Broad Executive MBA students kick around new business ideas at annual pitch competition

At the close of the Broad College of Business’ Executive MBA program, students must tap into their entrepreneurial skills to create a business idea. Across the program’s three format options — East Lansing, Troy and Flex — students develop and pitch their inspired ideas to peers, faculty, friends and family.

The style of the annual pitch competition mimics the show Shark Tank, where teams present their product or service idea and intended market and customer appeal, then walk through the financial case and potential return on investment, along with sharing prototypes of their products.

The winning idea at the Class of 2024 Pitch Competition on April 13 was Shümidor, a customizable cedar cabinet for storing, protecting and showing off shoes and sneakers.

“Shoes are symbols of self-expression, confidence and the journeys that we embark upon. They can even be part of our identity,” Marco Filice, a member of the winning team, said. “Even when shoes are stored indoors, they can break down. Humidity, light and temperature fluctuations can degrade your kicks. Shümidor is a revolutionary solution for sneaker lovers across the world.”

Filice and his teammates, Brian Brandenstein, Katie Laird, Brandon Baumgartner and MoNeka Young, kicked around this business idea and landed on making Shümidor a premium brand focused on luxury and craftsmanship. They dubbed their stand-alone cabinets a “sanctuary for your soles.”

“We are seeing unstoppable trends among athletes, celebrities and more, showing off shoes on all their social media platforms,” Filice said. “When you spend $2 million on a pair of game-worn Jordans, you need to protect your investment. And the current competition — plastic bins, bags or boxes — leaves shoes vulnerable to the biggest risks.”

Shümidor cabinets are handmade in the United States. Each pair of shoes is housed in cedar wood, which naturally deters bugs, rodents and pests through the wood’s oils. With glass panels along the front of each cabinet, sneaker collectors can also proudly show off their precious pairs while keeping them safe and sound. With a commitment to sustainability, the team is also promising to plant a cedar tree with every purchase.

“To promote Shümidor, we plan to work with social media influencers as well as collaborate with sneaker brands to showcase our product during new releases of shoes and styles,” Filice said.

Other finalists from the Class of 2024 included CosPicker, an app designed to be a costume assistant to help people choose designs or plan and build their ideal costumes, and Toonba, a first-of-its-kind robot designed to clean pontoon boats.

As our saying goes, Spartans Will — and for Broad Spartans, this means inspiring the future of business by taking on challenges, finding creative solutions and collaborating every step of the way.