North Hosts Inaugural International Business Case Competition
May 3, 2025, marked an exciting milestone for North Seattle College as it proudly hosted its inaugural International Business Case Competition, bringing together 40 talented students from both North Seattle College and Seattle Central College for a dynamic day of collaboration, creativity, and strategic thinking.
The competition drew students from across Business and Accounting programs and showcased their ability to think critically and present innovative ideas in a real-world business context. Hosted in the newly renovated North Seattle College library, the morning kicked off with nine teams competing simultaneously in two classrooms, each team presenting before a panel of judges.
Students were challenged with a complex, 30-plus-page case study on Nespresso. With one week to prepare, they were tasked with developing a comprehensive and forward-thinking five-year youth market strategy for the portioned coffee category. Judges evaluated each team on the depth and clarity of their analysis, creativity in problem-solving, and the strength of their recommendations across several key business dimensions, including product lines, consumer targeting, marketing communications, pricing models, and distribution strategies.
Following the morning rounds, the four finalist teams were announced and quickly faced a surprise twist: the economic risk of stagflation. Given just one hour to adapt their presentations to this new economic challenge, the finalists rose to the occasion with energy and strategic insight.
The afternoon brought the competition to the college auditorium, where the final teams presented in front of a larger audience. Judges evaluated these second-round presentations on their understanding of consumer behavior, market differentiation, and sustainable tradeoffs. The competition was fierce, and the judges noted how impressed they were with the quality and professionalism of every team.
And the winners were...
- 1st Place: Maggie Frasier, Kelly Martin, and Michelle Sentevski – three non-traditional students from North Seattle College transitioning into new career paths.
- 2nd Place: Ryan Komba, Thokozani Shyrlen Sibo, Susanna Wu, and Sofia Jun – first-year business and accounting students from Seattle Central College.
- 3rd Place: Daniil Cherniak Khomchenko, Khatan-Erdene Khongor, and Khatanbold Khongor – recognized for the strongest financial analysis.
- 4th Place: Sarah Greenberg, Kaspar Marwick, Bush Phan, and Roger Tang – first-year business and accounting students from North Seattle College.
This landmark event was proudly sponsored by Student Leadership and made possible through the dedication of a small organizing committee and the enthusiastic support of 14 judges, including three faculty members from Seattle Colleges and 11 industry professionals, seven of whom are proud alumni of North's International Business Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) program.
"It was incredible to see former students now thriving in their careers, returning to support and mentor the next generation," said Nausica Zorzi, interim associate dean of Business and Accounting programs at North. "The energy, camaraderie, and professionalism we witnessed throughout the day reaffirmed the importance of providing real-world learning experiences."