SEBA Case Study Creates Opportunity for Student Impact

Hidden Masterpiece of the Bay. The Family Friendly Hiking Capitol of the East Bay. Moraga, a Dog Owners Paradise. Walk the Rock. Small Town, Big Adventure. These are the branded taglines that were suggested by student teams vying for first prize during the SEBA Business Case Study competition held on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Soda Center on the Saint Mary’s campus. And the winner is….Walk the Rock!

In the spirit of collaboration, the Moraga Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Moraga, and Saint Mary’s College of California organized a business case competition for students in the Business Administration Strategy Class (BUSAD 140), where they worked for several months to develop a business plan to brand Moraga as a prime destination for hiking and outdoor activities. The desire was to also include a mix of retail elements to help increase patronage for local businesses and entrepreneurs.

Five student teams took to the stage to present their case studies in front of a packed house of attendees; and seven judges ranked them on a scale of one to five, using the following criteria: competitive advantage, market need, potential for success, financial needs, and presentation. “These students have put in a lot of time and a lot of effort, and they were really, really engaged in this, and they wanted to win,” said Kathe Nelson, executive director, Moraga Chamber of Commerce. “I think all of them gave fabulous presentations, but the winning team went into more depth about the practical aspect and what actually could be put in place.”

Drum roll: The winning business case was provided by team four—who presented a concept that would maintain the simple and rustic essence of Moraga, sprinkled with a bit of technology. “We want Moraga to stay Moraga,” said team four member Anthony Tucci ’20. Their plan included Snapchat geocoding, 3.9 miles of hiking trails, a dog park, nine-hole golf course, bocce ball courts, and small retail elements that will feel like neighborhood mom and pop shops. “The winning group stood out to me because they had the Snapchat geocoding and offered a method of branding that really is unique,” said Cynthia Battenberg, town manager, Moraga. “Team four was my favorite plan because it was a unique idea that no one else had thought about and conveyed an idea that I would have never thought of.”

As part of the BUSAD curriculum in Assistant Professor Marco Aponte-Moreno’s class, five student teams conducted thorough research and competitive and benchmarking analysis, including industry trends, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, revenue and expenditure forecasting, and key market and financial factors, among others.

The students’ work has the potential to make a real difference in the town of Moraga.  Recently, the iconic Painted Rock was acquired by the John Muir Land Trust, and there have been ongoing discussions about the feasibility and viability of branding Painted Rock and the Town of Moraga as a destination point to attract hikers and outdoor enthusiasts from throughout the Bay Area and beyond. The opportunity for Saint Mary’s business students to develop a case study to address this issue proved to be exciting, and the added opportunity to win $5,000 was an added perk.

The seven judges, representing a cross-section of high-level business executives and community leaders, included (L-R):

• Grant Stubblefield '07, Owner, Neighborhood Computers
• Linus Eukel, Executive Director, John Muir Land Trust
• Anil Dasu, Chief Engineering Officer, AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Cynthia Battenberg, Manager, Town of Moraga
• Tina Colacino, Principal, US Realty Partners
• Tim Hennessey, Managing Director, PGIM Real Estate
• Kathe Nelson, Executive Director,  Moraga Chamber of Commerce

“Team four was kind of the best because it was the most well-rounded” said Grant Stubblefield ’07, owner of Neighborhood Computers. “It had something for everybody. Dog park, a bocce ball court; they had really thought about it. They’d also taken a stab at the financials, whereas a lot of the other participants did not because they thought that it was a little out of their realm, I think. And, it’s a big project.”

SEBA Dean Elizabeth Davis provided the welcome and program overview, and Aponte-Moreno introduced the judges and provided the challenge overview. After the student presentation and judging, Davis announced the winners.

When the first through third place winners were announced, oversized checks for the scholarships were handed to the teams, making for perfect photo opportunities. Team 4, comprised of all seniors, was giddy with joy at being named the grand prize winners. “I’m a senior, and I pushed to get everybody started. That’s kind of the role I like to play in groups because I don’t like procrastinating. We got the ideas going and worked hard, but it was fun at the same time,” said Tucci.

Caitlin Fong ’20 shared her joy at being on the winning team. “I worked on the branding strategy, really focusing on gathering locals to essentially participate. Great team effort from everybody. Just really working hard with everybody was a really fun time.”

The team gave extra kudos to fellow member Matthew Ouellet ’20, who worked on the financial projections. “Everyone had an important role to play, and it all came together like we wanted. I did not expect this, so it’s fantastic that our group pulled together and made such an amazing project together,” he said.

Katina Biggers ’20 summed up the evening: “Our group really thought through all the possible speed bumps that we could encounter, so we were pretty equipped to answer the judge’s questions. We are truly a team, and we’re so happy that the judges loved our plan.”

Get ready to Walk to Rock!