Podium finish for Purdue students in motorsports case competition
“This opportunity really pushed me out of my comfort zone,” said Kate Albanese, senior in mechanical engineering. “It made me a lot more confident in the skills that I’ve developed over the last few years.”
The group, sponsored by Forza, included Albanese; Tatum Langston, senior in mechanical engineering technology from Purdue Polytechnic; Eliza Gaskill, senior in mechanical engineering; and Elke Roeser, junior in industrial engineering. Although they initially believed they had signed up for an engineering competition, the students were surprised —and excited— to participate in their first business competition.
“I don’t think any of us had realized it was a business competition,” said Gaskill. “Being some of the only engineers there, we decided to leverage our technical experience and skillsets.”
The competition consisted of two rounds, one virtual and one in-person, with a week allotted to prepare a presentation for each. In the first round, teams were tasked with developing a strategy to increase women’s participation in the motorsports industry. Their pitch, titled Ignite, Accelerate, and Sustain, focused on transforming passion into participation into progress. Their strategy included launching grant programs, shadowing opportunities, and databases to gain interest, provide support, and celebrate women in motorsports.
For round two, participants had to present a sponsorship strategy to increase the women fan base in a major motorsports series. The group focused on NASCAR and selected Coca-Cola as its sponsor, citing the company’s established presence in the industry.
Their proposal included three main solutions: a pre-race digital segment that shows drivers fueling their body with Coca-Cola’s health-driven beverage brands; a women-focused motorsport fan network; and a campaign inspired by the “Share a Coke” initiative that would feature women in motorsports on Coca-Cola bottles.
In the midst of finals week, the four women drove down to Indianapolis to pitch their campaign to a panel of motorsports executives.
“Our passion for motorsports in general really gave us an edge,” said Gaskill. “All of us are involved in motorsports and we understand the industry differently than others.”
The group earned third place and won a $1,000 scholarship.
“I gained a lot from this experience,” said Gaskill. “Even getting more exposure to the motorsports industry and the chance to network was invaluable.”
“It was a really great experience,” said Langston. “It opened my eyes to new perspectives and I’m really proud of how we did.”
In addition to the case competition, Albanese also competed in a speed networking event during the summit, completing seven rapid-fire, seven-minute interviews with industry professionals.
“I had to apply to participate, and in that application, I wrote ‘This scares me!’” said Albanese. “I walked away feeling really happy that I stepped out of my comfort zone and had the opportunity to speak with motorsports executives.”
Overall, the group said the experience left them more confident in their skills and more connected to the motorsports industry.
Writer: Julia Davis, juliadavis@purdue.edu