU Research Park on a business problem they were facing in real time.

Top: Damien Henry, Pratikshya Tripathee, David Spalding, Rebecca Addo, and Laura Stowater. Left/middle: Sai Jeshwanth Goud Illuri, Violet Lapke, James Saulsbury, and Damien Henry. Right/bottom: Laura Stowater, Rebecca Addo, Sahil Bakhai, and Chris Meyer.

“We knew the recommendations we were putting forward could end up being used, so although we wanted to win, we really wanted to provide recommendations that could add real value to the company,” Henry said, reflecting on this unique case. “The idea of our recommendations benefitting the company is what drove us in this competition, and that ultimately helped guide us through our analysis.”

Big 12 Case Competition

MBA students Rebecca Addo, Pratikshya Tripathee, Laura Stowater, and Damien Henry upheld Iowa State’s number one spot in the conference by winning the Big 12 Case Competition hosted by the University of Kansas School of Business in April. Tripathee also earned the Best Presenter award. Looking back on the team’s performance, Addo noted, “One thing I hold memorable is the team not being complacent after arriving at our recommendations early in the competition. We actually reviewed them to ensure they addressed the critical problems being faced by the company.”

Preparing for these competitions was no small task. Students put in extra work to ensure they were ready, guided by Ivy faculty and staff who led workshops on topics such as how to approach and structure a case, how to effectively present information, and ways to enhance their communication skills. Bruce Kraft, professor of practice in finance, shared his experience working closely with the teams this year.

“The success that these teams have experienced is due to the dedication that they have put into preparing themselves for the case competitions, as well as their desire to succeed. These MBA students embraced their roles on the team and supported and encouraged one another throughout the process,” Kraft said.

Reflecting on the past two years of case competitions, Stowater emphasized the academic and professional value they’ve provided.

“I have learned so much about leadership, teamwork, and myself after each case competition,” Stowater said. “I try to apply one learning from case competition experiences to future academic or professional settings. I feel like I am able to problem solve, analyze business problems, and develop recommendations better as a result of my experiences doing case competitions.”

A special thanks to this year’s advisory support staff: Bruce Kraft, Jamie Sass, Tabatha Carney, Kevin Scheibe, Sarah Wilson, and Jon Beard.

Ivy MBA students experience sweeping success

Students leveraged teamwork and skills gained in the classroom to place first in three case competitions

MBA Case Competition in Ethical Leadership

Iowa State University’s Mind to Market Case Competition

Big 12 Case Competition

I feel like I am able to problem solve, analyze business problems, and develop recommendations better as a result of my experiences doing case competitions.

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