2020-2021 Capstone Cup Annual Report by UNO College of Business Administration

CAPSTONE CUP ANNUAL REPORT

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DEMONSTRATING PERSEVERANCE RESILIENCY AGILITY FROM THE DIRECTORS

The 2020-2021 academic year continued to deliver rich lived experiences for our students and faculty alike. As the Covid-19 global pandemic persisted, it created a great deal of uncertainty for all. Knowing that the ‘show had to go on’, universities adapted to its environment along with the students. Our students demonstrated a high degree of agility, perseverance, and resiliency as they continued in their coursework and faced that uncertainty head on. The Capstone Cup was transformed to fit the virtual environment, and while many of us missed the in-person format, it required us to think differently and continue to innovate. We often speak with pride about how innovative and unique the Capstone Cup is for our students, but this year we must recognize and speak with pride about how our students continued to deliver and showcase their knowledge, skills, and abilities despite a global pandemic. We were once again delighted with our sponsors and other employers in the Omaha Business Community who continued to donate their time, talent, and treasure to the Capstone Cup.

DR. ERIN PLEGGENKUHLE-MILES

As we worked out of our homes, it was amazing to have so many individuals make the time to engage with our students. What we have learned is that our students are resilient and ready to rise to challenges thrown their way. Regardless of the uncertainty that they may continue to be faced with, we know that UNO CBA graduates will be ready. As we look to the future, the Capstone Cup will continue to evolve, but one thing will remain the same, our students will continue to rise to the challenges they face and showcase the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired as UNO CBA graduates.

DR. ERIN BASS

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THE CAPSTONE CUP IS A FLAGSHIP EVENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA OMAHA’S COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. IT WAS DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM STUDENT TO YOUNG PROFESSIONAL. IT PUSHES THEM TO BE POLISHED WHILE SHOWCASING THEIR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO MEMBERS OF THE OMAHA BUSINESS COMMUNITY. The involvement of our community partners is what brings this competition to life. The support of members of our local business community as judges or sponsors helps bring the boardroom to the classroom. This gives the competition a “real world” feel as our student present to “real” business people. But the benefits are not just felt by the students. Our sponsors and judges have a first-hand look at our students in action. We are happy to report that many of our students’ land interviews from these presentations, with some eventually landing the job. And that’s what we’re here to deliver—a valuable experience that showcases the talent of our students and helps employers identify and recruit from this talent pool. The competition has evolved since its inception thanks to the faculty that serve as the lifeblood of the event, including Dr. Brent Clark, Dr. Leif Lundmark, Mr. Ed Cochran, Mr. Kyle Hampton, as well as ourselves. Each iteration is aimed at enhancing the student experience while achieving our goals of professional development and strategic thinking. Excitement and acceptation of the program continues to grow. We will continue to innovate and work with our partners to deliver a program that is not only a flagship for the university, but a flagship for showcasing young talent for our thriving business community.

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THE COMPETITION IN BRIEF THE CAPSTONE CUP IS A SEMESTER-LONG COMPETITION TRADITIONALLY COMPRISED OF A KICKOFF EVENT AND THREE ROUNDS OF COMPETITION. THE CAPSTONE CUP WAS BORN AT THE UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND IS UNIQUE TO OUR SCHOOL AND OUR IDENTITY AS A METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY FOCUSED ON PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS.

"The thing I remember most from this last semester will probably be my experience with the Capstone Cup. It taught me teamwork, more than just a group assignment, but as a longlasting group effort and communication. It was exciting to experience the rush of being judged by qualified individuals who voiced their comments."

BRIANNE PETERSON, FALL 2020 PARTICIPANT

During the Capstone Cup, teams of undergraduate business students have to digest a complex business situation, develop a creative and practical solution, and build a presentation that communicates their analyses and recommendations to a panel of judges comprised of faculty, business community members, and alumni. Every College of Business Administration student enrolled in an on-campus section of the undergraduate capstone strategy course (Corporate & Business Strategy) participates in this competition, impacting more than 250 students each. In the fall and spring, the teams competed in three rounds of a tournament-style competition that was adapted to an online format to address the COVID-19 pandemic (see page 5 for more information).

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A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE VIRTUAL KICKOFF EVENT

VIRTUAL ROUND ONE

ROUND TWO POSTER COMPETITION

VIRTUAL ROUND THREE/ FINALS EVENT

Students meet virtually with their teams Capstone Cup information and sponsor videos

19-32 teams 5 virtual rooms of presentations 30+ external judges

12-16 teams Poster presentation Faculty judges

Four teams 7 executive judges Finalist presentations are open to public

The Capstone Cup is delivered by a team of CBA strategy professors and a graduate assistant in the Department of Management:

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ADJUSTMENTS DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC The 2020-2021 academic year brought about an unprecedented experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world continued to socially distance, most classes met via an online format, which also meant the Capstone Cup was held virtually. To continue to provide this experience for students, we adapted the entire Capstone Cup for the virtual environment for the 2020-2021 academic year. Changes to the format included replacing the traditional 2nd Round presentation with a poster and executive summary. Judges narrowed down based on the ability to present a compelling visualization of their strategic analyses and recommendation. Another change came by having teams focus on one company for both Round 2 and 3 which allowed for greater depth of analyses.

AN ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE

KEVIN CORWIN, PACIFIC LIFE “I want to applaud each of the contestants…for having the courage to step up in these unique times and under a virtual format. I will say I am very thankful that I am not a student right now because I don’t think I could have had a chance against any of [the] teams.” TANYA KONUHOVA, SPRING 2021 WINNER “With switching to an online format, we were unsure of how the competition would continue. Fortunately, it went well! Prior to this transition, [the strategy faculty] all were encouraging and helpful. A huge thank you! The Capstone Cup is the best “exit ticket” to college. Your skills are put to the ultimate test, while also getting to network with executives and employees of Omaha businesses. Thank you all again!!”

The community response to these changes was just as enthusiastic as the student response, with over 50 external judges volunteering their time to judge. Thanks to their expertise, each semester we were able to select four high-performing teams as this year’s winners: one champion, one second-place winner, and two finalists.

EFFORTS REWARDED To recognize the students’ efforts from these teams, sponsors furnished incredible prizes of Amazon gift cards delivered straight to their emails ($300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $100 for finalists). While we hope to return to our normal in-person format for the 2021-2022 academic year, the year spent with a virtual Capstone Cup was widely considered a huge success.

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2021 SPRING CHAMPIONS

ALEX LARSON, ACCOUNTING | COLLEEN LOGES, FINANCE & BANKING | KAYLEY SCOTT, MANAGMENT BRAD STUTHMAN, ACCOUNTING | LUKE VAN STONE, SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOTS With each new year of the Capstone Cup, we continue to enhance the experience for everyone involved. Just as the spring 2019 Capstone Cup introduced the successful poster competition to the finals, the 2020 Capstone Cup introduced headshots for all students. We continued to partner with UNO’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) organization and used sponsor funds to invest in professional headshots for all participating students of the Capstone Cup. This provides students with an updated professional headshot that can be used for multiple purposes such as a LinkedIn profile picture and give them an additional competitive edge as they enter the business community as UNO CBA graduates.

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BY THE NUMBERS

1,700+ 41% 8%

participants since 2015

of participants are female of participants are international students

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS FALL 2020 88 19 61 19 67

Students Teams Judges from 31 employers Fnalists from 6 concentrations Students employed

SPRING 2021 139 32 72 19 99

Students Teams Judges from 34 employers Finalists from 9 concentrations Students employed

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PARTNER WITH US Over the years, we have been honored and pleased to partner with businesses and professionals across Omaha. Invaluable support has come in many forms, sponsorship of prizes, distinguished judges’ time and attention, as well as valuable input. Without our generous partners, the Capstone Cup wouldn't be possible. In return for their contributions, valued partners are recognized throughout communication messages on our media channels and have an opportunity to access the best talents that UNO CBA has to offer. The Capstone Cup thrives on its partnerships with the local business community. For the 2020-2021 Academic Year, we welcomed seven sponsors from the Omaha business community. These sponsors not only had the opportunity to get in front of our students, but also directly recruit students for full-time and part-time positions through the Capstone Cup. In addition to these sponsors, we also welcomed more than 70 local judges from more than 30 local employers.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact: Dr. Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles | erinpmiles@unomaha.edu THANKS TO OUR 2020—2021 SPONSORS

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FALL 2020 BUSINESS CASES Each case is written by the Capstone Cup team and provides unique and current insights on the companies studied. Additionally, select cases are submitted for publication.

STITCH FIX In November 2017, Katrina Lake rang the NASDAQ bell officially launching Stitch Fix’s initial public offering (IPO). Through Lake’s revolutionary idea to change the future of retail fashion, she became the youngest female CEO to take a company public. Not only was her idea to combine data analytics and personalized style new to the fashion industry, Stitch Fix was one of the first companies with its specific business model to be traded publicly. Fast forward to 2020, the increase in competition combined with the economics of the Pandemic have led to doubts of Stitch Fix’s ability to maintain its strategic position. What is Stitch Fix’s next move?

IROBOT: THE FUTURE OF ROBOTS TODAY iRobot was founded in 1990 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology roboticists with the vision of making practical robots a reality. Innovative highlights for iRobot include developing a robot to explore space, a robot detecting and eliminating hazardous mines from surf zones, a robot to search the wreckage after the 9/11 terrorist, a robot to assist in monitoring the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and its consumer facing Roomba, a robotic vaccuum. From 2016 to 2019, revenues for iRobot nearly doubled. Consumers across the globe benefitted from the safety, accessibility, energy efficiency, cost effectiveness, and convenience a smart home, specifically a robotic vacuum and mop, had to offer. However, competitors emerged and in 2020, compared to other household cleaning robotic companies, iRobot was not dominating the competition. What strategic avenues might iRobot explore next?

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SPRING 2021 BUSINESS CASES BEN AND JERRY'S Matthew McCarthy became the newest CEO of the uniquely structured and well-known company Ben & Jerry’s in 2018. Based on founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield’s idea to begin an ice cream scoop shop in Vermont, the dynamic duo turned idea into empire, before placing it into the hands of McCarthy and Unilever. Not only were the ingredients used to produce a wholesome and naturally derived ice cream, but since its founding, Ben & Jerry’s used its platform to speak on and create awareness for social justice issues. While Ben & Jerry’s had found much success over its years of operation, the ability to maintain success came with challenges and continuation of onpoint strategic positioning was critical for Ben & Jerry’s to continue to thrive in the market.

SONOS: HELPING THE WORLD LISTEN BETTER The founders of Sonos faced an uphill battle when starting the company in the early 2000s. Their idea of synchronized wireless audio systems throughout a home was seemingly ten steps ahead of where the current technology was at the turn of the century. As a global consumer electronics company, Sonos designs and builds speakers and smart speakers to empower people to listen better. However, Sonos’ top competitors in the smart home entertainment market include the Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Bose – so it is a comparable small fish in a very large pond. While the smart home entertainment industry was expected to grow, Sonos’ next strategic move for longterm sustainable growth isn’t clear.

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THE CHERRY ON TOP

PAIGE FABER, FALL 2020 “As a marketing professional, I feel like I really try to analyze a company’s products and offerings from the perspective of the buyer, so I had often thought of big, creative ideas or strategies without ever taking into account those costs and how that might affect the prices of our products or services. In the Capstone Cup I was paired on a team with two financial majors, it truly helped me to see the importance of finances in the idea generation process and not abandon it as an afterthought. In each round of the competition, my job was to conduct the analyses of our industry and our competitors and construct the strategy canvases that displayed the main focuses and opportunities of each of our main competitors as well as our own company’s main focus and biggest area for opportunity. In doing this, I got to find areas that were a major aspect of our products that no competitor nor our own company had capitalized on. This helped us to find a solution with a central goal to achieve this competitive advantage in this particular aspect. Taking advantage of crucial opportunities like this is what truly sets a company apart from its competitors, especially when this opportunity aligns with consumer preferences. Over the past three and a half years at UNO CBA, I have had countless opportunities to learn invaluable information in the world of business and apply it in real-life applications to better understand how my future in this career path will actually look."

COLE FULLER, FALL 2020 “I was not particularly looking forward to the Capstone Cup, but my thoughts going in were unfounded and misguided. I really enjoyed the format and think that it is super beneficial to all the students involved. Dealing with real companies, real financial statements, real technologies and advancements, and real judges/feedback was really fun. The Capstone Cup pushed me to really analyze the organization, the current trends/advancements, as well as the industry as a whole.”

ALEX GAYTAN, FALL 2020 “One of the most defining projects that I worked on was definitely the Capstone Cup and the way that it is structured to inform and prepare us all for a competition. Not only was it a thrill to compete against my fellow friends and acquaintances in a round-by-round competition, but it was an example of how the different mechanisms of a business including the departments and positions would be integrated. I hope that with the knowledge I’ve acquired during my capstone experience, I am able to provide my skills towards my future employer’s campaigns, business and corporate strategy decisions, and challenges they face.”

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EMIR RIDIC, FALL 2020

REESE MUMFORD, FALL 2020

"The Capstone Cup in particular was very interesting and something that I am very glad that I was able to be a part of. It was a challenging set of tasks that were presented in a group environment but due the great effort from my group mates and I we were able to overcome the challenges and come out victorious which I was very happy about and found very rewarding. I think the purpose of these various activities that were presented in the higher-level classes was to get students out of their comfort zones to work with new people, ideas, and concepts. There was not one single element that was focused on such as accounting or marketing but instead it was a combination of different concentrations that made the class so stimulating and challenging. These different tasks and assignments were quite difficult, but I would say they definitely helped me realize many different things about post graduate life in terms of starting a new career. There are going to be new and unexpected challenges that will force me to work with unfamiliar people in order to achieve a new goal. UNO’s class style and concepts do an incredible job in helping prepare students such as myself for these future challenges."

Prior to doing the Capstone project I hated group projects and to make it remote on top of that I thought I was going to dread it, but it was not that bad. I really enjoyed my group and how we all got along. In the real business world group projects are going to be everywhere and now with the pandemic it will be more common to work on those group projects virtually, so I now have a head start and know how to manage group projects virtually. The Capstone project solidified how much I love marketing and being a key leader in anything I want and will do.

MICHAEL MORRISON, FALL 2020 "The Capstone course really put all of my lessons into perspective in a way that makes me truly appreciate the struggle. I have to admit, I was nervous coming into the course because I felt my knowledge was lacking in a number of areas. I considered myself well-versed in accounting, but by no means was I an expert in that let alone HR or advertising. However, the course and the Capstone Cup very much reinforced the lessons that I had already learned. I did belong in the business college, I had the potential to master anything I set my mind to, and I would have to if I wanted to succeed in the Capstone Cup. Although I had never taken a course that focused specifically on strategy, many of the theories or topics seemed familiar to me whether it was because I had studied that specific topic in another course or we had simply used the same terminology. This assured me that everything I had gone through was worth the effort and would have a meaningful impact on my future. My team’s success in the competition was surreal in a certain way while simultaneously being extremely grounding and real. My previously stated feelings about my expertise in any subject made me feel like a bit of a fraud coming into the course. Knowing that my and my teams’ performance was not only on par with other teams, but of high enough quality to carry us to the finals of the competition has reversed that feeling. I now have a feeling that UNO has prepared me to go out into the world and succeed knowing that my general business knowledge and expertise rivals that of any of my peers. For me, the Capstone course was the icing on the cake or the cherry on top of the sundae.”

BRITTANY HAIRE, SPRING, 2021 The University of Nebraska Omaha and the Capstone Cup helped me branch out of my introverted personality and forced me to make connections with people whom I would not have connected with before. Taking each individual case and providing a solution to a problem while working as a team is important because this is how real business is conducted, just on a larger scale. The cases required every type of skill and knowledge to be capable of creating a recommendation that was innovative, but realistic. In the beginning of the semester, I was not sure I would even make it past the first round with how intimidating it was. I could not have asked for a better team to complete these assignments with. We worked so well together, met as many times that we needed to, came up with ideas as a group and performed amazing.

JUSTIN KRUG, SPRING 2021 "The Capstone Cup at UNO is hands down one of the best experiences afforded to UNO students! It truly is an opportunity to get raw, applicable C-Suite experience at a young age. To add, the Capstone Cup is a practical way to refine your leadership, collaboration, and presentation skills. Arguably most important, the Capstone Cup is an opportunity to make an impression that will stick with Nebraskan business leaders who serve as judges each year (heck, maybe you will get a job offer)! My advice to UNO students competing in the Capstone Cup: what you put into it is what you will get out of it!"

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2020–2021 CAPSTONE CUP PARTICIPANTS FALL 2020 Jake Abboud Colten Adams April Agboglo Derek Andersen Erik Anderson Jerod Augustine Rafile Ayubi Lexi Bauer Christina Becker Terry Boer* Noah Brodersen Truman Bruckner* Grant Bruneau Coby Budde Will Cambridge Bailey Cascio Yizhong Chen Yuhan Chen Connor Clark* Cat Cox Zach Dahlgren*

Cole DeRouchey Diego Diaz Haley Dickes* Brett Dishman Paige Faber* Cole Fullner Alex Gaytan Gabi Gergen* Halsie Guenther Ryan Harrah Trenton Hilzendeger* Curtis Huffman* Olivia Hunt Tyler Imhoff* Emma Johnson Matt Johnson Ross Kathol Scott Kintner Austin Knudson Amanda Lewin Cade Linville Angela Lopera

Riley Lyon Bethany Magg Faisal Majid Nolan Marshall Hunter Mason Yumeka Matsushita Ayeshia McDonald Ron Molina CJ Monahan Bertha Monono Michael Morrison* Reese Mumford* Quentin O'Connor Alyssa Parsons Monica Pelto Brie Peterson Leah Petts Collin Point* Megan Primrose Amanda Pyle* Garrett Raabe Maura Ramsey Alex Rasmussen Marcos Reyes

Emir Ridic* Jennie Rinabarger Christian Rivas Nathaniel Rock Claire Ruth Paw Say Jon Sheehy Mick Steier Charles Swift Andy Thompson Jonathan Valadez* Jovana Vidakovic Zachary Vincent Tina Vu McKenna Waffle Rachel Walker* Hailey Weisbeck Brendon Wheeler Alyssa Wiese* Jordan Williams Jason Winger* *Capstone Cup Finalist

SPRING 2021 Anthony Aguirre Mansoor Al Jaafari Murooj Al Raisi Ramon Alvidrez Talina Bakhit Massimo Baron Alyssa Bennett Matthew Bennett Celina Bhakta Pooja Biswa Maria Breton Alexis Brown Nathan Brusseau Yi Bu Ashley Caito Sergio Cedillo Xin Chen Brady Clark* Molly Clevenger* Abby Clyde Emily Coleman

John Dahlgren Maddie Daley Lionel Dalmeida Matt Davis CJ DeFazio B.J. Deng* Tori Dunston Mikaela Ekdahl Brandon Engel Andrew Escobar* Samantha Estivo* Landon Falcone Robert Finch Ben Fountain Leah Gahan Andrew Galardi Kwinam Gawmaw Alise George Alyssa Gonzalez Edward Gordon Ziyan Guan Beth Gurney

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2020 FALL CHAMPIONS

ZACH DAHLGREN, FINANCE & BANKING | PAIGE FABER, MARKETING | TRENTON HILZENDEGER, MARKETING EMIR RIDIC, HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT | JASON WINGER, ACCOUNTING

Grace Gustafson Brittany Haire* Zeinam Hama Soumana Alexis Hansman Christian Hanus Matt Hayes Noah Hazel Connor Hazen Megan Henderson* Bridget Heraty Ally Hermanek* Alex Herzog Ainsley Hostetler Trent Houlton Corinna Humiston Humphrey Itua Jack Jezewski Bre Johnson Abbey Johnson Alexis Jones Dylan Jones

Thomas Kienow Minsu Kim Sydney Kitt Anna Knutson Carlson Koch Spencer Koelewyn Zach Koester Justin Krug Mingzhong Lai* Alex Larson* Sam Lauritsen* Samantha Lierz Colleen Loges* Noah Ludwick Diana Martinez Ivan Martin-Montoya David Mata Samuel McDermott* Jeremiah Mejia Jared Mejstrik Emma Milenkovich Andrea Milstead

Brooklyn Monahan Katie Moragues* Summar Morehead Mauricio Mujica Elaine Mukusha Nolan Naffziger Grant Nanninga Tanya Nava Julia Nekola Austin Olson* Keegan Olson Lizbeth Perez Hernandez Aurelio Picazo Perea Sarah Plith Erica Pokorney Aidan Posey Nina Preston Faith Przymus Patrick Quayson Elizabeth Quinn* Claire Ramig

Patrick Ravn Alan Real y Vasquez Connor Reikofski Drew Rerucha Oscar Reyes Mireya RodriguezMadueno Matthew Rohloff Maria Saldana Cecilia Sandoval Luis Santos Kayley Scott* Jack Shafer Logan Smith Ana Soto-Gama Brad Stuthman* Erik Tena Natalie Thomas Parker Thompson Kyle Timperley Nick Trautman Oscar Urquidez

Lulu Van Stone* Ashley Walker Tanner Walker Kaisha Wells Dalton Wirges Xinyi Wu Haruno Yamada Guangrun Yu Jason Zenk Kailiang Zhang Yang Zhou *Capstone Cup Finalist

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cba.unomaha.edu/capstonecup CONTACT Dr. Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles | Capstone Cup Director erinpmiles@unomaha.edu Dr. Erin Bass | Capstone Cup Co-Director aebass@unomaha.edu College of Business Administration Mammel Hall 6708 Pine Street | Omaha, NE 68182

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