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Case in Point

Business Solutions Competition – Feb. 28, 2025 Case in Point

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Challenge your skills

Case in Point Business Solutions Competition

Feb. 28, 2025

The Sentry School of Business and Economics has found a client with a pressing business challenge, and it will be your job to find the best solution in the 2025 Case in Point Business Solutions Competition! At the kick-off meeting, you will meet the client and hear about its problem. A month later, the teams will pitch their solutions to judges and $5,000 in prizes will be awarded for the best presentations.

Win or lose, you will have fun while building your creative-thinking and problem-solving skills. Plus, you’ll have an awesome resume booster that will set you apart!

Register to Attend 2025 Kickoff Photos 2025 Draft Photos 2024 Results + Photos Think Like an Entrepreneur program

Prize Money

$2,500
1st Place Team
$1,500
2nd Place Team
$1,000
3rd Place Team
Case in Point Competition

How it works

  • Open to all UWSP undergraduate students: all majors, freshman to senior
  • Apply as an individual
  • Teams of 4-6 students will be formed based on skills
  • Coaches will guide teams through the problem-solving process
  • Limited to 30 students
  • Jan. 27 Kickoff Dinner counts as a bonus Smiley Professonal Event (advanced networking)
  • Feb. 28 Case in Point Competition counts as a bonus Smiley Professional Event

2025 Competition Timeline

Team members will have weekly one-hour meetings with their coaches plus work independently on research and preparation.

12/3

Application Deadline (8 a.m.)

12/13

Accepted applicants notified by email

1/27

Kickoff Dinner at Great Northern Distilling (5:30-8 p.m.)

2/28

Case in Point Competition in DUC Alumni Room (10 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Case in Point Competition

HOW TO APPLY

Application is now closed

To apply for Case in Point, follow these steps: 

  • Read “The Dream Team: Hipster, Hacker, Hustler, and Hound”
  • Complete Application, including:
    • Resume: Strong candidates will highlight experiences in starting new ventures, conducting research, participating in business competitions, solving workplace problems, and/or delivering presentations.
    • LinkedIn profile
  • Applications due by 8 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

The Teams

2025

Case in Point - Coach Fran Reinert Ce

The Franberries

Coach Fran Reinert Ce

Allison Loch
Jack Blair
Josh Heuss
Mylee Nickel
Meet the Team
Case in Point - Coach Corey Huck

The Hucksters

Coach Corey Huck

Gerrit Brinkman
Mike Brierton
Danielle Wettstein
Sophia Bley
Meet the Team
Case in Point - Coach Jordan Juliani

Recipe for Success

Coach Jordan Juliani

Emma Mullin
Brook Peterson
Ethan Lebeck
Nathan LaRue
Meet the Team
Case in Point - Coach Sean Jordan

Case of the Munchies

Coach Sean Jordan

Alexis Barker
Kylee Houfe
Garrett Staszak
Yeleng Yang
Meet the Team
Case in Point - Coach Tim McKeough

Q the Music

Tim McKeough

Marisa Urban
Blake Lobner
Kyle Vandeleygraaf
David Kaminski
Meet the Team
Case in Point Client - Central Wisconsin Food Truck Association
Central Wisconsin Food Truck Association

Meet the client and challenge

2025

Established in 2023, the Central Wisconsin Food Truck Association (CWFTA) is on a mission to help mobile restaurants in Central Wisconsin thrive. We’re a collaborative effort between Portage County Business Council and dedicated food truck owners who make up our vibrant community.

Mission Statement: Our mission is to foster success within the mobile restaurant community through partnerships, mentorship and advocacy.

Vision Statement: Be the leading force for the existing and aspiring mobile culinary entrepreneurs in Central Wisconsin.

For the next month, students will work on the challenge posed by the CWFTA: How might we identify the value proposition of CWFTA membership and design a strategy to showcase it to existing and aspiring food truck entrepreneurs in Central Wisconsin?

The students have analyzed this challenge using Design Thinking, an innovative approach that emphasizes understanding the user’s or customer’s priorities and needs through interviews and observations.

By participating in Case in Point, the students have gained valuable experience while helping to improve our community. At the same time, the students have built key skills associated with an entrepreneurial mindset: creativity, problem-solving and teamwork.

Central Wisconsin Food Truck Association

Competition History

“The Case in Point competition allows us to collaborate directly with students who bring fresh perspectives and actively contribute to our mission. We’re eager to see the discoveries they’ll make as they dive into this project.”
Carolina Corral and Taylor Okerlund — Central Wisconsin Food Truck Association
“What an amazing group of students. Thank you for your thoughtful and intentional work. I can’t wait to take these ideas back to our staff and board!”
Sara Brish — Executive Director, Stevens Point Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
“These students are proof that our future is bright! Thoughtful, creative and professional presentations – a truly awesome job by all!”
Scott Steele — Judge, Church Mutual
“Outstanding job by all the teams in this competition. We are blessed to have a top tier university like UWSP in our community that invests and cares about their student’s professional development. Go Pointers!”
Javier Sotelo — Judge, Sentry
“Hats off to UW~Stevens Point, the coaches and faculty for continuing to provide fantastic opportunities to the students. And hats off to all the students who leaned into the opportunity!”
Rebecca Knutson — Judge, Aspirus

The Coaches

2025

Fran Reinert Cé

Fran Reinert Ce

  • Assistant Professor – Marketing
715-310-6868
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Corey Huck

Corey Huck

  • Professor – Health Sciences and Wellness
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Jordan Juliani

Jordan Juliani

  • Assistant Professor – Management
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Sean Jordan

Sean Jordan

  • Assistant Professor – Management
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Tim McKeough

Tim McKeough

  • Associate Lecturer – Sentry School of Business and Economics
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“From start to finish, I was able to learn a lot about problem solving but also creative thinking. Can’t wait to do it again next year!”
Anthony Spatoulas — 2024 Student Winner
“I am so greaful that I had the chance to be part of this competition! I learned so much from it and felt so empowered by it! Receiving the second place with my team was a great honor and an awesome result from all the work we put in as a team! ”
Arianna Bartoli — 2024 Student Participant
“This was an amazing opportunity and I’m forever grateful for the professional experience along with the learning experience.”
Angelica Stahl — 2024 Student Participant
“The competition was steep but our team came out on top, gaining great professional experience and skills along with generous scholarships from the generousity of Mark and Julie Smiley.”
Nathan Sankey — 2024 Student Winner
“While my team didn’t come out on top, I learned so much from this competition and made a ton of great connections.”
Brooke Peterson — 2024 Student Participant

Meet the Judges

Gabrielle Falkey

Gabrielle Falkey

Stone Press Food Truck

Connect
Olivia Molle, second from left, celebrates the opening of Stevie's with a group of MBA staff members.

Olivia Molle

Sentry; Stevie’s Food Truck

Connect
Scott Steele

Scott Steele

Church Mutual

Connect
James Witham

James Witham

CPS Café

Connect

Contact Us

Tim McKeough

Tim McKeough

  • Associate Lecturer – Sentry School of Business and Economics
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Reed Stratton

Reed Stratton

  • Associate Professor – Business
715-346-2728
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Carie Winn

Carie Winn

  • Outreach Specialist and Operations Manager – Sentry School of Business and Economics Anderson Classroom to Career (C2C) Center
  • Major Gifts Officer – Sentry School of Business and Economics
715-346-2448
View profile

Sponsors

Our donors help us provide unique experiences for our students and bring valuable expertise to our programs. This support gives our students the skills to excel. In the Sentry School of Business and Economics our donors truly do make a difference!

Mark and Julie Smiley met while attending UW-Stevens Point in the early 1980s. Mark is a 1985 business administration alumnus and Julie is a 1987 communication alumna. Since their time at UWSP, the Smileys settled in Baraboo and founded a manufacturing company headquartered in Port Washington called Badger Paperboard Inc., which continues to grow and expand to new locations throughout the U.S. Mark and Julie also raised a daughter and a son, both of whom now take active leadership roles in the family business.

Mark traveled back to Stevens Point to participate in a School of Business and Economics alumni panel discussion in 2014 as part of what is now known as the Smiley Professional Events. Since then, Mark and Julie have established two UWSP scholarships in business and communication as well as a program fund to support a variety of student opportunities relating to soft-skill development and professionalism.

School of Business and Economics Mark and Julie Smiley

Sentry School of Business and Economics reserves the right to adjust Case in Point guidelines as needed.