Fletcher team FletcherConneX takes 1st place out of 42 teams at the 2021 Cornell SC Johnson EMI Case Competition
Fletcher’s team of five students (Mary Menzemer MIB ’22, Evan James Fontana MIB ’22, Clarisse Alpaert MALD ’22, Gaurav Sharma MALD ’23, and Jacqueline Balletto MIB ’22) took first place in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Emerging Markets Institute’s global business case competition on Friday, November 5, 2021. Typically held in Ithaca, NY, this year’s conference was the first of its kind held at Cornell Tech, Cornell University’s technology, business, law, and design campus located on Roosevelt Island in New York City.
Cornell’s Emerging Markets Institute was founded in 2010 with the aim to build cross-border bridges, encourage dialogue, and offer leadership opportunities in the context of emerging markets and global economies. The annual conference brings together educators and practitioners to present cutting-edge research centered around emerging markets. The program is directed by Lourdes Casanova, Senior Lecturer and Chair on the Academic Standards Committee at SC Johnson Graduate School of Management.
The 5th annual Emerging Markets Case Competition identifies and discusses the challenges real businesses and managers face today in emerging markets. The competition consisted of a week-long case study followed by a solution-pitch presentation by the five finalists. This year’s project theme focused on emerging market multinationals and building the future on ESG excellence. The team addressed the business challenges faced by the fictitious African e-commerce company, Totowaka. The competition comprised 42 entrants across seven countries. The other finalists represented Indiana University, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and the University of Dhaka. The FletcherConneX team incorporated digital and financial inclusion innovations, sovereign wealth fund engagement, and remittance solutions within the framework of the UN’s SDGs. These factors ultimately led them to stand out from the other teams. As Evan of the FletcherConneX team explained, “the case was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the interdisciplinary and 360° approaches the MIB and MALD programs bring to tackling global business and societal challenges.”