The 2025 IDEAcorps MBA Consulting Challenge Wraps as part of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week

By Loyola University on Mon, 03/31/2025 - 09:05 AchievementsCommunityCollege of Business

The 2025 IDEAcorps MBA Consulting Challenge, presented by Dr. Bobby and Lori Kent Savoie, brought together top-tier business minds from eleven MBA programs from across the country to support innovative startups and small business from across the New Orleans region. Hosted by Loyola University New Orleans and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development, this year's competition was as intense and inspiring as ever, with over $30,000 in prizes and funding awarded to MBA teams and clients alike.

As part of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW), the 11 MBA teams visited New Orleans for five days to work in-person with their company clients, as well visit some of New Orleans' innovation hot spots (which, this year, included the newly-renovated Caesar's Superdome, the New Orleans BioInnovation Center, and a private meeting with Barry Kern at Kern Studios), as well as networking and NOEW in Your Neighborhood events to showcase the opportunities for entrepreneurs in New Orleans. The trip was capped by the final pitch competition in Nunemaker Auditorium at Loyola University on Tuesday, March 25th, one of NOEW's leading events.

Loyola Marymount IDEAcorps team + founders and CECD staff

After six weeks of rigorous consulting, strategic problem-solving, and high-stakes presentations, The Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship at Loyola Marymount University emerged as the winner with their client, Tipzy, by leaning into the community-building aspect of the innovating music-request app, earning $20,000 for the Tipzy team and $5,000 for the MBA team. The Manderson Graduate School of Business University of Alabama and their client, SafePush, as well as The Harbert College of Business at Auburn University with their client, Cantaloupe AI, were named runners-up for their exceptional work and strategic insights.

The IDEAcorps MBA Consulting Challenge is no ordinary case competition—it’s a real-world, immersive experience where MBA teams partner with early-stage companies to tackle pressing business challenges. Teams spend six weeks working with their company clients to conduct market research, develop growth strategies, and present their findings to build a scale-up strategy that can truly move the needle and help their clients scale their revenue.

This year’s competition featured startups and small business from a variety of industries, from family-run stores to AI and healthcare tech.

The IDEAcorps MBA Consulting Challenge has been a cornerstone event for Loyola’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. It provides MBA students with unparalleled hands-on experience, startups with game-changing strategies, and New Orleans with a continued spirit of innovation and economic development.

"This year's IDEAcorps MBA Consulting Challenge has been another example of the dedication of the next generation to supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem - both here in New Orleans and beyond," says Sam McCabe, director at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development. "We had a blast working with such an incredible group of nearly 70 MBA students and 11 founders this year, and we can't wait to do it again next year!"

We look forward to seeing how this year’s startups grow with the support and insights gained from the competition. Congratulations again to Loyola Marymount University, Tipzy, and all the teams who made the 2025 IDEAcorps MBA Consulting Challenge a success!