The University of Alabama’s MBA Case Team won the 2026 Mind-to-Market Case Challenge hosted by Iowa State University’s Ivy College of Business on March 7. Delivered in partnership with the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, this case competition focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship.
The team of Cameron Bruneau, Jade McGee, Mallory Sublette, and Riley Durbin tackled a challenge from Rise Energy, an emerging clean energy startup. In less than 24 hours, the team analyzed the company’s novel biomass-to-energy technology and developed a 10-year commercialization strategy designed to responsibly scale production while positioning the firm as a leader in the bio-oil market.
“The competition was intense. We had just under 20 hours to analyze the problem, build our recommendation and prepare to present,” said Durbin. “But the preparation we’ve done as a team helped us stay focused and deliver a solution backed by strong data and research.”
Their recommendation included a phased market entry plan, strategic manufacturing partnerships, data-driven expansion modeling, and a roadmap for industry positioning and revenue growth. The team presented their solution directly to company executives and judges, receiving strong praise for the rigor of their analysis, the clarity of their recommendations and their professionalism throughout the competition.
“What made this case especially meaningful was the opportunity to engage directly with the company’s leadership and present recommendations that could genuinely shape their future,” said Sublette. “Knowing that many of our ideas are already on their strategic horizon made the experience incredibly rewarding.”