Now in its sixth year, the competition tasks undergraduate teams with using data provided by the event’s corporate sponsors to help solve real-world problems.
Four students represented Elon University at a business analytics and presentation competition hosted in March at the University of Kentucky.
Peyton Pesavento ’23, Claire Przybocki ’24, Eric Sabatino ’24, and Cole Meixsell ’25 were tasked with evaluating sales and cost data to recommend pricing and other business strategies for MiddleGround Capital, which sponsored 2023’s The Econ Games.
Teams assessed product line performance metrics – sales, revenue, costs, and margins – for two brands in the industrial and specialty distribution sectors before presenting their recommendations to judges.
“The Econ Games is challenging because students don’t see the data or client questions until the day of the competition,” said Assistant Professor Brooks Depro, faculty advisor for Elon’s BSBA Economic Consulting major. “Presentations are only 8 minutes, so teams had to remain focused and answer the big client questions, use their Excel skills to organize data, and engage in storytelling with the data like early-career business professionals.”
Przybocki said she was nervous beforehand about her proficiency in using data software that was integral to the competition.
“However, the experience was an amazing opportunity to learn more about this from other students,” she said. “It was incredibly energizing to be in an environment where students had different knowledge and backgrounds in different areas. We all brought something to the table and collaborated to create a successful deliverable for MiddleGround Capital.
“I couldn’t recommend this opportunity enough for students looking to put economic coursework into practice.”
While at The Econ Games – which is jointly organized by faculty at the University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University – the Elon team also attended a networking reception and a keynote presentation by Scot Duncan, a partner and chief operation officer at The MiddleGround Capital.