Going to Iowa State University for the Ivy Mind to Market Case Competition last April was an exhilarating experience. The competition brought together science and technology- related organizations and entrepreneurial-minded MBA students for an intense, two-day innovation challenge. Participants were given a real-world business and their pain points; the challenge was to come up with a business plan for the given business and pitch it as a long-term solution to their problems. Our task was to develop a plan for Clayton Farms, a hydroponics farm that was into B2C business, directly serving fresh lettuces from farm to customers within one day of harvesting.
As we started brainstorming ideas, we realized the potential of the business and how it can be made profitable by implementing our idea. Our team came up with a food truck concept for Clayton Farms. The idea was to serve fresh salads and smoothies from the farm on a mobile food truck that can travel to different locations in the city.
It was exciting to learn from a real business and their experiences. We understood the need for pivoting as the business had to pivot a few times during COVID and had completely changed its business model in under two years. This made us realize the importance of flexibility and adaptation in a business.
The competition helped us to develop our skills in business planning, critical thinking and presenting our ideas effectively. The challenge was not just about coming up with a plan but also about pitching it in a way that would persuade the judges. We had to explain how our ideas would benefit the business in the long run.
The competition was a great opportunity to meet other students who were passionate about business and entrepreneurship. It was fascinating to hear their ideas and learn from their experiences. We also got the chance to interact with the judges and get feedback on our presentation.
We were able to apply the knowledge we had learned in our business classes to a real-world scenario. The competition provided us with a hands-on experience that helped us to develop our problem-solving skills. We had to work with a team to come up with a solution that would benefit the business and present it in a way that would impress the judges.
Overall, the Ivy Mind to Market Case Competition was an unforgettable experience. It provided us with the opportunity to learn from a real business challenge and come up with a real business solution. We look forward to participating in more such competitions in the future.
Gautam is a Graduate Student at DePaul who is studying Cybersecurity. He is very much interested in Entrepreneurship. He has experience running a software development firm and wants to move into the product industry in Cybersecurity. Gautam loves meeting new people and exploring new perspectives. He loves to learn and tries to implement his favorite quote, “Know something about everything and everything about something.”