Congratulations to all Master of Business and Science (MBS) students who completed the Capstone course this semester!
In lieu of a traditional thesis, all MBS students finish their academic journey by taking the MBS course Science and Technology Management Capstone. In this course, students practice commercializing science-intensive intellectual properties (IPs). Over the course of nine weeks, students work in teams to develop a business plan to take this IP to market. This course gives MBS students the tools to be competent professionals capable of starting enterprises or commercializing interesting innovations.
After turning in their business documents to course instructor Dr. Tom Bryant, each group has ten minutes to pitch their business to a group of angel investors. These pitches demonstrate the groups’ knowledge, intelligence, and creativity in creating an executable business plan. Investors then have five minutes to respond.
On April 30th and May 1st, 2024, 32 teams of MBS students presented their projects. Dr. Bryant served as moderator, inviting judges and students to join him at the Rutgers University Inn and Conference Center and over Zoom.
This semester, students demonstrated business plans in areas including food science, pet wellness, renewable energy, and more.
After introducing a use case scenario, anecdote, or customer journey, each group adeptly identified their target market, proposed a business model, showcased a five-year plan (including their break-even point), and ended with an investment asked.
The judges consisted of experts from different industries, including private equity, investing, marketing, and even business librarianship. They each asked probing questions and offered advice, which allowed students to make additions and corrections to their final business plan.
Overall, presentations were excellent as always. In only ten minutes, each group demonstrated enthusiasm and coordination.
The Capstone course provides students with skillsets they’ll use throughout their careers. Congratulations to all Capstone students, and all 2024 MBS graduates! To learn more about Capstone, read about the Capstone retreat for students held in spring 2024.