We are inviting entrepreneurial-minded MBA teams to the Ivy MBA Mind to Market Case Challenge, which will be hosted by the Iowa State University Ivy College of Business and the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, in Ames, Iowa, March 5-7, 2026. This live case competition is specifically designed for MBA students around the topics of innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship. The live case will feature an actual startup tenant at the Iowa State University Research Park. MBA students will have the opportunity to meet the company founder, see the technology, and tour the company.
Students from past challenges shared the following about their experiences:
"The event was well-organized, and everything ran smoothly, making it an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. It was an incredible learning experience, and we gained valuable insights into the practical aspects of running an organization. Overall, it was an incredible experience, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate." --Gautam Krishnan, DePaul University
"The best part of this competition was working with a real business with real needs as opposed to a situation that has already happened and you're looking at it in retrospect. Getting to meet all the folks and see in depth what they do at [the company] made things clearer for the development of ideas. –2024 Student Participant
Registration is open now and will close as soon as we have nine teams. Event registration is $200 and will apply toward your hotel accommodation. Check out our posts from previous year's events on LinkedIn here and here. To learn more about the Ivy MBA Mind to Market Case Challenge, visit our website.
We look forward to having your students participate in the Ivy MBA Mind to Market Case Challenge. If you have questions about the challenge, please reach out to Sarah Wilson (slwilson@iastate.edu) or Judi Eyles (eyles@iastate.edu).
Best regards,
Andreas Schwab (aschwab@iastate.edu)
Iowa State University
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Andreas Schwab
Professor
Iowa State University
Ames IA
aschwab@iastate.edu------------------------------