By Alyssa Babcock & Erika Hodges
Team Cash Money LLP hit the jackpot at this semester’s Great Capstone Case Competition with their recommendation that competition sponsor Verizon bring its technological prowess to the construction industry. The team of graduating business students Ricardo Viloria, Graham Sock, Michael Hernandez and Chloe Childer took home $2,500 in scholarship funding, thanks to Verizon, for earning the top spot in the competition, which challenges business students to develop strategic recommendations for real-world business issues as part of their final coursework.
“I have been involved in the Capstone competition for several years and the quality of the business cases produced by the students keeps getting higher and higher each year,” said Monty Garrett, Senior Vice President of Internal Audit for Verizon. “The creativity of the ideas and the excellence in financial analysis are evidence of how well the UCF College of Business prepares graduates for a bright career. It is a pleasure for us at Verizon to host this competition.”
Each semester the Capstone course gives students the opportunity to work as a team, strengthen their analytic, communication and teamwork skills and present a plan to faculty members who select the teams that will compete in the competition. This spring students got to pitch their ideas to Verizon and answer the question, “What company can Verizon acquire that can benefit from Ultra Wideband (UWB) mobile technology and be used as a showcase for this technology in an unrelated industry?”
Cash Money proposed that Verizon acquire Williams Service Inc, a mechanical contractor who offers plant, industrial and specialty services. They suggested the collaboration would help “solve the lack of technological advancements in the construction industry.” The team presented a SWOT analysis, financial and non-financial justification, implementation plan and a timeline for the project. Team Cash Money’s plan would have Verizon implement its 5G UWB technology into construction helmets with cameras for monitoring construction sites remotely. They argued that the move would make this technology the most efficient in its field while helping Verizon get involved in other industries.
Team 5 Guys (Gustavo Abaunza, Jalal Boughannam, Alexander Gartenberg, Kenneth Hesse and Nickolas Noel) finished second, earning $1,500; and Team FAIME Consulting (Suma Barnes, Mark Espaillat, Edward Mills and Preston Porter) took home third place and $1,000. The judges panel consisted of representatives from Verizon who asked probing questions and gave valuable feedback to the competitors.
“What an honor to have the opportunity as a judge for the UCF Great Capstone Case Competition,” said Melissa Gilbert, Director of Internal Audit from Verizon. “It was inspiring to see the energy the teams brought to their presentations and how they applied their coursework and creativity to the challenge. I have no doubt all the team members will go on to have successful careers—hopefully at Verizon!”
About the UCF College of Business
Established in 1968, the UCF College of Business offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and executive levels. All programs, as well as the Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting are accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The college provides high-quality academic programs designed to give students a competitive advantage in the world of business now and in the future.