A team of four LMU entrepreneurship students won first place at the Baylor-USASBE (United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship) Student Case Writing Competition held January 10 in San Francisco. The team, made up undergraduate students Aneese Bishara, Hector Gonzalez and Gobind Manwani, and MBA student Andrew Vranicar, was one of six teams from a global pool of over 25 competitors who were selected by a judging panel to present in the finals.
Mentored by LMU Entrepreneurship Professor Elissa Grossman, the team took home the $2,000 first place prize for their written case study and presentation on Diaper Dude, a fast-growing company founded by local entrepreneur Chris Pegula. Launched several years ago, Diaper Dude specializes in cool, stylish diaper bags for men; the case concerned how the company might expand its current product offerings and market presence.
“I am so proud of this team. They showed amazing dedication in preparing for this competition and represented LMU so well,” said Professor Grossman. “To meet them is to understand what LMU is really all about – a community working together for the even larger community.”
The Baylor-USASBE Student Case Writing Competition is an innovative international event that supports and encourages students who wish to engage in case research and writing. Submitted cases are suitable if they advance the field of entrepreneurship, are broadly defined, and contribute to an understanding of entrepreneurial phenomena.
Fresh off their big win, the team is now working together to publish their case in a peer-reviewed journal. Their hope is that the case and a film of their presentation can be used not solely at LMU, but also by teachers in schools nationwide.