California State University, Northridge MBA students took top honors in a national competition that tested how well they could tailor what they learned in the classroom to the demands of small business. The competition is hosted each year by the Small Business Institute, a national organization dedicated to field-based student consulting and outreach to small businesses. “This year was the second year the MBA program participated in this competition, and we have gathered first-place awards each year we’ve competed,” CSUN MBA Director Deborah Cours said in a prepared statement. Cal State Northridge students Jeremy King, Namdar Akrami, Robert Anton, Rohit Jain and Vanessa Walker, led by their faculty advisor, professor Lois Shelton, won first place in the Graduate Feasibility/Business Plan category for their client WatAir, which develops, manufactures and distributes atmospheric water generation technology. “Winning such a prestigious award is an honor,” King said. “A lot of hard work went into making this project a success, with each team member bringing a unique skill set of strengths to the table. It is very rare to get opportunities to take part in such an endeavor, and it is an experience that I will never forget.”
