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Capping off the first week of February, the Grossman Student Advisory Committee (GSAC) held the seventh annual Grossman Dean’s Cup Case Competition. This one-day business case competition provided ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë undergraduate students with a valuable opportunity to apply and test their analytical skills outside the classroom and gain real-world experience. Strong connections were forged with ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë faculty, alumni, and business leaders of Vermont and beyond. The competition offered a chance to refine presentation techniques and provides the opportunity to win prizes. This experience serves as excellent preparation for students interested in competing in larger, international case competitions against other universities from around the world. 

Case Competitions Means Solving Real Problems

Students put their classroom learning into practice to determine how Rhino Foods Inc. - manufacturer of cookie dough for Ben & Jerry’s, could balance its operational and people centric goals. Leading up to the competition, 9 teams of 2-4 students had a week to develop their recommendations and analyses for the case study. They then presented their innovative solutions to a panel of judges who evaluated their work and provided feedback. The competition unfolded in two rounds:  Round 1 presentations took place at the Grossman School of Business, where judges assessed each team based on a variety of criteria.  After deliberation, the finalists advanced to Round 2 later that day. 

The judging panel was made up of several faculty, alumni, and business leaders, including George Wrenn III of Bain Consulting Company in Boston. The panel provided insightful feedback to the competitors, highlighted opportunities for improvement and growth in future case competitions, and had the difficult task of selecting the finalists and winners.

2025 Grossman Dean’s Cup Finalists

First Place: Joe Anderson, Anka Delos Reyes & Victoria Madison

Second Place: Joshua Moore, Ben Weaver, and Alexander Rubin


2025 Grossman Dean’s Cup Best Presenter Award

Overall: Alexander Rubin

The closing remarks were delivered by faculty members Professor Thomas Chittenden, GSAC co-presidents Ally Updegrove & Uschi Larson, along with judges Ted Castle, Founder of Rhino Foods Inc. – the featured case, and Caitlin Goss of Middlebury College (previously at Rhino Foods), and Enerino Caruccio of Amazon and GE. Their remarks celebrated the hard work and dedication of both the students and the GSAC team, acknowledging their significant contributions and accomplishments.

This year's Dean's Cup was organized by GSAC; led by Dean’s Cup Committee lead Otto Berckmueller and under the faculty leadership of Professor Thomas Chittenden and GSB Event Coordinator Ellery Hunt, and a special thank you is extended to all the judges that participated this year. 

Judges:
Myron Sopher: Managing Partner of InTrack Investment Management
David Greer: Managing Director at Keystone Capital
Marian Fritz: Lecturer at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë
Marie-France Nelson: Senior Lecturer at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë
Theodora Welch: Assistant Professor at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë
Gene Steinfeld: Director of Operations at Rhino Food, Inc
Michael Tomas: Associate Professor at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë
Joanne Pencak: Former Professor from ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë
Mike Simoneau: Realtor/Broker at Geri/Reilly Real Estate
Steven Gagner: Full-time lecturer at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë

Finals Judges:
Enerino Caruccio: Former VP/Finance Executive at Amazon & GE 
George Wrenn: Consultant at Bain & Company
Ted Castle: Owner and President of Rhino Foods, Inc 
Cailtlin Goss: VP for HR/Chief People Officer at Middlebury College 

Learn more about how you can become involved with or compete in future Grossman School of Business’ case competitions. 

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About the Author

Sophie is a sophomore at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë studying Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a theme is Sustainable Business. She’s a Vermont native from Hinesburg; in her spare time, she enjoys reading, art, and spending time with family, friends, and pets.

Photos – Josh Wallace