CAPSTONE CUP ANNUAL REPORT
2 |2019–2020 CAPSTONE CUP
DEMONSTRATING PERSEVERANCE RESILIENCY AGILITY FROM THE DIRECTORS
DR. ERIN PLEGGENKUHLE-MILES
The 2019-2020 academic year was rich with lived experiences. We teach about how external factors can impact organizations, and this year students experienced it first-hand. While the Covid-19 global pandemic brought much uncertainty to the forefront, our students demonstrated a high degree of agility, perseverance, and resiliency as they continued on in their coursework and faced new challenges head on. The Capstone Cup found its five-year anniversary completely transformed as the Spring 2020 finals were conducted virtually via Zoom. We often speak with pride about how innovative and unique the Capstone Cup is for our students— however, this year we speak with pride regarding our students as they confronted the last class(es) they’d take as college students being redesigned in a new format. We gave the students the option of continuing on with the Capstone Cup and were proud of the number of students who demonstrated agility and seized that opportunity. We were also delighted with our sponsors and other employers in the Omaha Business Community who once again donated their time, talent, and treasure to the Capstone Cup’s virtual finals. I think we were all impressed and relieved at how well the transition went; moreover, we had employers once again utilize the Capstone Cup to identify potential future employees! Our biggest takeaway from the last year is that our students are resilient and will rise to any challenge thrown their way, similar to each of the organizations that have supported the Capstone Cup over the years.
Despite the pervasive uncertainty that we continue to face, we know that UNO CBA graduates will be ready.
DR. ERIN BASS
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
ANNUAL REPORT | 3
THE CAPSTONE CUP IS A FLAGSHIP EVENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA OMAHA’S COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. 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 THE OMAHA BUSINESS COMMUNITY. The involvement of our community partners 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 students present to 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, 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.
4 |2019–2020 CAPSTONE CUP
THE COMPETITION IN BRIEF THE CAPSTONE CUP IS A SEMESTER-LONG COMPETITION TRADITIONALLY COMPRISING A KICKOFF EVENT AND THREE ROUNDS OF COMPETITION. BORN AT THE UNO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, THE CAPSTONE CUP IS UNIQUE TO OUR SCHOOL AND OUR IDENTITY AS A METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY FOCUSED ON PREPARING STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS.
"Participating in the Capstone cup was a phenomenal experience. I really enjoyed the collaboration with my team and getting to research and dive into the case studies. Since the competition was moved to become entirely virtual, it was a great learning experience on how to use virtual tools to collaborate and present.” JAY ANDERSEN, SPRING 2020 FINALIST
During the Capstone Cup, teams of undergraduate business students have one week 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 year (approximately 125 students each semester). In the fall, the teams competed in three rounds of a tournament-style competition as is traditionally done. In the spring, two rounds of this competition were held, and the second round was adapted to an online format to address the COVID-19 pandemic (see page six for more information).
ANNUAL REPORT | 5
A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE s.
KICKOFF EVENT
ROUND ONE
All students attend Team-building exercise Capstone Cup information
29–30 teams Four rooms of presentations 30+ external judges
2019 ROUND TWO / 2020 VIRTUAL FINALS 12–16 teams Four rooms of presentations 30+ external judges
FINALS EVENT Four teams Seven executive judges Poster competition, networking event, and 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:
Dr. Erin Bass | Dr. Brent Clark | Dr. Leif Lundmark | Dr. Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles | Ed Cochran | Chris Winchester
6 |2019–2020 CAPSTONE CUP
ADJUSTMENTS DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC Spring 2020 brought about an unprecedented experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world adapted to social distancing, UNO moved all classes to an online format, including the Capstone Cup competition. To prevent cancellation, we elected to provide the remaining 16 teams who advanced past Round One (prior to the COVID-19 outbreak) with the opportunity to compete in one final round using Zoom. Twelve of the 16 teams elected to continue with the competition — preparing and presenting entirely via virtual format.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE The community response to this change was just as enthusiastic as the student response, with 19 external judges volunteering their time to judge three different pools. Thanks to their expertise, we were able to select four high-performing teams as this year’s winners: one champion, one second-place winner, and two finalists. KEVIN CORWIN, PACIFIC LIFE
EFFORTS REWARDED
“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.”
To recognize the students’ efforts, sponsors furnished incredible prizes of Amazon gift cards delivered straight to their emails ($500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $150 for finalists).
TANYA KONUHOVA, SPRING 2020 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!!!”
While we hope these circumstances will not arise again and that we can return to our normal format sometime during the 2020–2021 academic year, the virtual competition was widely considered a great success.
ANNUAL REPORT | 7
PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOTS With each 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. Partnering with UNO’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) organization, we used sponsor funds to invest in professional photos for all participating students of the Capstone Cup. An updated photo will give them an additional competitive edge as they enter the business community as UNO CBA graduates. KILEY PHELPS SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
CERA BURESH ACCOUNTING
MANDY BACKHAUS MARKETING
TANYA KONUHOVA FINANCE & BANKING
2020 SPRING CHAMPIONS
8 |2019–2020 CAPSTONE CUP
BY THE NUMBERS
1,718 41% 8%
participants since 2015
of participants are female of participants are international students
ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS FALL 2019 127 students 30 teams 61 judges from 31 employers 16 finalists from 6 concentrations 100 students employed
SPRING 2020 127 students 29 teams 72 judges from 34 employers 18 finalists from 5 concentrations 94 students employed
ANNUAL REPORT | 9
PARTNER WITH US Over the years, we have been honored and pleased to partner with businesses and professionals across Omaha. Support has come in many forms, including 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 through communication messages on our media channels and have an opportunity to access the best talent that UNO CBA has to offer. The Capstone Cup thrives on its partnerships with the local business community. For the 2019–2020 Academic Year, we welcomed eight sponsors from the Omaha business community. These sponsors not only had the opportuity to get in front of our students, but also directly recruit for full and part-time positions. In addition to these sponsors, we also welcomed more than 100 judges from more than 30 local employers.
For sponsorship opportunities, contact: Dr. Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles | erinpmiles@unomaha.edu
THANKS TO OUR 2019—2020 SPONSORS
10 |2019–2020 CAPSTONE CUP
FALL 2019 BUSINESS CASES Each case is written by the Capstone Cup team and provides unique and current insights on the companies studied. Select cases are submitted for publication. In 2019, Dr. Pleggenkuhle-Miles, Dr. Bass, and Mr. Winchester submitted the Spring 2019 Round One case, which was accepted for publication in The Case Journal* and is available for use in classrooms across the globe.
ETSY: CRAFT OF GROWING PAST THE COMPETITION Etsy has been a leading name in the e-commerce industry and has resulted in a plethora of success stories. However, the thriving image of Etsy was in jeopardy. As of November 2019, many sellers across the world were leaving the platform or using multiple platforms to sell their goods, threatening Etsy’s image. As sellers pondered different platforms and Etsy's once first mover advantage disappearing, the company was at a crossroads and in need of a strategy that could overcome competition and develop a sustainable competitive advantage. Could (or should) Etsy continue to move in the direction of being a differentiator and early mover? How could Etsy position itself for future growth despite the increasing number of competitors?
SCHOLASTIC: READING BETWEEN THE LINES Scholastic has evolved to become the market leader in the children’s book publishing industry with a 50.7% market share. Scholastic’s products range from children’s books to education platforms but all center around its B2B sales model that emphasizes the importance of maintaining strong relationships with schools, educators, parents, and children. Despite being at the forefront of digitization in the industry and having the largest market share, Scholastic has struggled financially, which is reflected in recent stock prices and lack of growth. As a B2B company, it is vital for Scholastic to not only maintain strong relationships with schools and educators, but to also grow these relationships. However, it must also pay careful attention to trends with its endusers, namely students who influence their schools’ decisions. How can Scholastic find growth paired with ideal strategic positioning?
*Bass, A., Pleggenkuhle-Miles, E., Winchester, C. and West, T. (2019), "GameStop’s next play: reconfiguring the value offering", The CASE Journal, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 7-33. https://doi.org/10.1108/TCJ-05-2019-0054
ANNUAL REPORT | 11
HASBRO: THE GAME OF STRATEGY Hasbro’s mission is “to create the world’s best play and entertainment experiences.” It does this with more than 1,500 brands across three toy and game categories: franchise and partner brands, Hasbro gaming brands, and emerging brands. Hasbro has become one of the market leaders with 9.4% of the global toy wholesaling industry. However, net income has declined 58% since 2016 ($533M to $220M), hitting its lowest point since 2005. Couple this with fallout from the U.S.–China trade war and significant competition from Mattel and succeeding in the toy industry has become more difficult. Like the game of Risk, crafting a strategy is vital to winning the game. Hasbro is in dire need of developing a way to overcome its own problems, beat its competitors and find a more sustainable competitive advantage.
SPRING 2020 BUSINESS CASES PELOTON’S RIDE TO GROWTH Peloton Interactive Inc. is “a technology company, media company, software company, a productdesign company, a retail company, an apparel company and a social connection company that enables our community to support one another.” Due to the integration of streaming workout classes with its fitness equipment, Peloton was one of the fitness equipment industry leaders. Revenues were climbing, its popularity was increasing, and stock prices had leveled out above its IPO. Peloton seemed like it was in a position to continue rapid growth and beat out competition. However, many questions remained as its first-mover advantage dissipated. How should Peloton position itself for future growth?
ALVMH: THE LUXURY OF BUSINESS PORTFOLIOS Founded in 1987 when fashion house Louis Vuitton merged with champagne creator Moët Hennessy, LVMH has emerged as the dominant leader in the luxury goods industry. LVMH has thrived on frequent acquisitions that bolster its widely-known business portfolio of luxury brands. Collectively, LVMH is the umbrella that covers 75 “Houses”, a term used by LVMH to define the individual business units which operate in one of the six major sectors of the luxury market: fashion and leather goods, watches and jewelry, wines and spirits, perfumes and cosmetics, and selective retailing. Consultants were asked to conduct a portfolio analysis to assess the health of each business sector, in addition to the macro- and micro-level trends within the luxury goods industry in order to provide a strategic recommendation on growth strategies over the next three years.
12 |2019–2020 CAPSTONE CUP
THE CHERRY ON TOP
KILEY PHELPS, SPRING 2020 “First, I am so grateful for … all the strategy faculty for creating and implementing the capstone experience! Thank you for being creative by doing something more than multiple choice tests! It was extremely valuable, as it combines formal classroom learning while preparing us students for the world after graduation. Part of what makes this valuable is the corporate sponsors and presenting to actual businesses. Capstone Cup is such a unique opportunity that I am thankful for! Second, I have been looking forward to competing for about two years (maybe a little more). Ever since the first time I heard about the competition, I was ready to go all in and could not wait for my chance to participate (I love a good competition), and that was even back when I had no clue about the logistics of the presentations. Everyday to walk upstairs in Mammel Hall, I would pass the Capstone Cup trophy, and I would get all excited, my chance was getting closer. The first time I met with my group the very first thing I said to them was "I am Kiley Phelps and I want to win this." At the time, that statement was just a dream — everyone wants to win. I knew winning would be difficult because there are lots of groups, lots of smart people, that the statement I made to my group seemed unrealistic. I am thankful that Group Seven was perceptive of my first impression and did not think I was crazy, but instead, decided they too wanted to win. My group was the best group I had! I was initially afraid of random groups. Group Seven was cohesive, hard working, reliable, determined, motivating — everything one would look for in a great group! One thing that all four of us were most proud of was our unique positioning being an all female team, which we recently found out that we were the first all female winners, making our consulting name (Shattered Ceiling Consulting) that much more fitting! Lastly, the Capstone Cup still worked really well and was valuable with the new challenges of the online format. I am glad plans were able to be adapted to allow us students to keep competing! After reading the announcement that finals were going to be optional, I didn't even have to question my participation — and neither did my other group members. I was disappointed that we could not present in the auditorium, hug my group after the announcement, shake hands with the judges, or finally hold that coveted trophy. However, I am still proud to leave this as part of my legacy at UNO. I loved everything about the Capstone Cup and am grateful for the opportunity!” SEAN POWERS, SPRING 2020 “What I enjoyed most was the chance to work and solve real business problems with my peers. With me being a non-traditional student, I have been in the workforce for a number of years now. This was as close to a real-life job experience than anything I have encountered throughout the Business Program.”
ANNUAL REPORT | 13
MANDI BACKHAUS, SPRING 2020 “The Capstone class and competition is one of the best aspects of UNO CBA. The beauty in diversity is one of a kind. Nothing prepares you more for the real business world than being put into teams with various majors and skills and analyzing a case study to present to a group of local professionals. I really enjoyed this course and competition, and even though it didn’t end in the physical environment we had expected (or would have liked), the professors and Capstone Team did a wonderful job of being flexible and establishing a strategy to move forward. This course and competition helped me immensely as I finished my last semester of my undergraduate. Not only did I learn about Corporate and Business Strategy, but I was allowed the opportunity to work on a team with three amazing women and showcase our particular skills. I attribute any success to the cohesive nature of our team; those three were great to work with and I know they’ll do amazing things in life. Finally, I’m extremely grateful to have participated in Capstone. It definitely wasn’t easy, but the challenge helped me grow academically, professionally, and personally.” SAMMY YOUNG, FALL 2019 “My Capstone Cup experience was the cherry on top of a great undergraduate collegiate career at UNO. The Capstone Cup allowed me to expand my network and work with students outside my area of concentration. Personally, I am very much an analytical thinker and formulate thoughts in terms of numbers and the bottom line, but working with students concentrating in marketing, entrepreneurship, and management helped me break outside my normal thought patterns. As one who will never back down from a challenge, I loved the competitive aspect of the Capstone Cup. It was a fantastic way to bring together the course material from the classroom and mix it with real-world scenarios.” TANYA KONUHOVA, SPRING 2020 “I am so grateful for the Capstone Cup experience. This competition is by far one of the most valuable experiences I’ll take with me from my time at UNO CBA. To begin, my team members were the most hardworking and dedicated people to work with. Never have I experienced such a cohesive team, where we all acted as leaders and did an equal share of work. It really goes to show that your team members can make all the difference. I’ll forever be thankful to them. Secondly, it was great to put the skills we’ve learned through Corporate and Business strategy, to the test. The Capstone Cup helped me think in different ways and also develop many more skills. It was a very ‘real world’ setting and allowed us to think outside of the box. Lastly, the strategy staff have made this process smooth sailing. Wish I could do it over!”
14 |2019–2020 CAPSTONE CUP
2019–2020 CAPSTONE CUP PARTICIPANTS FALL 2019 Habib Altallaq Abdul Alsanoosy Hassan Alshaikh Zach Armstrong *Emma Baker Jack Barry Hadeel Basma *Jadyn Bechtold Spencer Belcastro *Neil Bock Patryk Bogdanski *Keith Botkin Elana Bowen McKenzie Bruce *Charles Brzezinski Jeremy Bungert Tyler Burch Songxuan Cai Allen Cardenas Jordan Carlson *Josh Cathey Taylor Cavalieri Marissa Charles Jiongjian Chen Keaton Claassen Dylan Cook
Caleb Cox Connor Cross Chris Dauel Dalton Davis Ricardo Deanda *Olivia DeGeorge Adam DeHaven Tiffany Edwards Nick Engle Victoria Eremeeva Walker Erwin Miguel Espinoza Nathan Ewart Eman Fatima Liz Fixley Arianna Fletcher Mary Frerichs Colby Fuxa Max Gavin Justin Gibson Connor Gillen Adam Gillespie Ava Gunderson Jorden Hansen Mike Hanssen Cesar Hernandez Dulce Hernandez *Marisol Hernandez
*Rose Hnem Marcus Hohn Tu Hpaudut Clinton Huff Reona Ishida Paige Johnson **Mackenzie Jung Andy Kalina Ilias Alexandros Katsanos Kyle Keener Brandon Keffer Dillon Kell *Kyle Ketcham Taylor Kocina Amber Laakso Samantha Langford Justin Larsen Dylan Loerts Cecilia London Franco Lopez Jonathan Lopez Jake Mach Nick Marchese Edgar Martinez-Reyna Nick Marx Connor Mason Mason Messerly Alec Meyer
Taylor Mittermeier Shota Nakaya Cole Nelson Mansoor Nesar Taylor Newgard Ricky Niwata Fawasi Odewale Sheldon Oenbring *Jared Ohlmann Cecilia Ohme Jackson Orcutt Caleb Ostdiek Rashidat Oyebola Shukurat Oyebola Karina Peck Quynh Phan Lordina Quayson Dustin Radik Abby Reiss Dixie Rengifo Castro Dylan Rowin Alex Schmidt Debbie Ethan Shaffer Dylan Shaw
Ma Shee Luke Sliva *Shannon Spulak *Brandy Stephenson Awng Sut *Miranda Swift Zach Tabor Jake Thielen Gervais Toni Chloe Tran *Garrett Uecker Elizabeth Ulmer Samantha Vang Meghana Vinod Jordyn Walker Joe Wilwerding Alexander Wing *Parker Wren Cody Young Sammy Young *Capstone Cup Finalist
SPRING 2020 Natalie Abendroth Hoossam Alhssan Bayan Alsaad *Jay Andersen *Scott Ashby *Mandi Backhaus Hadil Basma Lexi Bauer Joseph Beacom Emily Behling Josiah Beighley Paige Bellinghausen Noah Bishop Jessie Black Joshua Blum Brianna Boldan Livingstone Bright *Michael Brooks *Cera Buresh Jacob Burns Kevin Burns Hannah Butler Garrett Campbell Austin Carritt Kaiyao Chen Adam Clark
ANNUAL REPORT | 15
2019 FALL CHAMPIONS
MIRANDA SWIFT, FINANCE & BANKING
Clare Crockett Nhi Dam Eva Drzaic *Mike Dutton May Rose Edwardtoe Jordan Estee Alyssa Fitch *Natalie Fitch Jacob Franzen *Tyler Funk Arenz Garcia Andrew Garrison Siera Gerdes Mason Goodman Dani Groff Caleb Grove Nathan Guenther *Maribel Gurrola Joel Hatting Guillermo Hernandez
JOSH CATHEY, ACCOUNTING
OLIVIA DEGEORGE, MARKETING
Alex Hower Gino Huang Vincent Huang Brooke Huse Anisha Jones Casey Jones Zach Jordan *Jana Joy John Kanel Blake Kernan Ryan Kim Joshua King *Tanya Konuhova Brock Kuta Blessing Kyaw Martin Lagunas Nava Tyler Lang-Buchheister Jeremy Livingston Zach Lockhart *Kevin Long
Clare Longo Max Malnack Jared Mann Kassie Marker Maddie Markin Angelica MarshContreras Porfirio Martinez Haley McGillen Ebrima Minteh Jessica Moeller Yarendi Molina Paw Eh Hser Moo Dylan Moore Kayla Moran *Courtney Morehead Josh Morgera *Jackson Mullen Ben Namuth *James Nekola
Huong Nguyen Khanh Nguyen Cade Nichelson *Kaylee O'Dell Tyler Oehlerking Jayna Olesen Lauren O'Malley Jonathan Ortiz Cristian Perdomo Ryan Pfitzer Ly Phan *Kiley Phelps *Sean Powers Katherine Quaas Sushma Rai Daniel Ramos Alison Raszler Sarah Rausch Nathan Reekie Cesar Rivera
JADYN BECHTOLD, MARKETING
Sophie Roux Matt Schomers Morgan Seaberg Hannah Shimmel Logan Sisson Mary Springer Ashley Stavneak Dean Stewart Michenzie Streit Alex Svoboda Ruiyang Tang Cassie Tech Matthew Theobald Logan Velazquez Huong Vo Eva Wang Eric Werther Greg Wetzel Steven Witt Simeon Worthing Callie Zeorian Yiming Zhao
*Finalists **Poster Competition Winner
16 |2019–2020 CAPSTONE CUP
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
The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment.