Twelve teams of Mays students created online marketing solutions for Big Skinny as part of the Center for the Management of Information Systems’ (CMIS) 17th annual case competition.

The competition offers future information technology professionals an opportunity to sharpen their analytical, presentation and teamwork skills. It challenges the student teams to solve an IT-related business problem.

The students had one week to prepare solutions to online marketing challenges faced by the company that makes and sells “skinny” wallets. They presented their solutions Oct. 20-21 to business professionals, who judged the proposals based on their originality, creativity and feasibility.

Of the 10 undergraduate teams and 18 graduate teams that participated in the competition, four teams of undergraduates and four teams of graduate students were the winners, while four teams (two undergraduate and two graduate) were named finalists.

Undergraduate teams
  • 1st place: M3 Technical Consultants – John Maye, Jr., Megan Schulte, Michelle Shaffer
  • 2nd place: In Case of eNERDgency – Austin Jackson, Benjamin Lockhart, Andreaus Perkins
  • 3rd place: Case Solutions – Kathleen Baker, Ashley Jacobs, Megan Olson
  • 4th place: JAR – Roger Bynum, Jonathan Harris, Artem Neretin
  • Finalist: JJK – Kelsey Brawner, John Reavis, Jakob Rosenberg
  • Finalist: Pay Us Money – Neil Amsberry, Kyle Shaffer, Benjamin Suchy
Graduate teams
  • 1st place: The Info Incredibles – Shalabh Jain, John Morrison, Ronak Tali
  • 2nd place: Fortius Consulting – Suyesh Chaudhari, Jason Earles, Vasu Pandey
  • 3rd place: Team SNT – Siddharth Basu, Trishka Fernandes, Nimmy Jose
  • 4th place: Blue Orchid – Benjamin Finn, Udayan Sathe, Aparna Vishwanathan
  • Finalist: Synergia Inc. – Chandan Jethani, Viraj Mehta, Rishit Mishra
  • Finalist: Team OSM – Alejandro Fautsch, Thomas Walther, Eric Wivagg

All participants received tote bags filled with items such as T-shirts, pens, notepads, USB hubs and other items donated by CMIS advisory board member companies. Such participation by corporation makes the event one of the center’s most impactful, says director ‘Jon (Sean) Jasperson.

Members of the winning teams received scholarships ranging from $100 to $350 and gas cards for $100 to $200, along with laptop carry cases from HP and a Big Skinny wallet. Each member of the finalist teams received a $50 scholarship.