TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Student teams from the Florida State University College of Business took first place and third place in the Second Annual FSU/SouthState Bank Small Business Case Competition.

The two-day event took place at the Turnbull Florida State Conference Center on March 1-2.

While FSU Panama City’s team did not land in the top four places (out of 17 teams competing), one junior student, Alonzo Lozada, has committed to lead a Panama City team to victory in 2025. 

“This cohesive team—Wade Wilmot, Cameryn Boswell, Alonzo Lozada, Neha Deshpande, and Rose Romanillos—created unique business solutions not presented by any other team. They were impressive,” said Wendy Ritz, D.B.A., associate teaching professor of Marketing at FSU PC.

“FSU PC students enrolled in the Business Administration and Accounting programs are eligible to participate on the team,” Ritz added. “Participation is above and beyond any course work, requires hours of market research, analysis of financial documents, and requires data-driven solutions, which are presented live in front of judges from industry and faculty from the college of business.”

The collegiate Small Business Case Competition is sponsored by Florida State University's College of Business and business sponsor South State Bank. Together, Professor L.J. Mahon of the FSU Finance Department and LeDon Jones, executive vice president of South State Bank, selected a business challenge that was revealed to the teams one month prior to the competition in Tallahassee.

In this case, teams had four weeks to prepare presentations on how Alabama’s Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority could increase ridership and improve operations financially and environmentally.

Teams from 11 academic institutions throughout the Southeastern U.S. presented proposals. A pre-event dinner and networking opportunity featured a keynote speech from Mark Thompson, president of SouthState Bank’s Southern Banking Group.

According to reporting from the FSU College of Business, FSU’s team of Steven Martinez, Ryan Deuitch, Ibrahim Gillani and Daniel White won the competition and a $1,500 first prize. The university’s team of Marisa Balzano, Anaya Daniel and Stephanie Remy placed third and won $750. A team from the University of Alabama placed second and won $1,000, while a team from Florida A&M University placed fourth and won $500.

Darren Brooks, MBA director and assistant dean for executive and professional programs in the FSU College of Business, said the competition aims to help students develop the technical and human skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly complex and competitive business environment.

“I was extremely pleased with the caliber of students competing, as well as the range of ideas that were proposed,” Brooks said. “Thank you to the student teams for a job well done. I am already excited for these universities to return for our third annual event next year.”

Ritz and Joseph Krupka, DBA, the Accounting Program coordinator and Financial Planning Program co-coordinator, will open the 2025 team to interested students in January 2025. The 2025 FSU-PC team will include four to five students, Ritz said.

PHOTO:
Florida State University Panama City’s student team competed in the Second Annual FSU/SouthState Bank Small Business Case Competition in Tallahassee earlier this month. [Photo Courtesy of Wendy Ritz, DBA}