COBI Events and Programs

Neff College of Business and Innovation Hosts 2nd Annual Innovathon Competition, Features Cake in a Cup

Dec. 2, 2022 | John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation News
By John Anderson III


The John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation hosted its second annual Innovathon Competition over the course of the fall 2022 semester. The competition culminated on Friday, Dec. 2 with the student participants presenting their solutions to real-world issues facing a local small business.

The Innovathon featured Cake in a Cup, a female-led and locally owned business with a history of more than 20 years serving the Toledo area. The organization is a cozy bakeshop specializing in inventive cupcakes with a range of toppings, plus other sweet treats.Finalists and judges from the 2022 Innovathon competition pose for a photo following the announcement of the winners.

Like many small firms, Cake in a Cup faces multiple challenges, but it also finds opportunities for improvement and growth. A detailed, hour-long interview was completed with a co-owner of Cake in a Cup to provide insights into the company, its history, challenges and opportunities. Upon registration for the Innovathon Competition, participants were sent the video of the interview to review and analyze.

All undergraduate and graduate students in good standing at The University of Toledo were eligible to compete. Participating teams consisted of 1 to 4 individuals.

The competing student groups were required to submit a report of no more than 3,000 words by Nov. 6. These reports were evaluated by a group of judges, and the top five were selected as finalists. These groups then presented live to a panel of seven judges on Dec. 2, discussing innovative solutions to some of Cake in a Cup’s most glaring challenges.

They addressed obstacles in the company’s marketing strategies, supply chain issues, human resource complications and strategic planning.

The five teams’ presentations lasted 20 minutes each, including time for a question-and-answer period.

“It was a humbling experience to have such talented students evaluate our company,” said Lori Jacobs, co-owner of Cake in a Cup. “The finalists all presented comprehensive research on the organization and provided actionable recommendations that we can undertake in the long- and short-term to benefit us.”

Ultimately, after the five finalist teams presented and a lengthy deliberation amongst the judges, the top three winners were selected.

The winner of the 2022 Neff Innovathon competition is solo participant, Allison McDaniel; second place was a team consisting of Andrew Paule and Kevin Bishop; and the third-place team was made up of Lily Sprock and Darius Valdez. Honorable mention finalists included Md Golam Kibria, Siddhesh Mahadik and Riya Chavan.Allison McDaniel, winner of the 2022 Neff Innovathon, poses with competition director, Marcelo Alvarado-Vargas and Dean Anne Balazs.

The winning team was presented with a prize of $1,500, while second place took home $500 and third place was awarded $250.

“The principal objective for the 2022 Neff Innovathon was to connect our students with a local family-owned business by understanding its challenges and proposing innovative solutions and recommendations.” said Dr. Alvarado-Vargas, associate professor and Innovathon director.

"Students’ written reports and the finalists’ oral presentations were above our expectations in terms of quality of analysis and presentation skills. This competition is a small part of all programs and resources available at the Neff College of Business and Innovation and the support of the Dean’s Office for academic-related activities with community outreach.”

Last Updated: 8/13/23