CoB competitors vie for top honors in spring competitions

Competitions offer more than just the end prize. They make academic material come to life as students work in teams to analyze and evaluate outcomes, develop innovative solutions to real-world business problems and present their ideas to industry professionals. Participants gain substantial experience, accept loss and overcome challenges. Competitions allow students to showcase their skills, uncover personal aptitude and push themselves to do their best work.

The Consortium for Undergraduate International Business Education “Innovation Solutions"

Senior International Business student, Ryleigh O’Neil became a finalist in the The Consortium for Undergraduate International Business Education (CUIBE) “Innovation Solutions” essay competition. Her paper titled “Reforming U.S. Immigration Law” will now be published in the Journal for Global Business and Community.

In her letter to the current U.S. administration, Ryleigh thoughtfully addressed the pressing issue of the immigration crisis, recognizing it as a significant global challenge that requires immediate attention and compassionate action. Drawing on her deep understanding of the complexities surrounding immigration, she explored alternative solutions that went beyond traditional approaches, advocating for more humane and practical strategies.

2025 AIS Student Chapter Leadership Conference

The QForce team from the Association of Information Systems (AIS) chapter at JMU earned second place at the Post-Quantum Computing Security Challenge, held during the 2025 AIS Student Chapter Leadership Conference at the University of Alabama, March 27-29.

QForce developed a quantum-safe encryption solution and implementation strategy for a financial services company, balancing security, performance and cost, while ensuring regulatory compliance, which earned them recognition and secured their placement.

The event brought together over 50 chapters and 264 attendees from around the world, with five JMU teams selected as finalists in different competition tracks. The conference provided students with a valuable opportunity to network with peers and industry leaders, exchange ideas, enhance their professional skills and form lasting connections.

CFA’s second annual Virginia Stock Pitch Competition

Two College of Business teams were the top finishers in CFA’s second annual Virginia Stock Pitch Competition. Among the six top university teams, our two teams won first and second place. Students representing Team Nike claimed a first-place cash prize of $2,000, while the second place finishers, representing Jacob Solutions, collected a $1,000 prize.

Held in Richmond, the competition involved writing a financial analysis and investment recommendation for a selected company chosen by the CFA Society Virginia, and presenting a proposal to a panel of judges.

Rainey-Shepard-Kushel Business Plan Competition 

Now in its third decade, the Rainey-Shepard-Kushel Business Plan Competition showcased the best business plans developed by teams of students in COB 300. This 12-credit curriculum serves as the gateway to the College of Business, integrating fundamental principles of finance, management, marketing and operations.

On March 28, five student-teams advanced through two preliminary rounds to vie, in the finals, for scholarships totaling more than $50,000. Each team delivered a pitch and engaged in a question-and-answer session with the judges. Team UniView, LLC took home first place for their proposal for virtual reality college tour experiences. Read more.

Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA)

Seven of the nine DECA members who participated in the Advertising Campaign Competition at the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference in San Francisco received medals.    

Students competed against more than 1,000 of their peers from across the US, and finalists received awards for making it into the top 20 (seven of our attendees) and top 10 (three of our attendees) in their industry-specific events, which ranged from hospitality to advertising. 

In the Competitive Events Program, students participated in the Professional Development Series. The sessions and workshops provided them with a unique opportunity to gain real-world expertise and insight from industry professionals. 

2025 AMA International Collegiate Conference

Fourteen members of JMU’s American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter attended the 2025 AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans from April 3-5. The chapter received the Outstanding Collegiate Chapter Performance award in three categories: professional development, fundraising and chapter planning. They also received an honorable mention for their participation in the case competition.

With record attendance totaling more than 1,700, students had the opportunity to network with other AMA collegiate students and attend professional development workshops and panels led by top companies such as Deloitte and Gartner. They also joined the marketplace simulations, perfect pitch, sales and marketing strategy competitions. A junior Marketing major was one of 62 students who advanced to the final round of the perfect pitch competition, receiving an honorable mention out of nearly 500 students. 

University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition (UTISC)

Over the weekend of February 20-22, Alex Blenden, a junior Marketing major, and Rene Ayala, a sophomore Finance and Accounting double major, traveled to Toledo, Ohio, with Richard Tate, their coach and director of the Center for Professional Sales, to take part in the University of Toledo Invitational Sales Competition (UTISC).

Blenden advanced to UTISC's second round, ultimately securing third place among the third-year students with whom he was grouped. UTISC is unique in that it restricts participation to sophomores and juniors; seniors are not eligible. JMU was one of 38 universities which participated in this year’s competition. Read more.

National Student Advertising Competition

JMU’s student-run advertising agency, scratch pad, competed in the District 3 preliminaries of the National Student Advertising Competition, where they placed fifth overall. Tasked with developing a full-scale integrated campaign for AT&T to connect Gen Z with the brand through the theme “Connecting Changes Everything,” the team—composed of Marketing and Media Arts and Design students—showcased their strategic insight and creative execution as they faced off against the other schools.

The Fallon Challenge

The March 12 presentation of The Fallon Challenge brought together another impressive lineup of student-visionaries pitching their most innovative proposals to a panel of local business leaders. The competition marked its tenth year with support from the Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship and members of the Department of Business Management faculty. Each year, a single undergraduate entrepreneur (or two-member team) is chosen as having developed the best values-based business idea. Selection brings with it a $2,000 scholarship.

This year's winner was capSOUL, a clothing subscription service that would curate capsule wardrobes for children, while also coordinating a donation program to support those in foster care. It was conceived and created by Molly Johnson, a first-year student in JMU’s School of Media Arts and Design. Read more.