MBA case competitions: where classroom knowledge meets real-world business challenges

National MBA case competitions challenge students to develop solutions collaboratively for companies under time crunches.

The University of Florida Warrington College of Business encourages MBA students to pursue hands-on opportunities to apply classroom knowledge, hone their business skills and enhance their Warrington academic experience while tackling real-world challenges.

Dominick Kreider, Conner Cronk and Emily Storrs are just three Business Gators who have enhanced their MBA experience through case competitions. Read how these students developed and presented real solutions for real businesses. 

---

Dominick Kreider, Ivy MBA Mind-to-Market Case Challenge

The Ivy MBA Mind-to-Market Case Challenge at Iowa State University was Dominick Kreider’s (BS Environmental Management in Agriculture and Natural Resources ’22, MBA ’26) fifth MBA case competition.

“The classroom teaches you how to think,” he said. “The competition teaches you how to think fast.”

The Ivy MBA Mind-to-Market Case Challenge brings together science and technology-related organizations and entrepreneurial-minded MBA students for a two-day innovation challenge. Students have 24 hours to research, develop and present a case on a given business problem.

Kreider, alongside teammates Kevin Vado (MBA ’26), Vineeth Kareti (MBA ’26) and Dylan Johnston (MBA ’26) were tasked with providing a commercialization and scaling strategy to Rise Energy, a company developing innovative technology in bio-oil and biochar solutions.

“My job was to take all of our ideas and thinking and turn it into a cohesive story,” Kreider said. “I was responsible for breaking out the information, building the storyboard and making sure our final deck actually flowed like a real presentation and not just a collection of slides.”

The team recommended a comprehensive go-to-market strategy to help accelerate adoption and scale their impact.

“The discomfort of building something real under pressure, with imperfect information, and then standing behind it in front of strangers is exactly the kind of training that sticks with you,” Kreider said. “I am grateful to Warrington for creating pathways to experiences like this one.”

After five competitions, Kreider learned how to prioritize clarity and confidence over perfection.

“My first competition I was just trying to hold it together and not blank during the presentation. By competition five, the pressure felt less like a threat and more like a tool,” he explained. “It sharpens your focus in a way that is hard to replicate in any other setting.”

---

Conner Cronk, SEC Case Competition

In March, Conner Cronk (MBA ’27) won best presenter at the SEC MBA Case Competition at Texas A&M University.

“I was honored to receive the award,” he said.

The SEC MBA Case Competition provides opportunities for SEC business schools to showcase their students’ skills at solving simulated, real-world problems faced by a large corporation.

Cronk, along with teammates Nate Rhondeau (MBA ’27), Kate Bennett (MBA ’27) and Casey Foran (BA Sustainability Studies ’23, MBA ’27), had 24 hours to develop and deliver a presentation to Dell Technologies. The students were notified four weeks prior that Dell would be their client.

“I studied Dell Technologies as if I were an equity researcher at Goldman Sachs,” Cronk explained. “I dove into SEC filings, news media and Bloomberg data. I used it to build a financial model to understand as much as I could about their revenue sources, business units, cost drivers and strategic direction.”

The team was asked to put themselves back to 2023 when OpenAI unleashed ChatGPT and other generative AI large language models soon followed. They were tasked to develop an optimally paced AI transformation plan that would allow Dell Technologies to apply GenAI solutions to its services organization.

The team recommended an open-source model to upskill customer service members and upsell enterprise clients.

“We felt it was timely advice given the constraints with using flagship models at the time and stayed true to Dell’s mission,” Cronk said.

For Cronk, he saw the skills he honed in the classroom come to life during the competition.

“I particularly think our marketing class from Dr. Jim Hoover was great because it taught us about how businesses position themselves and develop their values and mission,” he said.

He sees MBA case competitions as a great way to practice working through a business case and giving a presentation to an executive audience.

“I learned that preparation is key and understanding your audience is the best way to really land a presentation in a professional setting.”

---

Emily Storrs, Race & Case Competition

Each year, the University of Denver Daniels College of Business hosts a business ethics competition and alpine ski challenge all rolled into one.

At orientation, Emily Storrs (MBA ’26) learned about the competition and “jumped at the chance to participate my second year.”

Storrs, along with teammates Bri Urukalo (MBA ’26), Josh Chriqui (MBA ’27) and Seth Hampsey (MBA ’26), were tasked with providing a strategy to a leading beverage wholesaler, Breakthru Beverage Group, on how to activate and engage the Gen Z consumer segment.

“We prepared for [the] case competition by learning about the sponsoring company and their corresponding industry,” she explained.

The team had a couple of weeks to prepare for the competition, but only ten minutes to present.

“Each case competition ends with a presentation of the completed recommendation deck, followed by a question-and-answer session,” she explained. “We had the opportunity to present in different types of environments and gain public speaking experience that was more real-world than classroom drills.”

Afterward, the team had a chance to hear back from judges.

“The judges complimented the presentation skills of all four members,” she shared. “[It] can be difficult [to present in ten minutes] with the amount of information we had to share; the hours of practice and script creation paid off.”

Storrs believes case competitions are a great way to supplement the educational material provided in the classroom.

“[Competitions are] an opportunity to build confidence in real world scenarios and deep dive into industries that we might not have otherwise,” she said.

The Race and Case Competition was her first time skiing and a highlight of her MBA experience.

“I was lucky to do these challenges with people I know I will be friends with for years to come.”