Siena Business Students Earn National Recognition

Siena made it to the final round of an inaugural collegiate business plan competition and it's no wonder - the mission of the hosting organization mirrors that of Siena's School of Business.

B Academics was founded to advance the academic study, teaching and practice of business as a force for good, to help inspire future business leaders to build ethical and inclusive ventures. When Kayla Waters, CPA, MST, teaching professor of taxation and accounting at Siena, learned B Academics was hosting a new B Corp Case Competition, she put out the call for Saints who might be interested in taking part.

Randy Carroll '27, Emma Andros '26, Sam Sterantino '26 and Emily Choppy '27 answered the call and formed RESE Consulting (based on the first letters of their first names). Out of the 64 teams from 35 colleges and universities that entered the March 27 online competition, they made it to the final round of seven entrants with their plan to install solar panels on the boutique resort hotels in the andCo Hospitality chain. The ultimate winner was a team from the University of California, Berkeley, with the University of Maryland in second place.

If you want to check out the four-minute Siena presentation, click here and go to the 15:28-minute mark.

Team leader Carroll said competing was a phenomenal experience.

"We worked through a rigorous, real-world strategy problem against more than 60 teams and finishing as finalists, which pushed us in ways that coursework alone doesn't," said Carroll. "The process sharpened our ability to build a defensible argument under pressure, and I hope our placement can serve as a catalyst for more of this kind of work at Siena."

Waters noted that B Corp' goals are very much in line with Siena's Franciscan mission.

"This competition felt as though it was tailor-made for Siena students and our new interdisciplinary sustainability minor," she said. "The B Corp Certification standards show students how sustainability, business decision making, and financial success go hand-in-hand. I am incredibly proud of the team's research, analysis, and creativity in their recommendations! Their success is a testament to Siena's experiential learning and values driven curriculum."

Andros said the case competition introduced her to "a new perspective of the intersection between financial performance and sustainable development." Her highlight was not only being invited to present at the final pitch, "but also being able to witness the creative ideas brought forth by the other finalists."

Choppy said she enjoyed working with others and collaborating toward a common goal, and welcomed the opportunity to practice her public speaking and presentation skills.

"This competition gave me hands-on experience working towards creating a more sustainable future, something that will serve me well in my career after completing my environmental studies degree here at Siena," she said.

Rashmi Assudani, Ph.D., dean of the School of Business, congratulated the team on their success.

"Congratulations to the students and to Professor Kayla Waters! The drive of our students to participate in and compete at experiences such as the B Corp Case Competition validates and reinforces the distinctive nature of a Siena School of Business education - one that is values-driven, experiential, and consequential not only to student learning, but also to society at large," said Assudani.