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Lazaridis School of Business and Economics students have the opportunity to unleash their competitive edge by participating in a number of case competitions throughout their time at Laurier.
Through these competitions, we bring our students together and challenge them to develop innovative solutions for real-world business problems, honing their critical thinking, teamwork and presentation skills.
See how our Lazaridis School students have the opportunity to represent us globally in external competitions, and how they can hone their academic skills through internal competitions.
As the culminating assignment in BU121: Critical Thinking and Communication Skills, the BDO Future Leaders Challenge tasks students with tackling complex, real-world issues facing mid-sized businesses, while exploring innovative solutions rooted in environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
It’s a hands-on project designed to develop key learning objectives including critical thinking, communication, collaboration and professional attribute development.
The BDO Future Leaders Challenge reflects the long-standing relationship between BDO Canada and the Lazaridis School—one that continues to foster mentorship, innovation and the development of future-ready business leaders. With support from BDO, one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, for first-year competitions since 2006, the Future Leaders Challenge empowers students to bring classroom theory into practice through applied, industry-engaged learning.
BDO Future Leaders Challenge 2025: A year-end celebration of learning, leadership and innovation
1st place: Old MacDonald Consulting
Agriculture
Lamar Ali, Griffin Badr, Anniq Maharaj-Paboudjian, Huzaifa Safri, Aleesha Tejani
2nd place: JAMD Consulting
Tourism
McKenna Guy, Abbey Jean, Jack LeBlanc, Demir Mucevic
3rd place: Thrive Trace
Food and Beverage
Charlotte Burdon, Ben Ohayon, Dilraj Sagoo, Vainavi Dholakia, Rachel Shuh
First-year Future Leaders Challenge showcases innovation
1st place: An ESG Driven Approach to the Canadian Agriculture Industry
Agriculture
Krish Chopra, Maahi Desai, Josephina Kim, Aryan Patel
2nd place: Project ARGO – Augmented Reality Guidance Operations
Real Estate and Construction
Connor Barry, Giovanni Cuda, Shivani Dave, Saleena Hans, Jessica Misek
3rd place: Social Equity in Mid-sized Tech Firms
Technology
Sehar Sohail, William Vincent, Sean Walker, Justin Watts
Previously the BDO New Venture Challenge, students were tasked with developing a new venture idea and building out a business plan to take it to market. The New Venture Challenge encouraged students to explore the entrepreneurial spirit and fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
SootheWear (2023): an adjustable compression jacket to support individuals with anxiety, providing relief and comfort as they move throughout their day.
Winning Team: Guo Chen, Janet Jian, Jia Hong, and Max Tan
BDO New Venture Competition: A practical application of business fundamentals for BBA students
Uni-Shoe (2022): Multi-purpose athletic shoes where users can change out the sole to meet their specific activity needs.
Winning Team: Lex Campagnolo, Lea Braun, Maria Boutros, Michael Burke, and Nicolas Bruno
First year students impress at BDO New Venture Competition
Back on Track (2021): Wearable technology for improving posture in an interactive and gamified way.
Winning Team: Celine Chung; Eric Corrigan; Kenson Hui; Olivia Thiessen; Arist Xu
First-year BBA student venture ideas amaze judges with their quality and ingenuity
Smile Tabs (2019): Water-soluble toothpaste capsules with a focus on environmental sustainability.
Winning Team: Rohit Dabke, Aditya Dhanasekharan, David Li, Spencer Lynn, and Hanna Roglic
Develop creative solutions to a real problem faced by a real company to hone critical problem-solving and communication skills.
In their very first semester, students work in groups to develop creative solutions to a strategic business question, posed by a real company. The top 6 teams earn the opportunity to present to industry executives from the presenting company.
The BU111 Live Case Competition exemplifies the Lazaridis School’s dedication to experiential learning and fostering future business leaders. This competition is a testament to our student’s strengths and their dedication to honing critical problem-solving and communication skills – right from first year.
This year, George Weston Ltd. asked students to identify features, functions and content that would enhance user engagement and enable the PC Health app to help Canadians ‘live life well’.
NextGen Consulting's innovative solution centered around “Preston the PC Health Coach,” an AI-powered chatbot designed to provide hyper-personalized health and wellness experiences. The solution not only demonstrated the team’s creativity but also their ability to align technological innovation with business objectives.
First-year students impress with bold solutions in BU111 Live Case Competition
First Place: NextGen Consulting - Stephanie Cabral, Nicholas Diab, Keiyon Hsu, Demir Mucevic, and Raina Shabnam
Second Place: Connect Constuting - McKenna Guy, Abbey Jean, Ben Shore, Andrew Vair and Abby Wright
Third Place: DB Consulting - Brinley Brule, Ethan Byrne, Anna Freeman, Owen McNaughton, and Simon Middlemore.
Finalists:
ConnectWell Consulting - Andrew George, Isla Holmes, Lilli Karabela, Lev Shkolnikov, and Annie Tran.
HEAT Consulting - Ashley Domingues, Tanya Khan, Ethan Levy and Hutton Patterson.
One Consulting Group - MacKenzie Botosan, Abdullah Dadoun, Eden Floh, and Prathmesh Mistry.
Parachute’s CEO, Lazaridis School alumnus, Bruce Hodges (BBA ’90, MBA ’95), brought an exciting case to the BU111 competition after a positive experience with the Lazaridis International Case Competition in 2022.
The case asked students to develop and recommend a detailed and implementable customer acquisition strategy for Parachute, a financial well-being and debt-consolidation service, that would allow Parachute to achieve their growth targets over the next five years. Students completed extensive independent research and provided evidence to support their recommendations.
First Place: BLAZED Consulting – Ben Allday, Dua Asad, Adam Anderson, Emily Ancimer and Zainah Alvi.
Second Place: P.L.A.C.E. Consulting – Chloe Armstrong, Prem Bhatt, Evelyn Papa, Anika Smith, and Liam Toews.
Third Place: BAVEK Advisory – Valentina Santarossa, Arshan Singh Sidhu, Edward Tay, Konstance Voudouris, and Braden Warnell.
Finalists:
BizBetter – Dylan Baker, Saanvi Gupta, Lucas Matijas, Ife Odeleye, and Josh To.
Gilded Consulting – Ella Jazvac, Millie Jorgensen, Ryan Jormakka, Brendan Kaneko, and Nima Karimpour.
Paradigm Consulting – Adrian Barfoot, Nolan Goranson, Elysha Janhunen, Elan Kernitzman, and Guiliana Mascitti.
Wealthsimple, one of Canada's leading financial technology companies, challenged students to find creative solutions to leverage technology to better address Generation Z's (Gen-Z) needs using their various products and services.
Team BU Consulting suggested gamification to encourage Gen-Z to engage with Wealthsimple products. They outlined how the gaming aspect would be complemented with lessons and learning apps for customers to expand their knowledge of financial concepts.
First-year BBA students wrap up BU111 with dynamic case competition
Alumna judge reflects on BU111 case competition
First Place: BU Consulting - Britney Duong-Nguyen, Xiao Yang Yu, Danela Zaya, Arnav Cheema, and Jin Feng Cao
Finalists:
6 Consulting Group
Wealth Worldwide Consulting
Team Plutus
Epsilon Consulting Group
Phoenix Consulting
First-year business Live Case Competition tackles the new work environment
First Place: Sigma Consulting - Vivek Bhardwaj, Jaimin Jaffer, Joyce Ye, Oditha Amarasinghe, and Jashanpreet Dhaliwal
Finalists:
Golden Hawk Consulting
Chain Link Consulting
KANG Consulting
FARM Interational
Z Consulting
First-year business Live Case Competition moves online and impresses alumni and students
First Place: Allstar Consulting - Amant Bajwa, Evan Ellig, Ho Kanh Lam Du, Yixin Fan, and Chuhan Huang.
Finalists:
Team Reverso
iD9
The Green Team
TD Elevate
TrueLifeBanking
First-year and second-year students in the Bachelor of Business Technology Management (BBTM) program hone their real-world skills through the 25-hour live caseDebug competition.
caseDebug uses case-based learning and skills development workshops to enhance students’ academic program, develop critical thinking skills, and build confidence in formulating and presenting solutions to complex problems at the intersection of business and technology.
First-year students developed a go-to-market strategy for Ednius, a startup leveraging AI to grade short-answer questions at scale. This case challenged students to explore AI architecture, market entry strategy, privacy and data ethics, and EdTech innovation.
Winning Team: Foursight - Jakub Furtak, Arnav Harohalli, Addison Ho, and Leeba Zaki
Second-year students developed a strategy for TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s public transit authority, exploring digital twin technology to enhance predictive maintenance, operations, and sustainability. Students were asked to consider a phased implementation, organizational change, and return on investment. Core concepts included digital transformation, urban mobility, and data governance.
Winning Team: Expo Consulting - Ajitesh Sharma, Sachin Swarminath, Yash Thatte, and Mayu Yamashita
This year’s caseDebug competition asked students to improve the artificial systems of the Vancouver start-up WELL Health Technologies.
First-year winning team: ArrowStride Solutions
Amandeep Anand, Jack Mcwatt, Gabe Oldenhof, Ziyuan Zhou
Second-year winning team: Charter Consulting
Fathir Hawari, Jack Kennedy, Derek Krehl, Tracey Lin, Yuchen Sun
How case-based learning gives business-technology students an advantage
This year’s case featured MetOcean Telematics, a leading global provider of innovative full-spectrum telemetry products and solutions for environmental, marine, defence, and security clients. It challenged the students to understand the company’s path towards doubling its revenue and asked them to recommend innovative solutions to improve the efficiency and agility of their operations in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic.
First-year winning team: Platinum
Abdul-Arham Nai, Sia Sharma, Owen Small, Beatrice Benak and Joshua Damji
Second-year winning team: Debug Dynamos
Jashan Dhir, Maxwell Landry, Tarun Mullapudi and Bilal Tariq
First and second-year BTM students hone real world skills through case@BTM competition
First-year winning team: Team 33
George Basoglu, Avinash Godse-Shah, Suha Khan, Maxwell Landry
Second-year winning team: Team Corsair
Harrison Querney, Katelyn Scime, Ian van Loenen, Man Zhang
caseDebug@BTM successfully completes seventh year of case study competition
ICE is more than a competition—it’s a Lazaridis School tradition that sets us apart.
Fully embedded in the third-year BBA experience, ICE serves as a capstone project within three core business courses — BU362: Applied Marketing, BU375: Operations Management, and BU398: Organizational Behaviour — accounting for 10% of each course’s final grade.
Over the 10-day competition, teams collaborate to address a real business challenge impacting a real company, integrating their learning from every functional area—finance, marketing, operations, accounting, and more—to develop comprehensive strategies that create real impact.
ICE requires more than just business acumen. It challenges students to think critically and work collaboratively to solve complex problems and present their ideas with confidence. With feedback from industry professionals, participants refine their skills and gain valuable experience needed to stand out in today’s competitive job market.
Since 1977, ICE has been a defining moment in the Lazaridis BBA experience— celebrated for its rich history and its dynamic approach to experiential learning. ICE is a tradition that unites students, challenges conventional thinking, and prepares future business leaders.
Third-year BBA students reimagined the future of Waterloo’s urban core during ICE Spring 2025. Partnering with the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area (BIA), teams explored strategies that ranged from digital engagement tools to inclusive public markets, all focused on boosting vibrancy and community connection.
BBA Students Reimagine Uptown Waterloo in ICE Spring 2025
Team 64 — Uptown Exchange
Indu Aujla, Diya Chopra, David Hood, Tyler Rastin and Madalyne Vella
Team 22 – Boardwalk Solutions
Erika Capper, Elyse Lamarche, Nihai Posea, Matthew Untario, Yanmei Wang
Team 28 – Hawk Consulting
Matthew Boyko, Owen Clarke, Areej Hussain, Samantha Ribeiro, Christian Stefaniw
Team 17 – SAFKA Consulting
Aidan Campbell, Angeline Garapati, Saakshi Jaju, Fahim Panjwani, Kendra White
ICE Winter 2025 put third-year BBA students to the test with a complex challenge from Montreal Associates (MA), an international IT staffing firm. Guided by executives including Group CEO David Thuillier, Business Manager of the Americas and Lazaridis alum Maurizio Gioffre (BBA ’16), and recent graduate Carlos Leon (BBA ’24), students crafted strategies to drive growth in North America’s fast-changing IT sector. From contractor upskilling to digital transformation, teams applied their knowledge in strategy, operations and finance to real-world business needs.
ICE experience pushes students to deliver for Montreal Associates
Team 73 – Five Guys Suits and Ties
Adrien Dicarlo, Adam Izumi, Harshaan Mahendran, Yufeng Wan, and George Zizakovic
Team 58 – Sub-Zero Advisors
Owen Belavin, Braden Howell, Rhea Jandu, Leo Payne, Fuad Sakran
Team 37 – Accelerate Consulting
Helena Apostolopoulos, Noah Glas, Alexis Pankarican, Daniel Press, Colby Wilson
Team 54 – Latitude Consulting
Marlie Cohen, Darcy Liu, Jozef Magolon, Tanisha Selim, Roman Testani
Teams partnered with Liquid I.V., a Unilever company, to develop comprehensive six-to-eight-month market plans for Liquid I.V., aimed at bolstering market share and revenue in the Canadian hydration beverage market.
Teams presented innovative approaches that included celebrity endorsements, brand partnerships, consumer education and digital integration, demonstrating a keen understanding of global brand strategy and consumer engagement.
BBA Students pitch ideas for Liquid I.V. market growth
Team 77 – Vital Flow Consultants
Andrew Baichan, Andrew Daywalt, Jason Howell, Madeleine Malesich, Priyanka Padhiar, Quinn Scott and Hannah Vosper
Team 48 – Clear Waters Consulting
Harpan Brah, Kiara Fathi, Rahul Kapoor, Ethan McBain, Lorelai Piekosz, Ethan Simoes, Keara Zante
Team 95:
Yatin Batta, Andrew Dick, Che Jayawardena, Dimitri Manolopoulos, Tarin Passingham, Ali Shaaban and Allison Weiner
Team 84: Fresh Perspective Solutions
Jakob Beck, Danielle Dobbs, Dylan Jenkins, Emily Marchelletta, Kush Patel, Jay Shah, and Dolan White
The Blendtek case challenged students to create a comprehensive business plan aimed at achieving $400 million in sales by 2029 while maintaining a 20% growth margin and positive cash flow.
Teams presented to industry judges, including Blendtek co-founder, Rob Bianchin (BBA ’10), who won the ICE competition for his BBA cohort. Their innovative solutions addressed diverse markets, from baby formula to digestible proteins, showcasing their strategic thinking, market analysis, and business acumen.
This experience provided students with valuable insights into scaling a business, maintaining profitability, and addressing evolving consumer needs in the food industry.
Recipe for success: Laurier’s BBA students shine in Blendtek case competition
Team 75: Developing the formula for success.
Rifa Amin, Nada Elhossiny, Junran Jiang, Jabir Naseer, Robert Shen, Ian Young
Team 72: Bakeries to Breaking Bad.
Patrick Bernacki, Paul Geyer, Connor Kirby, Dev Patel, Ryan Speight
Team 36: Crafting the perfect mix for success.
Katherine Colby, Daniel Hernandez, Rachel MacKay, Matthew Rose, Nadezhda Vorobieva
Team 32: Blendtek’s rise to success.
William Beck, Jordan Francis, Sangeerthan Kesavan, Rose Parackal, Jacob Smith, Jessie Zhu
Symcor provides client-centric business solutions to enable secure data exchanges and support businesses' digital transformations. Students were asked to evaluate opportunities to apply Symcor’s expertise in payment processing, fraud analytics, and customer communications to enhance operations in new industries.
Teams recommended ways to use Symcor’s solutions to detect insurance fraud, reduce the administrative burden in the legal system, expand further into healthcare with medical testing and imaging, and support intake and administration in long-term care homes. The case emphasized Symcor’s commitment to its vision of "Connecting for Common Good."
In the Symcor case, students explored high-level themes such as digital transformation, secure data exchange, integrated payment processing and fraud analytics. The experience emphasized the importance of customer-centric solutions and ethical business practices in fostering sustainable impact.
ICE solutions connect for the common good with Symcor
Team 73 – Minnoli Dalal, Tyler Kang, Luke Petepeice-Moore, Anna Turkstra
Team 71 – David Besprozvanny, Jack Goren, Sofia Marijan, Sophia Sebastian, Jiawei Ye
Team 63 – Ethan Ahwai-Chang , Luke Everest, Itay Liger, Zoya Rahim, Benjamin Warchol
Team 13 – Kiara Dametto, Hunter Hyszka, Emma Key, Aleksandra Phillips
Students worked on SoundsUnite, a platform designed by Audioworks Inc. to empower musicians and connect the music industry. Tasked with developing a comprehensive go-to-market strategy, teams identified target audiences, explored strategic partnerships, and proposed innovative monetization opportunities.
This challenge provided students with hands-on experience in business strategy, digital marketing, and industry engagement, preparing them to tackle real-world business growth challenges.
Students present unique solutions to launch SoundsUnite at ICE Spring 2023
Team 100 – Nolan Dunbar, Nathalie Keunen, Alex Nagy, Gurjit Singh
Team 65 – Adam Bounsall, Ajay Groves, Victoria Lin, Mukund Rana, Anna Vo
Team 52 – Adam Eldridge, Ji Soo Kim, Sarah Noor, Chloe Snider
Team 61 – Celine Chung, Luke Jansz, Liam McKelvey, Mia Sawma, Michael Ye
Students had the opportunity to collaborate with GreenSpace Brands, led by CEO and Lazaridis alum Shawn Warren (BBA ’94, MBA ’20), who also served as a finalist judge.
Tasked with developing a strategic growth plan for an existing GreenSpace Brands product, teams conducted in-depth market analysis and financial forecasting to create a roadmap for success. Their challenge was to propose a brand strategy that would drive revenue to $50 million and achieve a high single-digit EBITDA margin by 2027, all while ensuring the company reached its breakeven target by March of the following year.
This immersive experience challenged students to apply their knowledge in marketing, finance, and strategy, gaining hands-on expertise in navigating real-world business objectives.
Kaitlyn Abell, Matthew Civello, Thien Thanh Hong, Daniel Marshall, Victoria Rodrigues, Quan Yang
Students partnered with RWI Synthetics, a Canadian, women-led, Certified Aboriginal Business specializing in 3D synthetic models that help organizations navigate complex decision-making. Tasked with developing a growth strategy, teams explored innovative ways for RWI to scale to $10 million in revenue within three years, while maintaining its entrepreneurial culture and attracting top talent.
This challenge provided students with real-world experience in business growth strategy, talent acquisition, and innovation management, equipping them with the skills to drive success in fast-growing industries.
Business students tackle the future at Spring 2022 Integrated Case Exercise
Ciarra Collison, Neel Shah, Min-Kyu Lee, Georgia Bryson, and Anusaanth Sivakumaran
The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce case challenged students to develop innovative engagement strategies to increase membership and strengthen the Chamber’s role in the region's business ecosystem.
Finalist teams presented diverse ideas, from a mobile app for business profiles to a membership referral program and a digital networking portal. Their recommendations highlighted the importance of fostering connections, enhancing the Chamber’s digital presence, and driving local economic growth.
This experience helped students hone their skills in strategic planning, digital marketing, and community engagement, preparing them to drive success in dynamic business environments.
BBA students pitch digital engagement strategies to Chamber of Commerce at ICE finals
Lauren McConnell, Gabriela Morales, Jordan Rapier and Jake Starkman
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region case challenged students to address food insecurity through innovative solutions, focusing on leadership, stakeholder engagement, and community impact.
Teams proposed strategies such leveraging social media campaigns, enhancing digital outreach and forming new community partnerships to strengthen support and raise awareness and donations.
Themes included community collaboration, the evolving role of food banks, and strategic communications.
Student competition imagines a future without hunger in Waterloo Region
Adam Butts, Jovin Cheema, Monica Costache, Daniel DiFederico, Alissa Law, and Xiaoyuan Yang
Thank you to all the companies who have worked with our case writers and students to offer unparalleled experiential learning through the Integrated Case Exercise:
Advanced Asset Tracking Systems Inc.
AER Lingus - ATS
Alertdriving.com (ICE Winter 2005)
AMVIC Inc.
Audioworks Inc. - SoundsUnite (ICE Spring 2023)
Blendtek (ICE Spring 2024)
Business Depot
CAA
Canada’s Technology Triangle Accelerator Network (CTTAN)
Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, The Future of Shinerama
Canadian Tire (ICE Winter 2017)
Ceridian Corp.
Chateau-des-Charmes Wine
CIBC
Com Dev
Communitech (ICE Spring 2019)
Danier Leather (ICE Winter 2001)
Dare Foods Ltd. (ICE Spring 2017)
Direct-to-Fire Residential Alarm Monitoring
DLL Financial Solutions Partner (ICE Winter 2019)
Domino’s Pizza
EcoSynthetix Inc.
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region (ICE Spring 2021)
Fourwinds Marina
Gametronics/IGSS
General Motors
Gosco Valves (ICE Spring 2010)
Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce (ICE Winter 2021)
GreenSpace Brands (ICE Winter 2022)
Handshake VR Inc.
IKEA
I Love Rewards
Kia Canada (ICE Winter 2010)
Linamar
Living Lettuce
L.L. Bean
MDL Doors Inc.
MeAndMyCar (ICE Spring 2000)
Meritas Mutual Funds (ICE Winter 2002)
Molson Breweries
Montreal Associates (ICE Winter 2025)
Navtech Information Systems (ICE Winter 2004)
NCR Waterloo
NOMA Industries Limited
NuComm International
Ontario Flower Growers
Peaceworks
Peak ‘n Peak Recreation, Inc.
The Pomerleau Group
Procter and Gamble
Region of Waterloo International Airport
Research In Motion (ICE Winter 2003)
The Rogers Centre
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (ICE Spring 2005)
RWI Synthetics (ICE Spring 2022)
Sandvine (ICE Spring 2003)
SkyDome
Staples Business Depot
The Stratford Festival (ICE Spring 2001)
Superfresh Food Markets
Symcor (ICE Winter 2023)
Tri-Town Economic Development Corporation
Twincorp Inc. (ICE Winter 2000)
Unilever - Liquid I.V. (ICE Winter 2024)
Uptown Waterloo BIA (ICE Spring 2025)
Wal-Mart
The SMITH Competition, started in 2024 by associate professor of economics, Justin Smith, is based on the Kaggle Data Science Competition and gives economics students an opportunity to showcase their expertise in data analysis outside the classroom. Participants use publicly available datasets to build and test their predictions.
First-year winners:
Scarcity Squad - Isaac Slavens, Arianna Graham Laufer
Second-year winner:
Recession Obsession - Marcus Asimis
Third-year winners:
Marginal Revolutionaries - Daniel Buczakowski, Christopher McGee, Ayan
Ahmed
Fourth-year winners:
The Wage Wizards - Yannick Kidd, Rajan Gill, Neil Gawri
Celebrating 2024-25 Laurier Economics Department student achievements
First-year winners:
Madison Bonehill, Jenny Qu
Second-year winners:
Yuyun Du, Seemi Khokhar, Shayna Mehta, Suraj Rakesh
Fourth-year winners:
Songyang Liu, Fan Zhang
Graduate winner:
Amirhossein Adhami
Think beyond borders to drive innovative business solutions that leave a lasting impact.
World of Opportunities (WOO) brings fourth-year BBA students together in BU491: Strategic Management in the Global Context to explore untapped economic opportunities across assigned countries. WOO challenges students to think beyond borders – acting as economic development officers to examine local industries, assess risks and develop strategies that could drive business expansion, economic growth, and social impact.
Delivering their findings in a polished executive summary and a visually engaging poster, students participated in a dynamic trade-show style conference, where faculty, alumni and graduate student judges mingle with students throughout the auditorium, engaging at team posters for presentations and discussions. The experience mirrors real-world business pitches, sharpening students’ skills in market analysis, strategic planning, and public speaking.
WOO has become a highly anticipated event, highlighting students' strategic insights into global markets. Each year, teams analyze dozens of countries, identifying opportunities in both emerging and established industries. The competition fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and hands-on experience, equipping students for success in global careers.
1st Place: Kazakhstan
Pratham Agrawal, Lea Braun, Nathan Chen, Robert Ketchen, Sebastien Langlois-Fortier, Milan Sriananthan, Rachel Uguccioni
2nd Place: Bulgaria
Amanda Kleinikkink, Zach Komadoski, Nathan Ofir, Jacob Ringel, Ava Schenk, Nolan Silvester
3rd Place: Chile
Anthony Ghostline, Hansel Lewis, Jack Martell, Michael Naqvi, Tobin Priatel, Hunter Skurka
Jamaica
Dominique Nedd, Mikel Osei-Owusu, Happy Patel, Mariana Villegas, Imran Virani, Allan Yang
The Winter 2025 World of Opportunities (WOO) Conference highlighted the best in global business strategy, with students identifying opportunities across 79 countries.
Congratulations to our winning teams!
1st Place: Saudi Arabia
Simran Bassi, Chloe Dickson, Bryan Jones, Logan Lehecka, Ben Osmond, Amy Strader
2nd Place: Oman
Matthew Babich, Natalie Bazouzi, Andrew Behan, Zachary Karam, Audrey Zhang
3rd Place: Indonesia and New Zealand (tie)
Indonesia – Gurbinder Bains, Adhiraj Chauhan, Zachary Meihm-Guistini, Enzo Paje, Sunny Soni, Jason Wong
New Zealand - Daniel Brokhman, Spencer Griffiths, Jonathan Groisman, William Huang, Cameron Richardson, Serena Su
Team Slovakia
Maria Akbari, Caitlin Aseerwatham, Shreya Dalal, Ryan Jobby, Emma Roberts, Greg Waters
Their innovative ideas are shaping the future of international business. Read more about their winning strategies here.
1st Place – Malaysia
Joshua DeMers, Arian Lajevardi, Sophie Papernick, Niroshan Selvanesan, Kathleen Stoiber, Wenmingzi Zou
2nd Place – Egypt
Aryan Khan, Rei Kondo, Aidan Mathias, Aditya Paluskar, Cameron Reynolds, Idrees Sawdot
3rd Place – Bulgaria
Jonathan Gagnon, Varshini Gnanavasagan, Rashmika Jeyandrakumar, Aaron Tomkins, Jessica Tupheld
Panama
Patrick Galloway, Emma Luciani, Camryn Masciarelli, Rachel Rabito, Elizabeth Robbins, Joan Sedgewick
The Lazaridis School is proud to support and recognize the efforts of many of our students at external case competitions around the globe. The continued success of Lazaridis School students at these competitions is a testament to our students' ongoing commitment to building on the skills they learn in the classroom.
Students work together with professors and alumni who provide endless hours of guidance and support to help make the Lazaridis School a global competitor.
Are you representing the Lazaridis School at an external case competition? Let us know by completing this Qualtrics Survey.
2025: 3rd Place
The Accelerated Capital Ideas and Investment Competition (ACIIC) is a national undergraduate competition hosted annually in Toronto, focused on leveraged buyouts and private equity investment strategy. Students are tasked with identifying a publicly traded company that could benefit from private ownership and must defend their thesis through in-depth market research, valuation modeling, and strategic analysis. The event also features networking opportunities and a speaker panel with professionals from top private equity firms and investment banks, offering students invaluable exposure to real-world finance and career pathways.
2025: Top 4 Nationally
2023: Top 10 Internationally
The Accuracy Business Cup is a three-phase competition, hosted by financial services company, Accuracy, giving students the opportunity to work on an international financial and strategic business case. With preliminary rounds organized by local Accuracy offices, winners from the national phase move onto the international competition at Accuracy’s global headquarters in Paris, France.
Team members: Nico Amaya, Adam Izumi, and Jozef Magolon
Coach: Grace Bilodeau (BBA ’23)
Highlights: In 2025, only four teams were invited to the National Final in Montreal, where the Lazaridis School team competed against Western, Concordia, and HEC Montréal.
The team showcased their expertise in financial valuation and corporate strategy. Their innovative acquisition proposal for Danone’s Specialized Nutrition portfolio impressed industry leaders, including Frédéric Guichard, President of Danone Canada.
Congratulations to the team for their outstanding achievement on the national stage!
Team members: Grace Bilodeau, Sean Cornelius, and Karen Zhuang (McGill University)
Highlights: In 2023, there were 1,230 candidates forming 410 teams from nine participating countries (Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Morocco, Spain, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom).
Two students from the Lazaridis School were part of the Canadian finalist team at the 2023 Accuracy Business Cup in Paris, France. Congratulations to the team for ranking as one of the top teams, surpassing over 400 teams internationally to take a spot in the finals.
2025: Top 6
2024: Runner-up
2021: Top 5
2020: Top 5
2019: First Place
2018: First Place
2017: Top 5
2016: Top 5
The Bank of Canada Governor’s Challenge is a university competition designed to simulate the monetary policy decision-making process. Students are put in the role of advisor to the Bank’s Governing Council, and must analyze and forecast economic developments, in line with the 2% inflation target, to make recommendations for the Bank’s key interest rate.
The top-performing teams are invited to Ottawa to present at the Bank of Canada’s head office. We are proud to have been part of this prestigious Economics competition since its inception in the 2015-16 academic year.
Team Members: Kyle Arndt, Carson Boettinger, Matyas Cseke, Lana El-Masry, Charlie Fletcher, Cheryl Li, Miraide Palmer and Jad Tamimi.
Kyle Arndt, Matyas Cseke, Lana El-Masry and Miraide Palmer represented the team in Ottawa, showcasing their results in the finals.
Faculty Advisor: Christos Shiamptanis
*This year, the Bank is expanding the final from five to six teams in honour of the competition's tenth year and to acknowledge the strength of economic thinking that teams displayed. The top six were chosen from 26 participating Schools. The Lazaridis School team will be competing against teams from Université de Sherbrooke, University of Guelph, University of Alberta, University of Ottawa, and Western University.
Team Members: Moeez Afzal, Yujie Chen, Zachary Harvey, Ewan Markwell and Melissa Meyer.
Faculty Advisor: Christos Shiamptanis
Team Members: Jacob Mathon, Samuel Oluwalana, Vincent Slawski, Herman Wagnleithner, Vincent Vigal and Robert Wilson.
Faculty Advisors: Wing Chan
*This year was hosted virtually due to COVID-19.
Team Members: George Charron, Derek Han, Alejandro Lazcano, Nicshan Pirathaaban, Cameron Pizzacalla, Zach Zima
Faculty Advisors: Ke Pang and Wing Chan
Team Members: Michael Davenport, Andrew Foran, Tanzim Kabir, Cindy McCormick and Colleen Spencer.
Faculty Advisors: Christos Shiamptanis and Ke Pang
Team Members: Salman-Hussein Hasham, Marieh Ghafari, Joan Oginni, Jonathan Szeto, Filip Lup, and Yujie Zhang.
Faculty Advisors: Christos Shiamptanis and Ke Pang
Team Members: Salman-Hussein Hasham, Filip Lup, Rehan Arain, Patrick Matthews and Areeb Yazdani.
Faculty Advisors: Christos Shiamptanis and David Johnson
Team Members: Farah Omran, Aarish Shah, Jacqueline Beadman, Sungmin Yoon, Mohit Verma, Marc Dillon and Olivia Ding.
Faculty Advisors: Christos Shiamptanis and David Johnson
2025: Lazaridis School team attended
2024: Lazaridis School team attended
2022: Second place (short case); third place (long case)
2019: First place overall
The BBICC is a global undergraduate business case competition held in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. As one of the top global business case competitions, BBICC is a unique opportunity for international business schools to take part in challenging case competition and experience Serbia and its culture.
Team members: Joseph Bath, Kevin Cui, Jeffery Hu, Adam Izumi
Coach: Matthew Donovan
Highlights:
The Lazaridis team made their mark at the 2025 Belgrade Business International Case Competition (BBICC), competing against 20 top undergraduate teams from 16 countries. Over the course of three cases, they showcased bold strategies and strong collaboration — from launching an AI-powered cybersecurity product in Germany’s healthcare sector, to strengthening Serbia’s startup ecosystem with a national Pitch Day Roadshow, to designing a campaign to increase HPV vaccination rates among Serbian adults.
Hosted in Belgrade, Serbia, the competition was as much about cultural exchange as it was about strategy. Between rounds, the team explored Kalemegdan Fortress, sampled traditional ćevapi on Knez Mihailova Street, and even joined fellow competitors in raising a glass of rakija. Their performance at BBICC 2025 highlighted not only their analytical and creative skill but also their ability to connect globally and make lasting memories along the way.
Team members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Tailai Wang, Elizabeth Robbins, and Rachel Clark
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos, Kathryn Porretta, and Daniel Roytman
Highlights: In 2024, the BBICC goal was to maintain the crossroad of diverse cultures, create a good learning environment, and provide all the participants with valuable knowledge. Twenty universities from around the world were invited to solve three real business problems with innovative ideas to ensure participants received relevant knowledge for their professional future.
In May 2022 the Belgrade Business International Case Competition moved to an online format, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity.
In the Long Case category, the National University of Singapore claimed first place, followed by the University of Belgrade in second place, and the Wilfrid Laurier University secured a third-place finish. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology won first place in the Short Case Category, with Wilfrid Laurier University securing second place and the University of Belgrade in third place.
Read more about the competition on the BBICC website.
Team members: Melissa Donato, Matthew Donovan, Stephen Kingston, and Kathryn Porretta
Coaches: Sofy Carayannopoulos and Srin Sridharan (BBA ’14)
Highlights: The Belgrade International Case Competition, took place from April 7-13, 2019, at the University of Belgrade, Serbia. Each year, 20 top business schools from around the world are invited to participate.
The competition was comprised of three challenging cases. The case questions asked students to provide expansion strategies for new products and identify industry verticals in which to deploy technology tools.
Students had to provide rigorous proof of feasibility and a comprehensive strategy. Judges were industry professionals, mostly senior leaders, who demanded defensible answers to tough questions that would be asked in any boardroom. Our students rose to the challenge and brought home the first-place finish, adding to the international reputation of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University.
2025: Two Lazaridis School teams were recognized in the Top 10
The Canadian Marketing League is the largest marketing case competition in Canada, challenging students at all levels of study to create marketing campaigns for the event’s lead sponsors.
Hosted by McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, the intense competition gives students the opportunity to network with top marketing p rofessionals from across the country while competing in a three-phase competition, leading to the Top 10 presentations, and cash prizes.
Two Lazaridis School teams earned spots in the Top 10 at the 2025 Canadian Marketing League (CML), standing out in a competition that brought together top undergraduate and graduate talent from across the country.
Second-year BBA students Jerin Jose and Melvin Urumath advanced through four challenging rounds. Their work ranged from EVolve Canada — a campaign positioning the Chevrolet Equinox EV as an accessible, proudly Canadian option for first-time EV buyers — to a national Xbox Game Pass Ultimate strategy that integrated digital engagement with in-store activations at Best Buy. Their solutions combined strong consumer insight with bold creative execution, earning them a spot among Canada’s top marketing students.
Also featured in the Top 10 was fourth-year BBA student, Emily Liu (BBA ’25), who tackled cases for General Motors, Kraft Heinz and Microsoft before presenting in the finals at PwC’s Toronto office. Facing a panel of senior industry leaders, Emily demonstrated the analysis, storytelling and confidence that carried her to the national stage.
Both teams drew on skills developed through Laurier’s case-based courses and the Laurier Case Team, showcasing how Lazaridis students turn classroom learning into competitive advantage in front of industry professionals.
2025: Inaugural Event
Lazaridis School Team Participated
Hosted by Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University, the Canadian University Sales Competition provides a platform for students to showcase their skills, enhance their professional development, and connect with industry sales leaders.
Team Members: Harshan Chahal, Brooke Hanson and Emma Rasmusson
Faculty Coach: Greg Tanguay
2025: Second Place
2024: Lazaridis School team attended
2023: Second Place (Division B 24-hour Case); Fourth Place (Division B 5-hour Case)
2021: Second Place (8-hour Case); Second Place (24-hour Case)
CaseIT is the world’s premier international undergraduate Management Information Systems (MIS) case competition. Business students from across the globe converge in Vancouver, BC, to put their skills to the test in this week-long event with opportunities to network, explore, and learn.
Team members: Aqsa Shafi, Sergej Tanovic, Darrell Li, and Ethan Gardiner
Coach: Josephine McMurray and Arjunn Sivakumar (BTM '22)
Highlights: The Lazaridis School’s BTM team earned second place at the CaseIT 2025 competition in Vancouver, competing against top universities from around the world. The team demonstrated exceptional skills in business technology and strategic problem-solving, tackling complex business challenges under tight deadlines. Their performance showcased the strength of the Lazaridis BTM program and its focus on experiential learning.
Team members: Perry Au, Aryanna D'Addio, Katelyn Scime, and Tiwalade Olobayo
Coach: Josephine McMurray
Highlights: At CaseIT in 2024, Lazaridis BTM students analyzed a case involving Pacific Coastal Airline from British Columbia and its functional interoperability — essentially, how various computer systems work together and communicate.
In most cases, CaseIT is one of the stand-out memories of Lazaridis BTM students, and it continues to pay dividends long into the future. Past competitors have earned consulting jobs at Konrad and Deloitte or worked as analysts at private equity firms. One graduated team member recently advanced to a vice-president role at Goldman Sachs.
Team members: Ben Lalonde, Maureen Mao, Jacob Parkhill, and Christopher Rodgers
bJosephine McMurray and Matthew Raines
Highlights: Students from the (BTM) program represented the Lazaridis School at the 2023 Competition. 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the competition, hosted at the Beedie School of Management at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Vancouver, BC.
The Lazaridis School team brought home fourth place in the division B five-hour case and second place in the division B 24-hour case.
Team members: Kaitlyn Hall, Logan Naudi, Romane Ng, and Cassandra Pike
Coach: Josephine McMurray
Highlights: The team went up against 64 other competitors on 16 teams from universities around the world to earn second place in the eight-hour case deliberation held on Feb. 15, 2021. The team also won second place in the 24-hour event, earning them a ‘wild card’ spot in the five-minute pitch round competing against the University of Calgary and Laurier’s perennial case competition rival, the National University of Singapore.
The team did not advance to the finals, but came in first in the introductory video contest in which team members highlighted interesting facts about their respective hometowns.
2025: Lazaridis School team participated
2023: Finalists
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. Students are tested on their analytical, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. They gain real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst.
Team members: Dipal Doshi, Natalia Rusu, and Violeta Shabatura
Coaches: Bruce Everitt and Sean Patterson
Highlights: Congratulations to three Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) double degree students from the Lazaridis School earned a finalist spot in the 2023 Local CFA Institute Research Challenge Finals.
Supported by faculty advisor, Bruce Everitt, and industry mentor Sean Patterson, the team had been preparing their recommendation since November.
2025: Lazaridis School Team Participated
The Copenhagen Business School (CBS) Case Competition is a student-run, invitational competition that connects business students from around the world to enhance their social and professional networks while competing to solve realistic business challenges.
Team Members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Nada Elhossiny, Imaad Mian, Anna Turkstra
Highlights: At the 2025 competition, the Lazaridis School team joined peers from 11 leading universities to tackle cases on Danish sneaker brand Airtox and Nordic banking giant Nordea. Their solutions earned strong recognition from judges and highlighted the power of teamwork, creativity, and cross-cultural learning. Beyond the results, students valued the intensive feedback, collaborative spirit, and unique experiences — from long hours in the case rooms to cultural immersion in Copenhagen — that made CBS 2025 an unforgettable learning journey.
2023: National champions
2022: Top five
2021: Finalists
2020: National champions
Enactus Canada competitions inspire excellence amongst postsecondary students across the country. At regional and national events, students demonstrate how their community empowerment projects and business ventures are shaping the economic, social and environmental landscape of Canada in two types of competitions: impact challenges and the Student Entrepreneur National Competition.
At the Enactus Canada National Exposition, all student teams across Canada compete in the Enactus National Competition. The successful team advancing through opening, semi-final and final rounds of competition is named Enactus National Champion and advances to represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup.
Enactus Laurier is dedicated to creating positive change in communities through its enterprises and transforming the lives of its team members. Visit the Changemaker Hub to learn more on campus.
Coach: Laura Allan
Highlights: Laurier’s Enactus team claimed the national title at the Enactus National Exposition. A total of 44 teams competed from across Canada at the event held May 1 to 3, 2023 in Montreal.
The Laurier team, which presented two student-led enterprises, defeated competitors from Saint Mary’s University, Okanagan College and the University of Ottawa in the final round of competition. Enactus Laurier represented Canada at the Enactus World Cup in Utrecht, Netherlands in October 2023.
In addition to winning the national title, Enactus Laurier received the 2023 Hazelview Sustainable Cities Project Accelerator Best Project prize for the work of Kuponya Innovations, which has created a sustainable, climate-resilient housing solution for Indigenous communities in Canada’s North. Enactus Laurier’s President Zander Smith also received the Enactus Student Leader of the Year award.
Coach: Laura Allan
Highlights: Led by undergraduate students dedicated to creating social change through innovation and entrepreneurship, the team earned a top-five finish at the Enactus National Competition held earlier this fall in Toronto. Enactus is a global network that uses entrepreneurship as a catalyst for positive social and environmental impact.
Enactus Laurier, represented by student-run enterprises The RJ Project and Kuponya Innovations, was one of 25 teams from Canadian postsecondary institutions to compete in the national competition, which began virtually in May. Enactus Laurier advanced to the final round to compete against teams from Okanogan College, the University of Ottawa, Saint Mary’s University and Toronto Metropolitan University.
Coach: Laura Allan
Coach: Laura Allan
Highlights: Laurier’s team was named champion among 58 teams across Canada, 20 national semi-finalists and five finalist teams, including Lambton College (former national champions and World Cup winners), the University of Ottawa and St. Mary’s University (last year's national runner-up).
At the national competition, Laurier’s Waterloo Enactus team presented two of their ventures, EarthSuds and Last20, in the Scotiabank Climate Change Challenge and was named the national champion. EarthSuds was also named the national champion in the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge. One of the team’s newest ventures, Smile Tabs, was awarded the 3M Canada Best Project Accelerator Award. The venture, which produces single-use toothpaste capsules, was created after its student founders won Laurier’s first-year BDO New Venture competition.
This represents the first time in 15 years that Laurier’s team has won the national title and the second year in a row that the team has advanced to the overall national final round.
2025: LendY made it to Top 10
2024: Lazaridis students participated
2023: SmartGarden Coffee and CarbonLX made it to Top 10
2022: Steward made it to Top 10
2019: Lazaridis students participated
2018: Gitsmart made it to Top 10
2017: Ripple Farms made it to Top 10
2016: Lazaridis students participated
The European Innovation Academy (EIA) is an international startup incubator and entrepreneurship program bringing together students, mentors, investors and industry leaders from around the world for three weeks of immersive, hands-on learning.
Participants join interdisciplinary, international teams to design, test, and pitch innovative business solutions. With a network of more than 25,000 alumni from 85+ countries, and a track record of 40% of alumni becoming founders and a 64% startup survival rate, EIA builds a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous growth, preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders to create impact at scale.
Porto, Portugal
Lazaridis School participants: David Goloubov (BBA), Alain Lai (BBA), Darrel Li (BTM), Emily Liu (BBA), Jessica Smith (MBA)
LendY (David) earned a spot in the Top 10 for their marketplace offering short-term lending of household items, sporting equipment, etc., targeted to travellers who don’t want to buy new in their destination location.
Porto, Portugal
Lazaridis School participants: Perry Au (BTM), Erica McCracken (BA Econ), Tiwalade Olobayo (BTM), Benita Rai (BBA), Xiaowen Wei (BTM)
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Bootcamp EIA Porto 2024 has been successfully completed!
Porto, Portugal
Lazaridis School participants: Howard (Hao Wei) Chen (BTM), Christopher Rodgers (BTM), Timothy Arsan (BBA/BSc), Lily Liu (BBA)
Two teams featuring Laurier students earned spots in the Top 10:
SmartGarden Coffee (Chris), was addressing the impact of climate change on coffee supply by developing indoor coffee farms, closer to home, using abandoned spaces.
CarbonLX (Howard), created a B2B Saas-based ERP system empowering companies to more easily report their carbon footprint in a timely, accurate and cost-efficient way – encouraging them to take action.
Porto, Portugal
Lazaridis School participants: Ben Brophy (BBA), Thomas Dixon (BBA), Emma Jodoin (BBA), Thabeetha Regi (BBA), Justine Trieu (BBA)
Thabeetha and Justine’s startup, Steward, was featured in the 2022 Top 10. The educational game app teaches young children eco-conscious behaviors through play.
Kick-Starting the Five-Year Journey in Porto: Watch-List for Future Change-Makers from EIA 2022
Cascais, Portugal
Lazaridis School participants: Diana Andreeva (BBA), Liam Hamel (BBA), Mara McGoey (BBA), Ian Saunders (BBA), Bailey Truscello-Carlson (BTM)
Cascais, Portugal
Lazaridis School participants: Sarah Juha (BBA), Emils Matiss (BBA/BSc), So Hyun (Stella) Moon (BBA/BMath), Peng Fei Wang (BBA), Taylor Wasser (BBA)
Gitsmart (Taylor), a tech solution to help recruiters determine qualified candidates
more quickly, was featured in the Top10 and earned the Pitch60 consultation award.
Cascais, Portugal
Lazaridis School participants: Matthew Dibden (BBA), Nathalie Dulong (BBA), Alexandra Freitas (BBA), Breah Robinson (BBA), Esteban Veintimilla (BBA/BMath)
Ripple Farms (Breah) was featured in the Top 10 for their urban vertical farming solution incorporating technological tracking to improve crop harvesting.
Nice, France
Jordan Priede (MBA), Steven Tippin (MBA)
2022: Third place
2020: First place
The FEP School of Economics within the University of Porto hosts an International Business Case Competition where international teams boost their intrepid problem-solving spirit to solve a real live business challenge. The 48 students from 12 global universities are put to the test in a competition that requires them to use their talents to the full. It’s an excellent opportunity to make new friends and to advance further in case-solving skills.
Team members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Isabella Brodeur, Kyle Chang, and Imaad Mian
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: Representing the Lazaridis School, the team participated virtually and earned third place.
Running over the span of four days, competitors solved a real-life business problem in this extensive case study. Galp Energia challenged students to develop a 10-year strategic plan for their commercial business unit to adapt its fuel stations network according to changing environmental and consumer trends. Teams were asked to identify how trends such as the shift towards electric vehicles and increased needs of consumer flexibility, would impact their business model.
Team members: Katherine Gotovsky, Ryan Kofsky, Adam Figura, and Ruby Tang
Coaches: Sofy Carayannopoulos and Srin Sridharan
Highlights: This victory was particularly satisfying for the team who prevailed against some very tough competition, including the University of New South Wales and the University of Belgrade whose teams came in second and third, respectively, as well as perennial challenger the National University of Singapore - whom Laurier beat in the first round of Division A.
2023: Second place
2021: Second place
Hosted annually, this two-day virtual competition engages the best and brightest HR students and challenges them to tackle real-life business and HR situations.
Participating students are presented with an HR business case and have a few hours to read and analyze the case, develop a response strategy, and produce a 15-minute presentation with their team’s recommendations.
Team members: Micayah Coutinho, Suhavi Garg, and Victoria Talvitie
Coaches: Steve Risavy.
Highlights: This year marks the fourth-annual event which hosted 18 teams from educational institutions across Ontario. Hosted virtually, the two-day competition engages HR students and challenges them with real-life business and HR situations.
Team members: Kanika Dave, Maneesha Suresh, Ellen LaFroy, Cassidy Janet Porco, and Sayivaruni Visagan
Coaches: Steve Risavy
Highlights: A team of fourth-year business students studying in the Human Resource Management concentration placed second at the third HRPA’s Annual Student Case Competition, held virtually on March 20, after finding an inventive solution to a business problem.
The team from the Lazaridis School competed against more than 40 students representing eight universities and colleges across Ontario. They were tasked with analyzing a human resources business case, developing a strategy in response and presenting their team’s recommendations. A panel of six senior human resource professionals reviewed and scored the presentations based on a points system.
2023: Winner of the Most Innovative Pitch Award
The ITMSA is a non-profit, student-run course union serving students within the Business Technology Program (BTM) at the Ted Rogers School of Management of Toronto Metropolitan University.
Incredibly relevant to today’s shifting workforces to digital and innovative workplace practices, ITMSA's mission is to collaborate with organizations, leaders, and alumni in business and technology to equip BTM students with professional and academic experiences to ensure their future success in the industry and excel beyond their expectations.
Team members: Pery Au, Wesley Choy, Ethan Gardiner, and Shaza Najeeb
Coach: Josephine McMurray
Highlights: Lazaridis BTM students continue to positively represent the school and their program in student competitions and the team at this year’s Symcor Case Competition was no exception. The competition was hosted by the ITMSA at Toronto Metropolitan University. The team impressed the judges and were awarded the Most Innovative Pitch Award.
2025:
Academic Cup - Second Place
School of the Year - Third Place
Charity - First Place ($25,000 raised)
Accounting - Third Place
Digital Strategy - First Place
Finance - First Place
Human Resources - Third Place
International Business - Second Place
Marketing - Second Place
Debate - Fourth Place
Sports - Third Place
Participation - Third Place
2024: Academic Cup – First Place; School of the Year – Second Place; All-Star Awards – Third Place; Debate – Second Place; Social – Second Place; Finance – First Place; Human Resources – First Place; International Business – First Place; Marketing – Second Place; Business Strategy – Second Place; Entrepreneurship – Third Place.
2023: Academic Cup – First Place; School of the Year – Second Place; Digital Strategy – First Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Marketing – Second Place; International Business – Second Place; Finance – Second Place; Entrepreneurship – Second Place; Accounting – Second Place.
JDCC is a multi-disciplinary competition hosted by the Canadian Association of Business Students (CABS). It is the largest undergraduate business school competition in Central Canada, and brings over 600 student delegates together from Ontario, Québec, and the Maritimes. Lasting three days each Winter, JDCC is comprised of the following events: Eight academic case competitions, debate competition, social competition, sports competition, charity competition, and overall school spirit.
Team Captains: Khushi Padala and Layla Salyani
Coaches: Michael Blair and Brandon Van Dam
Awards Won:
Academic Cup - Second Place
School of the Year - Third Place
Charity - First Place ($25,000 raised)
Accounting - Third Place
Digital Strategy - First Place
Finance - First Place
Human Resources - Third Place
International Business - Second Place
Marketing - Second Place
Debate - Fourth Place
Sports - Third Place
Participation - Third Place
Team captains: Kyle Chang, Imaad Mian
Coaches: Brandon Van Dam and Michael Blair
Highlights: The Laurier Case Team soared to victory at the 2024 competition, leaving with an impressive array of awards. The team not only secured top honors in several key categories but also walked away with the highly coveted Academic Cup, solidifying their standing as a powerhouse in the world of business competitions.
The Laurier Case Team's triumph at JDC Central serves as an inspiration for aspiring business leaders. Their outstanding achievements in multiple categories and the acquisition of the Academic Cup reflect the team's commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration.
Awards won: Academic Cup – First Place; School of the Year – Second Place; All-Star Awards – Third Place; Debate – Second Place; Social – Second Place; Finance – First Place; Human Resources – First Place; International Business – First Place; Marketing – Second Place; Business Strategy – Second Place; Entrepreneurship – Third Place.
Coaches: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: The Laurier Case Team (LCT) represented the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics and Wilfrid Laurier University at JDC Central (JDCC) from Jan. 20-23, 2023. Hosted by the Canadian Association of Business Students (CABS), JDCC brings together more than 600 business students from universities in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes to compete in interdisciplinary fields, including academic cases for eight business disciplines, parliamentary style debates, sports tournaments, social competitions and charity contributions.
The Lazaridis School has continued to show excellence at JDCC over more than 10 years of participation in the competition. This year’s team was no exception, with a podium finish in seven of the eight academic tracks, the team won the Academic Cup for the sixth time in the 11 years it has been awarded.
Awards won: Academic Cup – First Place; School of the Year – Second Place; Digital Strategy – First Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Marketing – Second Place; International Business – Second Place; Finance – Second Place; Entrepreneurship – Second Place; Accounting – Second Place
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos.
Highlights: The students of the Laurier Case Team representing the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics continued their tradition of excellence at the JDCC competition on the weekend of Jan. 22-24, 2022. The delegation of 46 students and volunteers brought home multiple awards, including first place wins in Business Strategy, the esport Rocket League, and Charity dollars raised.
The Laurier Case team was the 2nd place winner for School of the Year and the Academic Cup, adding to the team's multiple School of the Year and five Academic Cup awards over the last 10 years.
Awards won: School of the Year – Second Place; Academic Cup – Second Place; Human Resources – Third Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Marketing – Third Place; Finance – Third Place; Digital Strategy – Second Place; Social – Third Place; Debate – Second Place; Esports Rocket League – First Place; Esports COD Warzone – Third Place; Charity Consulting Project – Third Place
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos.
Highlights: The JDCC is widely regarded as one of the most complex and challenging case competition series’ in Canada, engaging and testing the talents of the best business school students since 2009.
Over the years, the Lazaridis School has racked up more podium finishes than any other business school in their division, earning a reputation for competitive excellence that appeals to current and future Golden Hawks alike.
Awards won: School of the Year – Second Place; Academic Cup – Second Place; Charity – First Place; Consulting Project – Third Place; Esports 3v3 – Second Place / 4v4 – Third Place; Accounting – First Place; Entrepreneurship – Third Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Human Resources – Second Place; Participation – First Place; Sportsmanship – First Place
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos, Srin Sridharan, Sean Cameron, and Eoin Ferguson.
Highlights: Undergraduate business students won first place at the 2020 JDC Central Competition (JDCC) hosted by Goodman School of Business at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.
This is the eighth time Laurier has earned the top ‘School of the Year’ title and the fifth time that Laurier has won the ‘Academic Cup’. The team held the ‘School of the Year’ title for seven consecutive years from 2010-2016.
Awards won: School of the Year - First Place; Academic Cup - First Place; Accounting – Second Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Digital Strategy – Third Place; Entrepreneurship – Third Place; Finance – Second Place; Human Resources – Second Place; International Business – Second Place; Marketing – Second Place; Debate – First Place; Charity – First Place; Social – Third
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos.
Highlights: All of the JDCC Laurier team’s preparation paid off at the JDC Central competition hosted at the University of Guelph last month. The team, led by captain Sania Lalani, represented the school with a stellar turnout of 11 podium finishes including two first place, four second place, four third place as well as the Faculty of the Year Award.
This year’s teams responded to cases related to new market entry, new product development, and blockchain, among others. Not only did the team come in second in the Academic Cup and School of the Year categories, but associate professor Sofy Carayannopoulos was named Faculty Advisor of the Year for her tremendous dedication to supporting our students.
Awards won: Academic Cup – Second Place; School of the Year – Second Place; Accounting – Second Place; Business Strategy – Third Place; Finance – Third Place; Human Resources – First Place; International Business – Second Place; Wildcard – Third Place; Charity – First Place; Social – Third Place; Faculty Advisor of the Year award
2025: Lazaridis School participated, John Molson Van Berkhom Small-Cap Case Competition
2024: Third place, John Molson Sustainability Case Competition
2023: Won three of five cases, MBA International Case Competition
2021: Finalists, John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition
The John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec hosts several case competitions per year for undergraduate and graduate students.
The John Molson MBA International Case Competition is a not-for-profit event organized by a team of MBA candidates from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. Recognized as the largest of its kind, this competition is open to the top business schools worldwide. Its main purpose is to bridge the gap between corporate and academic worlds, ultimately enriching the experience of students and executives alike.
The competition hosts 36 teams from universities around the globe to compete for the coveted Concordia Cup. Taking the MBA experience beyond the classroom and participating in five rigorous case analyses, students are also encouraged to network and engage with peers from other institutions in networking and social events integrated throughout the schedule.
Team members: Avery Cantlon, Rob Hand, Nikola Miokovic, and Veronica Windmoller
Coach: Matthew Donovan
Highlights: In January 2023, a team of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students from the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University participated in the 41st edition of the John Molson MBA International Case Competition (MBAICC), hosted by Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec.
After a tough start to the competition, the team pulled together and won the last three of the five cases in their division, ending with a 3-2 record and giving them the second highest number of wins in that division. While it wasn’t enough to take a podium spot overall, the experience and learning opportunities for the team were celebrated by all.
The JSCC is an annual event that focuses on the link between business and sustainability. The main objective of JSCC is to foster meaningful collaboration among business schools while spreading awareness about the significant advantages of integrating sustainability into corporate strategies and decision-making processes.
This competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students from all over Canada who share a passion for sustainability. JSCC provides an invaluable real-world experience for participants, giving them an opportunity to receive feedback from a distinguished panel of experts. By participating in JSCC, students gain invaluable insights, build essential skills and contribute to the advancement of sustainability practices in the corporate world.
Team members: Alya Najila, Mridhulaa Suresh, and Bianca Tu
Coach: Barry Colbert
Each year, the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition prepares the world’s brightest undergraduate business students to become leaders in a globally interdependent, culturally diverse and rapidly changing economic environment, while fostering strategic thinking, innovative problem-solving and sound decision-making.
Team members: Adam Figura, Katherine Gotovsky, Rona He, and Ryan Kofsky
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: For the first time ever, a team of business students from the Lazaridis School made it to the finals at the John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition, the world’s largest undergraduate international case competition, held virtually Feb. 28 to March 6, 2021.
The team competed against 28 business schools from countries including Australia, Lebanon, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Thailand, China and the United States.
The Van Berkhom Small-Cap Case Competition provides undergraduate and graduate-level business students with the opportunity to showcase their ability to analyze financial business cases and develop strategic recommendations focused on small-cap investments.
Students and teams must evaluate whether to hold or sell based on their assessment of the chosen company, applying the academic skills they have gained in the classroom.
Team: Shailey Mehta, Adriel Pereira, Jiarun Yin
2025: Top 4
The MLSE Global Partnerships Case Competition, hosted by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), is a sponsorship marketing challenge that offers students an opportunity to delve into the sports business industry.
Participants are tasked with developing custom partnership proposals between an MLSE sports property and a prospective corporate partner.
Teams who advance past the digital rounds are invited to MLSE HQ in Toronto to present their ideas and network with MLSE executives.
Team Members: Matthew Andree, Samir Ghouli, and Maksym Zakharchuk
Highlights: The 2025 competition saw record-breaking participation, with 279 teams from more than 50 universities across Canada, the U.S., France, and Spain.
The Lazaridis School team invited to the MLSE Headquarters in Toronto forthe final round, as one of the top 16 teams. Their dedication and innovative strategies led them to an outstanding Top 4 finish, granting them the opportunity to pitch their ideas in front of MLSE executives and industry leaders.
Their performance exemplifies the exceptional talent and commitment fostered at the Lazaridis School.
2024: First place
The David Sobey Centre National Retail Case Competition offers students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to tackle real-world challenges and obstacles faced by today's retailers, all while engaging in spirited competition with teams from across Canada. Upon delving into a specially crafted case, participants have the unique privilege of meeting with industry executives, gaining valuable insights, and posing questions to deepen their understanding of the problem.
Teams embark on a journey of ideation, crafting their most innovative solutions to address the case challenge. Students will submit a video case presentation, where a panel of judges will select the cream of the crop who will advance to the final round and showcase their solutions live (virtually) to the very company executives who presented the challenge. This grand finale is not just a showdown; it's an opportunity to vie for the grand prize and solidify their position as retail problem-solvers extraordinaire.
Team members: Michael Ye, Alex Nagy, Katrina Sage, and Sophia Divita
Highlights: The Laurier Case Team were asked to give a recommendation to grow Decathlon’s new expansion into Canada. They explored concepts of demographic analysis, strategic alignment, and retail-specific concepts relating to store design and customer experience.
2025: Parker Solem earned a top 8 finalist spot
Hosted by Trillium Capital and Limestone Capital, in partnership with Point72 Asset Management, the National Stock Pitch Competition is available to first- and second-year undergraduate students enrolled at a Canadian university. Participants gain valuable experience refining their stock pitching abilities in collaboration with seasoned professionals from globally renowned asset management firms.
2025: Lazaridis Team Participated
The NextGen Risk Insurance Case Competition, hosted by the Insurance Institute of Canada, challenges undergraduate students to apply insurance and risk management principles to real-world scenarios. Hosted in Toronto, the competition brings together teams from across Canada to develop innovative solutions to emerging risks. Students pitch their recommendations to a panel of industry experts, gaining exposure to the world of insurance and valuable professional feedback.
Team Members: Karuna Bansal, Charlie Heslip, Ethan Simoes, Aaran Suthakar
Coaches: Michelle Lennox, Bruce Everitt
Highlights: The Lazaridis team developed a creative “BBA approach” (Before, Between, After) to address the stages of a cyberattack, supported by a layered insurance coverage plan that included first-party, third-party, and liability protection.
With guidance from their faculty coaches, the students delivered a well-structured, insightful presentation that demonstrated their grasp of risk management and cyber insurance concepts. Their ability to collaborate, adapt under pressure, and think critically was on full display — from early-morning rehearsals to confidently fielding questions from industry judges in Toronto’s competitive two-day event.
2024: Second place
Hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University’s Treaty Relations in Business Education (TRIBE) student group as part of the Reconciliation in Business Conference, the Reconciliation in Business Case Competition encourages students to solve business challenges through an Indigenous reconciliation lens, balancing the idea of profit with Indigenous values and history. The conference helps to deepen understanding of and connection to important cultural perspectives.
Team Members: Akshaan Jando, Michielle Nadeem, Ananya Ohrie, and Sahar Trivedi
Faculty Coach: David Wheatley
Highlights:
The case competition was part of the Reconciliation in Business Conference, which emphasized the 4R’s – Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity and Responsibility through several workshops about the current obstacles in Indigenous reconciliation, introductions to traditional ceremonies, and the opportunity to eat traditional Indigenous meals.
The team joined 500 delegates to learn about Indigenous culture and the current realities facing Indigenous society. They then had the opportunity to apply that learning to a unique business case.
Teams were challenged to create an innovative marketing and education program to grow sales for Toronto’s professional lacrosse team, the Toronto Rock, while honouring and bringing awareness to the Indigenous history of the sport.
2024: Finalist
2023: First place
2022: Second place
2021: First place
ROCA is an annual case-based competition featuring top undergraduate student teams from leading business schools across the globe. Thanks to is strong focus on sustainability, leadership, and innovative shifts in the modern economy, this week-long experience provides students, coaches, judges and volunteers with a meaningful and transformative global experience.
ROCA is a co-hosted by Rotterdam University (Netherlands) and Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada), offering students a unique experience with global perspectives.
Team members: Joseph Bath, Vivek Bhardwaj, Emily Liu, Adam Izumi
Coach: Ruby Tang
Highlights: The 2024 ROCA Case Competition, held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, showcased some of the brightest business talent from 16 universities around the world. The competition provides a platform for top business students globally to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios presented by leading companies.
The Lazaridis team represented the school as finalists in this year's competition, showing their preparation and commitment as they adeptly tackled four diverse and complex cases, addressing critical business challenges in areas such as agricultural waste management, advancements in restaurant technology, growth strategy formulation, and cultural alignment. Their innovative solutions and strategic insights were a testament to their dedication and expertise.
Team members: Kyle Chang, Rachel Clark, Arnav Hiremath, and Duncan Spizzirri
Coach: Sean Cameron
Highlights: The 2023 Rotterdam-Carleton International Case Competition (ROCA), hosted in partnership by Carleton University's Sprott School of Business and the Rotterdam Business School, has concluded with a resounding victory for the team representing the Lazaridis School earning first place.
This prestigious competition brought together top business students from across the globe to tackle complex real-world challenges presented by various companies.
Team members: Brayden Royston, Georgia Bryson, Tailai Wand, and Jason Amri
Coaches: Sofy Carayannopoulos and Sean Cameron
Highlights: In November 2022, four business students from the Laurier Case Team (LCT) earned second place in the Rotterdam-Carleton International Case Competition (ROCA).
Started in 2017, ROCA brings together undergraduate student teams from 16 top-ranked business schools from around the world for a six-day, immersive case experience. Participants are given cases that cover a broad range of interdisciplinary business problems with a strong focus on sustainability, leadership and other shifts in the present-day economy. Teams present their business recommendations to a panel of expert judges from leading companies.
2023: First place
2022: First place
2021: First place
2020: First place
The Schlesinger-Global Family Enterprise Case Competition is the first global case competition to focus on family businesses, creating unique challenges for students to solve. Participants applying the knowledge and expertise developed in the classroom to understand and solve critical issues unique to family enterprises.
Team members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Sia Bhaskar, Harleen Grewal, and Arnav Hiremath
Coaches: Sean Cameron, Matthew Donovan, Rona He, Mackenzie Oldfield, Grant Meaney, Daniel Roytman, and Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: This year marked the 10th annual competition at UVM and brought together 19 teams – 10 undergraduate and nine graduate, from 12 countries around the world. Ninety-six competitors and coaches, and more than 50 judges came together from Jan. 11 to 14 for an exciting schedule including a pre-arrival case, with time to prepare before the competition, and two four-hour cases, before the division finalists competed for the title. There were also numerous social opportunities to meet and network with teams from other institutions including a welcome reception, dinner with karaoke, and museum exhibits.
In addition to taking the first-place win, two of the Lazaridis School students were recognized with “Best Undergraduate Presenter” awards, which acknowledge depth of analysis, conviction, and grace when presenting. Harleen Grewal received the award in the divisional competition, and Sia Bhaskar in the final presentation.
2020: First place
Team members: Megan Corbett, Leanne Hirabayashi, Kathryn Porretta, and Angela Zhou
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: A team of undergraduate business students won first place in Dublin, Ireland at a competition hosted by the Technological University, Dublin (TU Dublin). They earned the top spot for their recommendations for Irish whisky company, Tullamore D.E.W., who asked students to assess the value of adding a new product. The solution identified the ideal target market for this new product, as well as campaign strategy and tactics that could be used to reach that market.
2024: Lazaridis School team participated
The Toronto Association for Business and Economics (TABE) Student Competition is a yearly challenge for students to apply economic concepts to solve real-world problems.
Team: Zainab Shina, Hridita Raihan, and Hari Patel
Master of Arts in Business Economics (MABE) students
Faculty Coach: Christine Neill
2025: Third place
2024: Third place
The University of Guelph’s Undergraduate Real Estate Case Competition (URECC) is a student led organization that began in 2015. The competition is designed to challenge undergraduate students to collaborate with their team and prepare a full-scale development proposal on a site selected in Toronto/GTA.
Delegates are challenged to create an analysis that considers all aspects of development feasibility including market analysis, sustainability, physical constraints, financial viability and government regulation. Students will then proceed with a recommendation to the judges based on their analysis.
Team Members: Daniel Brokhman, Adrien D’Silva, Yanni Karos, and Magnus Haasler
Highlights: The Lazaridis School team placed 3rd overall at URECC 2025 with a thoughtful and community-focused mixed-use development proposal. Their solution included a 31-storey rental building with retail, residential, and amenity space, and a newly rebuilt elementary school with a playground to serve local families. As active members of Real Estate Laurier, the team demonstrated strong self-directed learning, financial modeling, and strategic thinking throughout the competition.
Team members: Daniel Brokhman, Adrien D’Silva, Yanni Karos, Sebastien Rojas, and Owen Varkey
Coach: Anne Domurath
Highlights: The team was tasked with redeveloping an existing site at 110 Sheppard Ave E, located in North York. They proposed demolishing the existing building and building a 496-unit apartment building, with a grocery store and coffee shop on the first floor, and 2 floors of coworking space above the grocery store. The residential portion was 30 floors. During the project, the team did the planning, zoning, cost analysis, financial modeling, market analysis, and land valuation.
2025: Lazaridis team participated
2024: Second place
2023: First place
2018: First place
The University of Navarra International Case Competition (UNICC) is an annual international case competition that brings together undergraduate university students from different countries to compete in a fast-paced and challenging business cases study.
Team members: Nico Amaya, Aidan Haldaine, Doug Tisdale, Jimmy Zhan
Alumni Coach: Rona He
The 2025 team was recognized at UNICC for Best Team Spirit.
Team members: Joseph Bath, Sia Bhaskar, Annette Schiller, and Duncan Spizzirri
Coaches: Soft Carayannopoulos, Samantha Sells, Hassan El Essawi and Gerogia Bryson.
Highlights:
The Lazaridis School team earned second place overall at UNICC 2024 — a testament to their preparation, creativity and collaborative spirit. Over three fast-paced days, they delivered bold, creative solutions to real-world challenges — from designing a customer experience strategy and expansion playbook for Barcelona’s Cashfana jewelry brand, to charting a path for VeriDas’ biometric voice technology in the U.K. TeleHealth market, and building a global growth and digital experience plan for Osasuna FC. Presenting their final recommendations in the president’s box at El Sadar Stadium was a highlight — and a powerful reminder of how far their hard work and preparation had taken them.
The experience went far beyond the competition rooms. Between rounds, the team celebrated Spanish culture with new friends from around the world, sharing pintxos in Pamplona’s lively streets, exploring historical art and wineries, and playing football on the beaches of San Sebastián. Their second-place finish was an incredible achievement — but the true reward was the camaraderie, growth, and unforgettable memories they brought home from UNICC 2024.
Team members: Hassan El-Essawi, Georgia Bryson, Vivek Bhardwaj, and Kyle Chang.
Coaches: Soft Carayannopoulos and Samantha Sells.
Highlights: Four students from the Lazaridis School were awarded first place at the 2023 University of Navarra International Case Competition (UNICC). As part of the Laurier Case Team, Hassan El-Essawi, Georgia Bryson, Vivek Bhardwaj, and Kyle Chang travelled to the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain for the competition. They were supported by Lazaridis School’s Associate Professor Sofy Carayannopoulos and alumna Samantha Sells (BBA/BMath ’19).
During the competition, which ran March 26 to 31, 2023, the team took part in two three-hour business case studies, followed by a larger and more complicated 12-hour case. Case study subjects included improving talent acquisition for Certest, a bio-technology diagnostic tool company; integrating luxury wines with high-quality art with a mission to increase sales through an international expansion strategy at a local winery; and identifying an expansion strategy with new product offerings for a telecom company in Latin America.
Team members: Samantha Sells, Matthew Donovan, Isaac Fisher-Jhirad, and Ruslan Nikolaev
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos
Highlights: From March 11-17, a team of four Lazaridis School of Business and Economics students travelled with Dr. Sofy Carayannopoulos to Pamplona, Spain to participate in the sixth annual University of Navarra International Case Competition (UNICC). Over the course of six days, the team participated in the two three-hour and one 24-hour case competition, winning their division in each stage, and eventually going on to take gold.
The UNICC is a prestigious, international case competition that attracts top business schools from around the globe. While numerous schools apply, annually only 16 schools are invited to participate.
2022: Second place
The Sydney International Business Competition is coordinated and managed by Sydney Consulting Club, the University’s premier consulting society on campus. From the amazing events and social gatherings to the challenging and mind-stimulating competition they have planned, the team is dedicated to creating an unmatched experience for all competitors.
Team members: Abigail Leu, Allison Sutherland, Connor Sinclair, and Imaad Mian.
Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos.
Highlights: A team of Lazaris Schoool undergraduate students won second place in the 2022 University of Sydney Business School Case Competition (USCC). The international competition was held remotely and brought together 11 teams from leading universities around the world.
This year’s business challenge was to create and present a new business model for electrification and public transit. The pitches were presented to a team from JOLT, an electric vehicle charging company with operations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.
2025: Second place
2024: Entrepreneurs' Choice Award
2023: Second place
2018: Second place
The Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) allows students to immerse themselves in the role of venture capitalists and demonstrate their abilities in planning and execution while gaining valuable real-world insights.
The competition evaluates participants based on their thorough preparation and strategic implementation and offers a dynamic platform for students to delve into the nuances of venture capital investment. By engaging in simulated investment scenarios, students are challenged to make crucial decisions under pressure, replicating the scenarios faced by actual venture capitalists.
Team members: Calvin Groen, Mikhail Karmali, Huzaifa Saeed, Ishani Sinnarajah, Varunn Vasulo and Avery Whelan.
The Lazaridis School team won second place at VCIC 2025.
Team members: Reilly Barker, Nicolas Brandreth, Jasdeep Brar, Shaylon Godse, William MacLeod, Jimmy Zhan
Team members: Nicholas De Sario, Lara Unal, Mitchell Switzer, Daniel Frank, Umar Kapadia, and Thomas Dixon
Highlights: Competing with schools from across Canada, students were provided information on three early-stage companies seeking financing and given an opportunity to interview the company founders before presenting their recommendations to judges serving in the role of venture capital partners.
Team members: Henry Baulier, Pietro de Bottis, Joon-Woo (John) Lee, Raymond Haffar, and Marcus Monocha
Highlights: Lazaridis MBA students put their classroom theory to the test, winning silver at the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC), which was held at St. Mary’s University on March 2. This Canadian competition is based on the international VCIC, which sees more than 75 universities from around the world compete annually in North Carolina.
The VCIC prides itself on its unique style. It is unlike any other case competition business students can compete in, and is the only place students immerse themselves as venture capitalists. At VCIC, community-based startups pitch their businesses to groups of students who, working as angel investors, choose not only which business they would fund, but also the terms of the funding and their reasons for their support. Students are judged by industry professionals on their analysis, insights and rigour over the course of the competition.