FALL 2023 - SPRING 2024

Snoice

Company: Snoice is a family-owned, Filipino-American dessert shop in South San Diego. Founded in 2015 as a humble pop-up bar, it has grown into a beloved community brand famous for customizable boba teas, Taiwanese-inspired shaved snow, and Filipino halo-halo. Built by former NYC startup professionals, Snoice combines modern operational design with heritage-led values to celebrate culture, foster connection, and empower the local community.

Presentation Prompt: The team will design a localized B2B marketing, sales, and pricing strategy to scale Snoice’s dessert catering business across Southern California. To do this, the team must analyze the San Diego dessert landscape, identify high-margin pricing models, and construct customized lead-generation playbooks for Private Events (Weddings, Birthdays), Corporate, Schools, and Community partners. Finally, the team will formulate an organic and paid customer acquisition strategy—focusing on premier digital wedding directories (such as Zola, The Knot, and WeddingWire)—and deliver an operational implementation roadmap built on industry-standard catering best practices.

Artal Forest

Company: Artal Forest is an eco-friendly, FSC-certified forestry group founded in 2004 that manages Finca Matilda, a sustainable teak (Tectona grandis) plantation in Costa Rica. By employing local communities, avoiding indigenous lands, and using zero pesticides or artificial irrigation, Artal Forest has successfully cultivated one million trees that provide a highly durable, weather-resistant alternative to natural-forest timber.

Presentation Prompt: The team will design a comprehensive U.S. market-entry and commercial distribution plan to launch Artal Forest's sustainably grown teak wood under HTS Code 4407.29.0131. To do this, the team must conduct an in-depth analysis of the U.S. tropical hardwood industry—calculating the addressable market size, tracking historical import volumes, evaluating competing wood types (like Brazilian Ipe), and identifying target client segments based on grade requirements (P+ vs. BC grade). Finally, the team will establish a strategic positioning map, draft a high-priority U.S. B2B buyer list, and map out a step-by-step regulatory roadmap covering Costa Rican export controls, USDA APHIS phytosanitary permits, and Lacey Act compliance.

The International Political and Economic Forum (IPE)

IPE: An annual project in which SIBC teams from all three SIBC schools research, prepare and   present their findings on a current topic of political economy. The judges are the SIBC donors, SIBC alumni and leading industry professionals. IPE is a “friendly” case competition type project in which students will gain invaluable research, executive presentation and teamwork skills.

Presentation Prompt: Teams must evaluate the global mandate of achieving Net Zero by drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing remaining carbon from the atmosphere. To address this challenge, presenters will analyze the critical international, political, and economic dimensions of environmental action and their profound consequences on future generations. Under the financial track, teams will assess how market tools like carbon taxes, cap-and-trade systems, and true cost pricing can effectively incentivize decarbonization. Simultaneously, the mitigation and adaptation track will examine how global actors are enhancing energy efficiency while implementing resilient pipelines to prepare for a changed climate. Finally, the innovation track will showcase the most promising technological developments and breakthrough solutions driving the transition to a sustainable, zero-emissions future.

Essential Kitchen

Company: Essential Kitchen is a premier 6,500-square-foot commercial kitchen incubator and business suite in South Queens, custom-built to support local culinary professionals, small food businesses, and community organizations. As the first shared commercial kitchen space in the area, our mission is to empower local food entrepreneurs to launch, grow, and sustain thriving businesses. We operate as a project of the nonprofit CHAE Corp, which is dedicated to creating economic opportunities and sustainable spaces in historically disinvested communities. Beyond physical space, we provide essential training and resources to help members navigate business compliance, secure insurance, and apply for valuable City, State, and Federal M/WBE contracts.

Presentation Prompt: To meet unprecedented local demand, Essential Kitchen is currently scaling to host 24 active businesses across three daily shifts while actively managing a waitlist of over 100 culinary entrepreneurs. Our Fall digital strategy focuses on streamlining the client onboarding pipeline, clearing email inquiry backlogs, and launching an SEO-optimized website complete with testimonials and new DoorDash photography. We are simultaneously deploying targeted social media campaigns built around detailed customer personas to elevate brand awareness and drive business-to-business demand. By Spring, we will launch a dedicated business accelerator project to assist new owners with payroll, insurance, and marketing, fueled by community project funding requests.

Colorful Zone(Enrilo)

Company: Colorful Zone(Enrilo) created an innovative digital health solution “Joyi”, a mobile application designed specifically to support individuals experiencing sub-clinical anxiety. While it features the engaging interface of a casual game, the app is actually a sophisticated, clinically validated psychoeducational tool that provides immediate stress relief and builds long-term emotional resilience. Its efficacy is backed by a rigorous clinical study conducted in collaboration with Seneca Polytechnic, proving its capacity to swiftly reduce anxiety levels. Serving as a proactive "digital vitamin," Joyi acts as a vital mental health lifeline for those who experience real anxiety symptoms but do not qualify for or have access to traditional clinical healthcare.

Presentation Prompt: This project evaluates the viability of integrating Joyi as a customized, white-label mental health resource within college and university wellness centers to support students facing academic and personal stress. To determine the app's potential fit, the research team is conducting primary market research using student surveys alongside targeted interviews and focus groups with campus administrators and student services. We are synthesizing these qualitative and quantitative insights with a comprehensive feature audit of Joyi to identify key product enhancements that align with institutional and student needs. Ultimately, our findings will be delivered through a comprehensive report, a high-level executive summary, and an oral presentation offering actionable recommendations to scale Joyi’s presence in higher education.

Butrfly

Company: Butrfly is a leading European cross-cultural exchange organization and the only officially recognized French agency specializing in au pair and international student housing services. We match trusted, thoroughly vetted au pairs aged 18 to 30 with host families to turn daily child care into an enriching, safe cultural journey. To expand our global footprint, we connect young Americans seeking gap years in Europe with local opportunities while matching French-speaking au pairs with US host families.

Presentation Prompt: This project evaluates the strategic feasibility of Butrfly expanding into the United States, analyzing whether to acquire an existing designated J-1 visa sponsor or petition for direct State Department authorization. Alongside navigating these complex regulatory pathways, we are developing a targeted global marketing plan to recruit young American professionals looking to live, work, and study in Europe. Ultimately, our research provides a tactical roadmap to establish a U.S. presence, successfully matching French au pairs with French-friendly American host families.

Artal Cacao

Company: Artal Cacao is an established Costa Rican agricultural producer cultivating 240 hectares of premium, high-value cacao varieties primarily exported to fine chocolate manufacturers in France. We specialize in harvesting high-quality, traceable cacao beans designed to meet the exacting standards of the specialty chocolate industry. Our operation is dedicated to preserving sustainable, biodiverse ecosystems while delivering exceptional raw materials that empower artisans to craft superior chocolate products.

Presentation Prompt: This market entry plan outlines the strategic roadmap for Artal Cacao's expansion into the United States, specifically targeting the rapidly growing premium "bean-to-bar" manufacturing segment. The project delivers a thorough analysis of the U.S. specialty cacao import landscape, competitor dynamics, and key FDA/USDA regulatory access pathways for Costa Rican agricultural goods. Ultimately, our research establishes an actionable B2B marketing and distribution framework—including a vetted list of premium U.S. distributors and manufacturers—to successfully position Artal as a preferred partner for direct-trade cacao.

Buyside

Buyside: An annual project in which SIBC teams from all three SIBC schools research, prepare and present their findings on financial and operational integration of Artificial Intelligence across global industries. The judges are the SIBC donors, SIBC alumni and leading industry professionals. IPE is a “friendly” case competition type project in which students will gain invaluable research, executive presentation and teamwork skills.

Presentation Prompt: This presentation delivers a comprehensive buy-side analysis evaluating the transformative impact of artificial intelligence across three critical economic sectors: healthcare, retail, and finance. Leading SIBC teams present targeted industry overviews, highlighting the most disruptive AI technologies and high-growth companies pioneering these spaces. Ultimately, the pitch outlines actionable, sector-specific investment recommendations designed to guide corporate capital toward high-performing AI enterprises.