Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Midwest Entrepreneurship Case Competition attracts teams across the Midwest

May 1st, 2024

Assistant Professors Zoeanna Mayhook and Annette Bochenek co-planned the inaugural Midwest Entrepreneurship Case Competition (MECC) in partnership with other Midwest Academic Libraries. With generous sponsorship from SimplyAnalytics, this competition attracted students from five institutions: Indiana University–Bloomington, Michigan State University, Purdue University–West Lafayette, St Louis University, and University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Five teams, including 20 participants, advanced to the final round of presentations, which was held virtually on Saturday, February 24th. Winning teams received up to $1,000 in cash prizes.  

This year’s case centered around Bulk Sauce, LLC, a Purdue University startup specializing in protein-fortified BBQ sauces. To tackle this case, participants were granted complimentary access and training for SimplyAnalytics, a consumer data mapping and visualization tool. By conducting market research and keyword research, teams engaged in data-driven analysis and offered innovative market solutions, demonstrating their exceptional information literacy skills when solving real-world business problems.