The competition occurs annually, with half of participating teams representing Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs). The competition, hosted by the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), is designed to be an engaging, hands-on student consulting experience aimed at providing undergraduates exposure to MBA-level business case strategies. Students are presented with a client and are given one month to conduct research and analyze a complex business case. Students then present their findings before a panel of senior-level executives from leading corporations and academic institutions from across the country. Students presented their research virtually this year.

After several rounds of presentations and judging, three teams are chosen to receive grand prizes of $15,000, $10,000, or $5,000, respectively. The winnings are to be split among each team member. This year, Xavier students were selected to create a business strategy for the well-known streaming brand Netflix.

“Netflix has a lot of competition, so we were tasked with coming up with ways Netflix can stay ahead and maintain its position. We came up with different podcast ideas, a fitness section, a kids channel-- we even wanted to incorporate a food delivery service,” said Wacuka Gitahi, accounting and finance senior at Xavier.

Gitahi was born in Kenya and raised in Dallas, Texas. She believes that her experience of being from a developing country has influenced her understanding of money and capital management. Gitahi says she wants to learn more about money management, and she believes that accounting is the backbone of every business structure.

When the team received word in August that the competition was on, it left them with very little time to develop creative ideas and strategies to present to high-level judges. They became a team shortly after meeting one another in preparation for the competition.

“It was kind of crazy, but we got to know each other really well.” said management senior Jean Claude Biayi. “I loved the fact that we all had different opinions and points of view because we valued each aspect in a different way. 

Biayi is from St. Louis, Missouri. As the group leader, he worked directly with Dr. Cary Caro and acted as the liaison between him and the team. Biayi has been described as a strong leader and a challenge seeker.

“We would’ve never connected as deeply as we did,” said Kaelyn Hinton, a senior in business sales and marketing. “We would stay up working on this for hours, so we got to be very close.”

Hinton is no stranger to business and strategy. Growing up, her family store in her hometown, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was a big part of her life. Her family’s business values have encouraged her to be what she calls, “strategically creative.”

As they waited for the announcement of the winning teams, Biayi said he was very confident, but Gitahi and Hinton claimed they were nervous. After the judges rattled off the third-place winner, a long pause came before the second-place announcement. The pause was just enough time for Gitahi to lean over and question Biayi’s confidence and for him to reassure her, “We got this.”

The students were announced second place winners. Now that their hard work has paid off, they attribute their success to Xavier’s leaders and the overwhelming support they feel from the XULA community.

“I love that Xavier provides students the opportunity to gain experience and have knowledge of everything related to their field,” said Biayi. “I’m not an accounting major, but I know how to evaluate the end of a quarter, I can read a banknote and I can follow spreadsheets. I feel we are being adequately prepared because we know multiple skills, which gives us different perspectives,” said Biayi.

With only a few months left of their undergraduate studies, the award-winning seniors rest assured that they are well-equipped with both the skill and knowledge for the challenges that lie ahead. They will enter the workforce with national bragging rights among the business community to support their future goals.

“The level of support we have at Xavier is insurmountable and the opportunities here are endless,” said Gitahi.

Click here for more information on Xavier University of Louisiana’s Division of Business.