WWU graduate students showcase MBA project

4/16/2012 Mary Ann Beahon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (573) 592-1127

 

Two William Woods University graduate students were selected to showcase their project during the Regional Economic Development, Inc. Entrepreneurial Summit earlier this year.

Michelle Ponce and Hilary Davis, both of Fulton, entered REDI's competition, IdeaBounce, which called for individuals or teams in mid-Missouri to propose a venture idea. From the hundreds of other entries, theirs was among 15 that were chosen for the summit.
 
Both young women work at Central Technology Systems in Jefferson City and are pursuing their Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees through WWU's Graduate College. They are also both graduates of WWU's Management Information Systems program.
 
During the final competition, Ponce and Davis gave a two-minute speech before a panel of four judges who came from varied backgrounds.
 
Ponce and Davis came up with their project idea, Integrated Web Solutions, by focusing on what they thought would gain the attention of other people.
 
"We were tired of hearing the typical MBA projects, so we wanted to do something a little different to catch everyone's attention," explained Davis. "We decided on what's popular right now, what's catching everyone's attention, which is obviously social media."
 
Ponce added, "We also focused on usability testing."
 
While the William Woods students didn't win, they savored the experience.
 
 "Unfortunately we didn't get it (the top prize)," Davis said, "but we took it as a compliment that out of hundreds of applicants we had the opportunity to participate."

Xiaoke (Jessica) Cui, a senior in the University of Missouri's Trulaske College of Business School of Accountancy, won top prize. She presented a product concept and prototype for a specialized women's shoe that easily transitions from a half-inch heel to a 3.5-inch heel.
She developed the product to accommodate women who wear fashionable shoes while carrying a more functional pair for walking. A pair of shoes that could do both, she decided, would solve the problem.
                                                           
CUTLINE:
Michelle Ponce (left) and Hilary Davis