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UConn Students Compete in 7th Annual Business Language Case Competition

Posted on by Claire Hall

On Friday, November 8, three students from the University of Connecticut traveled to Provo, Utah to compete in the Seventh Annual Business Language Case Competition at the Brigham Young University (BYU) Marriott School of Business. The three students were Sarah Scheffel ’14, a senior who is majoring in international business with a minor in Spanish, Akanksha Singh ’16, a second-year student studying finance and Spanish, and Jonathan Sanchez ’14 (CLAS), a political science major also in his last year. The team was accompanied by Kelly Aceto, Managing Director of the UConn Center for International Business Education and Research.

The competition was conducted in two categories: Spanish and Mandarin. All of the participants were non-native speakers of each language. The team from UConn participated in the Spanish competition, in which they had to read a case about Wal-Mart’s expansion into organics, create an executive summary and PowerPoint presentation, and answer ten minutes of questions all in Spanish.

Overall, the BYU competition was an incredible experience for the students who took part because it allowed them to showcase their business acumen and foreign language skills, sharpen their presentation skills for real-life global business situations, and network with international business professionals who served as judges and coaches, as well as the other participants. Other schools present at the competition were Arizona State University, University of Miami, Indiana University, American University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Washington, University of Pittsburgh, Rutgers University, University of Pennsylvania, Utah State University, and University of Notre Dame. This is the first year that UConn has participated in the Business Language Case Competition.

The UConn team was sponsored by the UConn Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), which is one of the 33 CIBERs located in top business schools throughout the U.S. The UConn CIBER is mandated to increase the competitiveness of U.S. business in the global marketplace.

The Value of a Day’s Work: Panel Addresses Pay Equity

Posted on by Claire Hall

Women make up 48% of Connecticut’s labor force, and yet in 2011, Connecticut full-time working women earned just 78% of what their male counterparts earned, according to a research brief on pay equity by the Connecticut General Assembly Permanent Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW).Continue Reading

UConn EBV Program is a Community of Veterans Supporting Connecticut’s Economy

Posted on by Claire Hall

UConn’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) fills an important need both for the veteran population in that it provides access to entrepreneurial education and resources, and to the state in that it helps create economic vitality and businesses that create jobs.

A May 2011 study from the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy revealed that 45 percent of veterans are more likely to take the plunge into entrepreneurship than people with no active-duty military experience. “I think there are several reasons why veterans tend to be more entrepreneurial, says Michael Zacchea ’12 MBA, EBV program manager, in a 2012 Hartford Business Journal interview. “First, in the military, they developed a bias for action, and a commitment to mission accomplishment. Veterans tend to network with other veterans, and tend to understand things like logistics and supply chains. Veterans have learned management and planning skills that lend themselves to entrepreneurial success.”

On Veterans Day in 2004, Zacchea nearly died while fighting with his unit in the streets of Fallujah, one of Iraq’s deadliest combat zones. Nine years later and retired from the Marine Corps, he has led more than 60 disabled veterans through the EBV program curriculum. “We believe that veteran entrepreneurship is part of the solution both for the current generation of 2.5 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and for our economy both nationally and for our state. In Connecticut, there are more than 40,000 veteran-owned businesses, which account for 8% of the state’s GDP,” says Zacchea. “Veteran business owners create both economic and social value disproportionate to their size of the population.”

Learn more about UConn’s EBV program and hear feedback from participants in this video:

The Wall Street Journal Available to UConn School of Business Students & Faculty

Posted on by Claire Hall

The UConn School of Business is excited to announce that the Wall Street Journal’s premium digital products—including WSJ Online and smartphone and tablet apps—are now available to all business majors and School of Business faculty at Storrs, Connecticut and at regional campuses.

“In our continuing efforts to increase the business information literacy of all our students, we are pleased to be able to offer them this opportunity to keep abreast of all the latest breaking news in the business world,” says Larry Gramling, associate dean for undergraduate programs.

For over a century, WSJ has sustained a legacy of journalistic excellence and is the #1 most trusted newspaper for the 27th consecutive year, according to the Pew Research Center.

The Wall Street Journal provides students with:

  • Deeper understanding of current global news and probing analysis of markets, corporations, financials and technology.
  • A personalized experience through customizing WSJ.com to track companies and industries for class projects and interview research.
  • Access anytime, anywhere with WSJ online and tablet and smartphone apps.

“Having access to the Wall Street Journal gives students the opportunity to read what recruiters are reading—from a concise, reputable source,” says Bill Tracy, educational representative for the Wall Street Journal. “The mobile apps provide them with in-depth videos, interviews, and more than just a traditional news article,” he adds. “Nearly 90% of our student subscribers say that reading WSJ makes them feel confident and prepared.”

UConn’s CIBER Case Challenge Proposes Solutions to Real-World International Business Issue

Posted on by Claire Hall

From October 9-12, the UConn School of Business hosted students from universities across the globe to participate in a case competition to solve a real-world challenge.

Now in its third year hosting the CIBER Case Challenge competition, the UConn School of Business Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) has taken charge in its mission to increase the competitiveness of U.S. business in the global marketplace, as set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. This year’s competition brought together students hailing from 12 different colleges and universities located within the U.S. as well as higher education institutions as far away as Tokyo, Japan.

Kelly Aceto, managing director of the CIBER Case Challenge, led the event, proposing a challenging problem derived from the global business marketplace for which teams of students were required to envision a solution. The problem was kept secret until its official announcement at 9 a.m. on Friday, October 11, at which point the case was distributed. This year’s challenge? To determine if Gillette should bring its Guard razor into the U.S. market. “I have participated in several case competitions, and this one was very different not only because of the international nature of the problem, but also because everyone on our team had a different area of study, whether it was marketing, accounting, operations, or finance,” says Ningwei Li, a finance and economics major at the University of Maryland, College Park, who came in among the top three finalists for “Best Presenter” in the preliminary round. Each team was comprised of four students from four different universities, each studying a different business discipline.

Unlike traditional case competitions, the CIBER Case Challenge tasked students to demonstrate their ability to work in teams consisting of students from varying cultures and nations. Students first met their teammates virtually two weeks before arriving on the Storrs, Connecticut campus. To facilitate greater bonding within teams prior to the case distribution, students traveled to Mystic, Connecticut to participate in a series of team challenges set against the backdrop of Connecticut’s historical seaport. “My team had students from Italy, California, Arizona, and Rhode Island. I’ve never traveled out of the country, so this experience enabled me to make a lot of connections I wouldn’t have made otherwise,” says Joseph Bona, a management major at Bryant University.

On the third day of the event, students presented their case solutions to a panel of judges composed of international business executives from the local tri-state area business community. Presentations were evaluated based on content (60%) and presentation (40%), considering whether the students did their research, logically supported their conclusions, and whether those conclusions would realistically be accepted by management. “They [the presentations] exceeded my expectations,” says Phil Ferrari, CFO at Virginia Industries, Inc., one of the event judges. “The students were intelligent, cohesive, and desirous to do an outstanding job. Quite impressive.”

The evaluations of the judges held serious weight for the student competitors; only three teams advanced to the final round later that day. “It was hard work to differentiate between the groups as they were excellent,” adds Ferrari. “Groups like this will bode well for the future of business in the U.S.”

The finalists were announced at an awards dinner on Saturday evening, where they were presented with plaques acknowledging their accomplishment:

First Place

GianMarco Taverna, University of North Carolina
Ellie Lin, Purdue University
Margaret Wong, Bryant University
Ihinosen Dibua, Pittsburg University

Second Place

Dallin Shaner, Brigham Young University
Nicole Green, University of Connecticut
Sergio Alessandro Castagnetti, University of Trento
Ben Hsieh, University of Maryland

Third Place

Daisuke Honjo, Rikkyo University
Leah Gonzalez, University of North Carolina
Esther Buck, Belmont University
Josh Emmett, University of Connecticut

Best Presenter
Dallin Shaner, Brigham Young University

Best Q&A
Leah Gonzalez, University of North Carolina

“This experience has been amazing,” says Li. “Despite our differences, most, if not all, of the students are like-minded with how we approach school, career, and our aspirations – with an ambitious, positive attitude. That’s how we connected.” he says.

This year marks the first time that two UConn students have placed among the top three teams in the CIBER Case Challenge. “They were well prepared,” says Aceto. “Paul Borochin, assistant professor of finance at the School of Business, spent a lot of time with the students as they got ready to face the challenges of a case competition.”

In an ever-changing international business climate, the United States has public universities like the University of Connecticut to depend on to challenge their own students to work with students of different backgrounds and nationalities. UConn is one of 33 universities nationwide designated as national resource centers for international business, with UConn CIBER in existence since 1995.

For more information:

About CIBER
CIBER Case Challenge

Pictured: One of the student teams, awarded first place for teamwork during their excursion to Mystic, poses in the School of Business atrium: Raaheela Ahmed, finance and economics major at the University of Maryland; Mike Masso, finance major at the UConn School of Business; Mac Bellingrath, marketing major at Belmont University, and Johanna Kuehl, an accounting major at Manchester Business School.

38th NABA Eastern Region Student Conference Prepares Students for Corporate World

Posted on by Claire Hall

Six members of the UConn chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) attended the organization’s 38th Eastern Region Student Conference (ERSC) on October 10-13, 2013. The conference featured two and one-half days of workshops, seminars and interview sessions designed to better prepare minority students for careers in accounting and financial management disciplines. Continue Reading

From Food Delivery to Junk Removal: An Entrepreneur’s Journey to Success

Posted on by Claire Hall

Josh Cohen ’05 came to the School of Business to study real estate, but through his on- and off-campus activities, discovered an entrepreneurial drive that led him in another direction.

As a delivery guy at Wings Over Storrs, Cohen learned quickly that the faster he was able to deliver wings—and communicate accurate delivery times to customers—the better tips he would receive. This knowledge stayed with him as he seized every business opportunity that came his way as a student, remembering timeliness and communication as key guidelines for providing excellent customer service.

Partnering with his roommate, his first entrepreneurial venture was to develop themed t-shirts for UConn’s annual Spring Weekend, which they then sold to students and around town. Cohen also served on the UConn Co-op Board of Directors.

“I had a great experience at UConn,” says Cohen. “I made great friends and picked up quite a few entrepreneurial skills.”

Those skills have served him well; the ability to identify and capture opportunity has taken Cohen on a path he had never imagined.

Junkluggers: The Idea

During a semester abroad in Wollongong, Australia, a new friend mentioned to Cohen that he had made $100 hauling away a neighbor’s refrigerator. Cohen immediately saw an opportunity waiting to be seized back at home. Though he already had a real estate internship lined up upon his return to the States, Cohen used his spare time to make some extra cash by removing unwanted items from people’s homes. Advertising his removal services by handing out flyers, Cohen started receiving phone calls and service requests.

Upon graduation, he moved on to a corporate career in commercial real estate sales and development, but chose to continue the removal service on the side. Over time, Cohen came to realize that there was a bigger demand than he was able to service in the “junk-lugging” business. Taking a leap of faith (and a significant cut in pay), he left the real estate industry to pursue his entrepreneurial passion and grow his own business: Junkluggers.

Starting in a small location in Fairfield, Connecticut, Cohen quickly started to hire friends to help with the manual labor needed to run the business, and the company began to expand.

“The foundational knowledge I received from the UConn School of Business really helped,” says Cohen. “I knew that differentiation would be important, and that we would have to clearly communicate our key selling points to customers.”

So what is unique about Junkluggers? It’s green, eco-friendly focus.

“We don’t just take items to dumps,” says Cohen. “We donate whatever we can, recycle, and then trash what is left. For donated items, we mail customers the receipts so they can use them for their tax returns,” he adds.

From his work experience in real estate and even at Wings Over Storrs, Cohen knows that communication and timeliness are of the essence in any customer-facing business.

“I [also] knew from my IT classes how helpful technology can be for communication and for managing a business. Using that knowledge, we built our proprietary software to help us communicate and identify where to allocate resources,” says Cohen.

Junkluggers Today

Today, Cohen has grown his one-man side job into a full-fledged business, with approximately 65 employees servicing three company-owned locations and five franchises. One of the franchise owners is his brother, Zach Cohen ’09. An accounting major, Zach worked on Junkluggers’ bookkeeping while he was a student at the School of Business. Now he’s also honing his entrepreneurial skills as a business owner.

Junkluggers has grown to service the New York tri-state area, from south of Hartford, Connecticut to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company expects sales for this year to reach three million dollars, and doesn’t plan to stop there. Junkluggers has big plans for expansion, aiming to add ten more franchises between Boston and Virginia in 2014.

2nd Annual Connecticut Risk Management Conference: Aligning Risk Management with Strategy

Posted on by Claire Hall

The second annual Connecticut Risk Management Conference will be hosted by the UConn School of Business at the Stamford Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut on November 14, 2013. This year’s conference, Aligning Risk Management with Strategy, has been designed to bring together professionals engaged in risk management, senior management, and regulators, as well as faculty members and students in UConn’s MS in Financial Risk Management (MSFRM)* program. Continue Reading