NobleReach and Howard University Officials Award Winners of MBA Case Competition Focused on Strengthening Supply Chains by Harnessing AI

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Last week, NobleReach sponsored Howard University’s 19th annual National Minority Case Competition. At this two-day conference, 11 teams comprised of top MBA talent competed to solve real-world challenges, with this year’s focus on strengthening supply chains by harnessing artificial intelligence (AI). After the competition, teams from the University of Alabama (1^st place), Georgia State University (2^nd place), and The Ohio State University (3^rd place) were named winners and awarded over $30,000 in cash prizes for their accomplishments.

This year’s theme, Future-Ready Supply Chains: Integrating AI for Global Social Impact, challenged teams from 11 universities nationwide to develop a comprehensive strategy for strengthening supply chains by leveraging AI. Participating universities included Georgia State University, The Ohio State University, Boston University, University of Rochester, University of Alabama, Southern University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, North Carolina A&T State University, Suffolk University, Fayetteville State University, and Morgan State University.

“It was an honor to partner with Howard University and to have a front row seat to the hard work and ingenuity of these talented MBA students. They are passionate about solving today’s biggest problems and having a positive impact on our future, and I congratulate them on their many achievements,” said Dr. Linda Bixby, Executive Vice President of Academic Partnerships, NobleReach.

“Congratulations to all the winners and participants of the National Minority Case Competition! Your exceptional work demonstrated your innovative thinking and highlighted the pivotal role our MBA students play in shaping the future of technology. At Howard University, we are incredibly proud to see students leading the charge in finding creative solutions to global challenges,” said Dr. Mariko Carson, Director of Graduate Affairs, Howard University School of Business. “Thank you to our sponsors and to NobleReach for helping to create this year’s memorable competition.”

“There’s nothing more powerful than combining the skills and commercial sensibility you learn in business school and an awareness of the problems that can only be solved by the private and public sectors working together,” said keynote speaker Sreenivas (Sree) Ramaswamy, Fellow, NobleReach and former senior advisor to the 40^th US Secretary of Commerce. “The most important lesson I took from my time in government is that public service-minded business talent is the most essential component of strengthening American competitiveness.”

Teams were evaluated on whether their plans aligned with national security priorities and whether they made a positive social impact by ensuring ethical and sustainable supply chains. A panel of judges from NobleReach judged teams on their creativity, clarity, quality of analysis, and more. The winning team was awarded $12,000, the first runner-up received $10,000, and the third received $8,000.

Media can find b-roll HERE and photos can be found HERE.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Katharine Viles

Director of Communications

katharine.viles@noblereachfdn.org