Menlo College students earned second place in a case competition this year, further distinguished themselves elsewhere, and presented their research findings at conferences.
“Much as the College continues to climb through College rankings, our students are evermore making an immediate impact in academia and beyond.” said Menlo College President Steven Weiner. “With support from faculty and the broader community, our students are clearly demonstrating their readiness to lead on the frontiers of industry as well as expand our understanding of critical issues.”
Menlo students Basil Merk ’23, Calle Helmertz ’22, and Dennis Vanin ’24 won second place at the 2022 UNM Anderson Global Scaling Challenge this past April in New Mexico.
They participated as one of 24 colleges and universities to devise business growth strategies for three space-tech companies. The teams presented their findings to a panel of judges, including the companies’ executives.
Vanin described the techniques they used as strategies that highlight “different variables including analyzing and evaluating the company’s current offerings, and implementing a marketing and fundraising strategy. We also proposed possible pathways to acquire talent and how to achieve higher success with diverse staffing.”
Faculty advisors Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship Fabian Eggers, Professor Emeritus of Management and Innovation Bruce Paton, and Dean of the School of Business and Professor Mouwafac Sidaoui provided important mentorship and support.
Learn more about Menlo’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Major!
NAIOP’s – a Commercial Real Estate Development Association – Silicon Valley Chapter held the Inaugural University Challenge Case Study Competition this last academic year. Representing Menlo College was Wiley Gross ’22, Van Wolfgang Lachance ’23, and team captain Michaela Haynes ’22, with the guidance of Team Advisor and The Real Estate Center (TREC) Director Dr. Margaret McFarland.
In just three weeks, the students underwent an intensive education in commercial real estate development as they created proposals for a new project in Sunnyvale’s Moffett Park. The team’s final report, PowerPoint, and resumes can be found on the SV NAIOP website.
Although the team did not take home the Silicon Valley Sledgehammer this year, these hard-working students impressed hundreds of CRE professionals with their presentation. They also showcased the professionalism and ambition that characterizes Menlo College as a top business school.
Learn about Menlo’s Real Estate Major!
From September 2021 through February 2022, Menlo College’s team members Fredrik Ingul ’22 (team lead), Christian Ingul ’22, Wendy Mouat ’22, and Cheryl Singh ’22 competed in the annual 2022 Northern California CFA Research Challenge.
Under the guidance of Associate Professor of Finance Manish Tewari and CFA San Francisco Society mentor Edmund Neo, the group collaborated to analyze the equity value of PayPal using techniques employed by professionals on Wall Street. With their own rigorous research, the team’s goal was to convince a panel of judges that PayPal’s stock price is currently undervalued and poses an excellent BUY opportunity for investors.
The Menlo team gave a compelling presentation, as well as a thorough valuation report, earning praise from the judges. Though intense, the competition was a great learning experience for the students, having been thrown into the deep end in the world of equity research.
Learn more about Menlo’s Finance Major!
Alpha Chi members Christian Ingul ’22 and Fredrik Ingul ’22, with the support of Dean of the School of Business Mouwafac Sidaoui, submitted their paper “Psychological Distress on College Students During COVID-19” to the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society conference. Accepted for presentation in March, they showcased their research that evaluated which areas of higher education are most impacted by the pandemic and offered insights on the student psyche as colleges reopen.
The Ingul brothers’ presentation was the event’s centerpiece at the Austin, Texas convention, as they were also invited to speak on Menlo’s Alpha Chi chapter’s community engagement. A preview of their speech is currently featured on LinkedIn. The brothers also had the opportunity to present their findings on campus through a Bowman Library Research Colloquium. Alpha Chi is an academic honor society limited to the top 10% of junior and senior students of chapter colleges and universities in the US.
Learn more about Menlo’s Business Analytics Major!
