As the hub of global experiential learning at the Smith School, the Center for Global Business provides programming featuring alumni, industry professionals and opportunities for students interested in international business.
On Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, students from across the university had the opportunity to participate in the Careers Crossing Borders: The Case Interview Competition. The case competition has been part of the center since 2023.
The case featured AkriVita, a women-owned biomed technology company specializing in microcapillary needles for precision microinjection. The case required students to provide recommendations to Kinneret Rand-Yadin, Founder and CEO of AkriVita, on a potential expansion plan and market entry opportunities for the Maryland-based biotech company. Students presented factors that the company should consider in selecting markets and also what internal adjustments would help with the proposed expansion.
The four student teams were made up of undergraduate and graduate students from the Smith School, as well as students from other schools at the University of Maryland. Presentations were evaluated on a variety of criteria by a panel made up of faculty, industry professionals and alumni. Judges included Paulo Prochno, clinical professor of management and organization, Jessie Sweet, MBA ’14, director of strategy, NextGen Evidence Generation, Oncology Global Medical, AstraZeneca, Steve Miller, trade and investment officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Babafemi Adegbite, MBA ’17, energy officer, U.S. African Development Foundation, Brad Gillenwater, business and innovation development manager, Life Sciences Group, Maryland Department of Commerce, and Robin Wiener, CEO and Principal, Get Real Consultants.
“Because this is the competition of the Careers Crossing Borders series, we have added criteria that are meant to evaluate competencies that are part of having a global mindset, such as global business savvy, tolerance of ambiguity, and adaptability, in addition to the traditional criteria such as delivery, evidence, critical thinking, etc.,” said Marina Augoustidis, associate director, Center for Global Business.
The event not only gives students the opportunity to flex their business acumen but also provides an opportunity to build their network. “This is a unique chance for students to practice their global mindset skills in a case competition environment, get to know students across campus and a chance to network with professionals you might seek opportunities from in the future,” Augoustidis added.
As the judges’ panel announced the winning team, Rand-Yadin thanked the participants and shared that she learned different things from each presentation. “It opened a new window for me to think about global commercialization, which countries to reach out to and how to do it,” she said. “I learned a lot from each one of you, so that was an amazing experience.”
The first-place team included students Ashley Chavez ’27, a marketing student, Kelly Kameni-Ngotcho ’26, an information science major with a GIS minor, Carolyn Lee ’26, a QUEST student studying comp sci with a computational finance minor and a master’s in quantitative finance, Tiffany Wang ’26 an international business major and Anuj Yadav, MBA ’26, and also pursuing an master’s in supply chain.
“I think what we did best was as soon as we got ourselves together, we shared what our strengths were,” said Chavez.
“The case was really interesting and challenging,” said Yadav. Kameni-Ngotcho added that the team focused on the users and made sure to learn information not only from the questions they asked as a team, but also from what other teams asked Rand-Yadin during the Q&A session.
Programs like this are sponsored by the Center for Global Business because of student interest in tailored career programming that focuses on global business. The Careers Crossing Borders series seeks to provide hands-on opportunities and speaking events with global industry professionals so that students can explore international career paths.
The Careers Crossing Borders series is provided in part by CIBE, a Title VI grant administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.