Goodbye and Good Luck to our QUESTPress Seniors

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Another year here at UMD is coming to a close and so naturally, we are losing some of our seniors to the real world. While we wish them the best, we also wish we had more time to learn from them and share more memories and laughs. With this said, QUESTPress would like to give a big sendoff to our seniors, Chineme Obiefune (Q25), Joe Piscitelli (Q25), Sam Weaver (Q26), and our Editor-in-Chief, Andrew Jones (Q26).

Andrew Jones (Q26)

Andrew is our great Editor-in Chief. He has been a part of QUESTPress for 3 years and has written numerous entertaining articles for the QUEST community. Additionally, Andrew has been involved in QUEST in other ways by being a  mentor for Q30 as well as attending not one, but two QUEST2 trips – to Silicon Valley and to Spain! Looking forward to the summer, Andrew will be traveling around the world (no exaggeration!). He’s going to be in Peru, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and then back to the US to be in New Orleans and Boston! After a busy summer, Andrew will be settling in Tysons Corner to begin work as an Associate Consultant at Appian Corporation.

While thinking about leaving UMD, Andrew will miss all of the experiences he’s had here and the opportunity to participate in so much. He said, “UMD offers so many activities. It can’t compare to any other institution!” QUEST gave Andrew a plethora of great things but what he’ll miss most are the abroad courses and meeting our amazing alumni! Andrew, we’ll miss your support and insights that you would give us at every Sunday meeting.

Chineme, our senior in Q25 has been in QUESTPress for two years but has also mentored 190H and helped out in the scoping class. This summer, Chineme is excited to be outside enjoying the weather but also hanging out with kids by volunteering at a summer camp. What’s really cool is that he’s going to also be working on his music (tune in everyone!!) to develop a skill that he is finally getting some free time to think about.

Chineme Obiefune (Q25)

QUEST is an intense community, full of people who are driven and passionate about what they are learning and Chineme appreciates and will miss it the most. Getting to see his team do amazingly in 190H yet still harness so much growth on the way to 490H was extremely rewarding, especially knowing that he “has had a slight hand in the success.” Chineme, we are going to miss your out of the box ideas for articles and fearlessness when it comes to trying and proposing new things.

Joe had an especially important position for not only QUESTPress but also the newsletter, in that he has been our webmaster and the genius behind figuring out any struggle with the online forums and making sure all of our articles and sites look great. Joe joined QUESTPress immediately after QUEST Camp after a now QUEST alumna, Grace Cha, suggested that people join. After school ends for Joe, he’ll be back in Miami with friends and family but his studying won’t be over as he will be preparing for the CPA exam prior to coming back to the DMV as a Core Assurance Associate for PriceWaterhouse Coopers.

Joe Piscitelli (Q25)

Looking back, Joe will mostly miss the amazing people that he has had the opportunity to meet through QUEST, Smith, and UMD as a whole. Joe says, “I came to UMD knowing absolutely no one else coming here so it was nice to have organizations on campus such as QUEST to make the campus smaller. I’ve met some of the best people I know at UMD.” Memories like simply walking into the QUEST lab to print and bumping into people you don’t expect to see and getting to catch up will stick with Joe for a while. He also loved to check out what new art our fellow QUEST students have up on the walls. Joe, we will miss your great sense of humor and endless help as we struggle through WordPress.

Sam has been in QUESTPress and writing articles for us since her sophomore year. After three years with us, Sam will be joining Lockheed Martin in Dallas. Sam has enjoyed her time with QUEST and says that she’ll miss all of the great events that QUEST has to offer. Being involved and getting to catch up with fellow QUEST peers are what she enjoyed most about QUEST. Sam’s favorite memory followed finally accomplishing the final client presentation in 490H. Her group had gotten through the toughest course for QUEST and to celebrate, Sam said, “My team and I went to Costco for lunch and just hung out and goofed off. Our client really loved our project and capping off that successful presentation with some pizza and ice cream was so satisfying.” Sam, we’ll miss having you over the conference call because you’re doing something cool like getting stuck at home baking bread.

Sam Weaver (Q26)

While we are sad to see you all go, we know you are onto bigger and better things. We look forward to hearing your names in articles not written by you, but rather about you. Thank you for your endless contributions to not only QUESTPress but QUEST as a whole. To you and all of the seniors moving on from our students to our alumni, keep us in mind. Come visit us and share your experiences with us or even let us know how we can be do better in our next QUEST presentation. I’ll leave you with a quote in the spirit of QUEST: “I begin with an idea, and then it becomes something else” – Pablo Picasso. QUEST has trained us to develop brilliant ideas and to take them as far as we can. Keep up the QUEST spirit and remain design thinkers regardless of where you end up because you all have great things to offer and thoughts to share. Best of luck class of 2018! You made it!

 

A Sneak Preview of Alumnus Yash Mehta’s New Podcast!

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Yash Mehta (Q22) began his own podcast to commemorate the beginning of 2018. While it’s still at its infancy, Yash has sights on expanding the podcast to feature even more “influencers, as the podcast name, The Great Influencers, suggests. At the current moment, there are two podcasts on the website highlighting Malala Yousafzai and Thurgood Marshall, implying that the diversity in influencers is not limited to prominent historical figures. I recently got to sit down with Yash to get his thoughts on the podcast and his vision moving forward.

What prompted you to start the podcast?

I think it was a host of internal and external factors. From the internal perspective, I’ve always really enjoyed creative writing and public speaking so this was a great way to practice those skills. I’ve also become an avid listener of other podcasts over the last year so this was a neat challenge/bucket list item for me to tackle. On the external side, I think we could all use some inspiration from time to time so I wanted to create something that helped busy professionals like those in QUEST to do something fun, learn something, and feel energized to improve their lives all at the same time. I think we’re in a particularly interesting political climate and regardless of your beliefs, I try to shape each episode so that people realize people just like them influenced our world.

I notice you featured both historical and current “influencers” on your podcast – do you have intentions on sticking with a theme regarding that or just whoever is making an influence?

The way I choose influencers is relatively unstructured – a lot of it is me coming across stories of people that make me go, “Wow, I want to know more.” I’m trying to make a conscious decision to showcase influencers from a variety of backgrounds (civil activism, science, arts, etc.) so that every person listening can see a bit of themselves in the influencers. My other criteria is choosing great influencers whose stories haven’t been widely told – yes, MLK was absolutely a great influencer, but so was Thurgood Marshall, and I’ve heard Marshall’s story far fewer times so I decided to tell his story instead.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, Yash always loves to get any feedback, so if anyone wants to provide feedback, please share it with him at MehtaJYash@Gmail.com!

Noah Vernick Selected for NewDay USA Character Driven Leadership Award

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QUEST student Noah Vernick (Q28) was recently selected for an award through New DayUSA for his efforts and leadership within the club, D4 Athletics, that he has been pioneering this past academic year. I had the chance to sit down with him to get his thoughts on being a recipient of this award.

1) Tell me more about NewDay USA and what the award is for.

NewDay USA is a mortgage company that is focused on supporting veterans. They also promote character driven leadership in companies, organizations, and universities. At UMD, they funded the NewDay USA Character Driven Leadership Award in which there were three categories: NewDay USA Character Driven Leader for Innovation, for Enterprise, and for Resilience. I applied for Innovation which should be awarded to the individual that has an optimistic, infectious vision for the future.

 

Noah (middle) with his award.

2) What allowed you to be selected for this award?

I applied because I believe that my club, D4 Athletics, is a perfect example of my leadership through Innovation. As a sports club, we hope to target students who do not play sports very frequently. All skill levels are welcome and the environment is one that breeds positivity. After being on campus and SGA-recognized for one year, we were starting to build a great presence on campus. It is challenging competing with intramural and club sports, but we hope to hit a larger audience by participating in philanthropy events such as our annual volleyball tournament, A Match for Karen, and our strong relationship with UMD’s Relay for Life. My efforts in building an organization to provide students opportunity to stay active and meet new people is what won me the award.

 

 3) How has winning this award affected you moving forward?

Sometimes we are hard on ourselves and we do not take time to recognize the small achievements that lead to success. Receiving this award made me realize how far D4 has come and motivated me to keep growing the organization to leave it in great hands by the time I graduate next year. It is also nice to be recognized by people other than your family and friends for something you have worked really hard to accomplish.

 

Congratulations again to Noah Vernick for being selected for this honor, keeping the trend of emerging leaders within the QUEST community!

 

 

Zack Khan Selected as KPCB Fellow

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Congratulations to Zack Khan, CMNS student and member of Cohort 29, for his acceptance into the Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) Fellows Program! KPCB is a national venture capital firm headquartered in Silicon Valley that specializes in investments in early stage and growth companies. This firm has backed major corporations in their early stages like Amazon, Google, and Twitter! KPCB started the fellows program with the intent to recruit talented students for its current portfolio companies. Its hope is to continue to help create and invest in other major entrepreneurial companies.

Zack said, “I have friends who have previously been part of KPCB fellows, and they told me I would be a great fit for this program. So, I decided to apply. When I found out that I was actually accepted into the program, I could not have been more excited or honored to know that I would have the opportunity to participate in such an amazing experience.”

While KPCB Fellows is an incredible program, there is more to the reason why Zack applied. Zack explained that “the biggest reason I joined KPCB was because of the community. KPCB has beliefs very similar to my own and I am so excited to join KPCB’s talent group, meet its diverse set of people, and learn more about entrepreneurship.”

Additionally, Zack talked about how “once you belong to the KPCB fellows program, there is always a network of professionals willing to help you and provide mentorship. I believe that this type of program will help me as I set out to achieve my goals in the future.”

For his internship this summer in Silicon Valley, Zack will be working as a Software Engineer with the startup Handshake. Handshake is a group of 80 people whose goal is “democratizing opportunity.” Handshake works as a platform of over 8 million students which companies can recruit from. This company essentially gives every student a fair shot at receiving internships and jobs. “I decided to work at Handshake because my background is in educational technology, and I can relate with other students as I am currently in college now! I value and resonate with Handshake’s mission, and I am driven to help try and solve the problem they are addressing.”

Well done, Zack! QUEST is so excited for your internship with Handshake, and we are so proud of you for what you have accomplished! Congratulations, and enjoy your time in the Bay Area this summer!

 

QUEST Students Study Design in Silicon Valley Over Spring Break

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Spring break means many fun trips for students in college, and for some of our QUEST students, it meant a trip to California’s Silicon Valley. On this trip, our students got to explore some Fortune 500 companies and startups to see how QUEST themes and ideals apply to them. The design thinking process was evident and a sense of innovation was ever-present.

Prior to going on the trip, students prepared informative dossiers on all the companies they would visit. Praneeth from Cohort 29 studied Redfin to study their design and development process which resembled that of many other Silicon Valley companies. He got to learn that “ideation starts with product managers and then goes through an iterative testing process to finalize specifications that are sent out to developers who build the product.”

QUEST students visited ABC7 news to get a behind the scenes look!

Students visited many companies in order to study their operational ways and to understand their design processes to see how they compare to one another. Students got to visit Uber, Autodesk, Facebook, Cisco, and Google to name just a few! One company they visited, Compology, was actually founded by QUEST alumnus, Jason Gates, from Cohort 16. The visit to Tesla was a popular one. QUEST students got to see the factory and ride the Model X. Jeff Zhao (Q28) enjoyed it, saying, “Going from 0-80 mph in less than 3 seconds is something that I will never forget.”

QUEST trips to various locations, such as our most recent trip to Silicon Valley, teach our students in a unique way outside of the classroom. They not only got to interact face-to-face with people that work for these companies, but they also got to see them in their work environment. A special part of the trip was that QUEST alumni were working at many of the locations visited and getting to see them give back to the program felt great and inspired Jeff Zhao to think about a future with the program beyond graduation. All of the alumni that our students got to talk to were keen on sharing career advice and the best places to go to in San Francisco.

With that said, being in Silicon Valley meant that there was exploring to be done. In their free time, QUEST students had a chance to explore the local areas and all the tourist attractions. Jack Sturtevant from Cohort 29 loved bonding with everyone in the evenings after the visits were completed. Praneeth liked sightseeing, especially when it came to seeing and experiencing things unique to San Francisco. While they were learning, students were also provided with the opportunity to get to know each other better and bond with students outside of their cohort.

Students completed a design activity at Facebook

The takeaways from this trip are endless. From the opportunity to network with many people leading and working for these great companies to forging new relationships, the QUEST students that went to Silicon Valley have brought back great experiences and stories to share with our community. Anyone that went on the trip would recommend it! Jack (Q29) was grateful that “the trip gave [him] great insight into the area of California and how different companies and life are out there. It gives you opportunities to make business connections outside of the DMV.”

Praneeth recommends the trip strongly and described it as “a unique opportunity that every QUEST student should take advantage of, if possible. We were able to get an inside look at companies that come up in every major news source on a daily basis. It’s an incomparable way to understand problems at a deeper level which ultimately helps you discover your passion. Whether that’s going behind the scenes of Tesla’s factory and watching the largest machine in North America press down on sheets of steel with enough force to be noticed on UC Berkeley’s seismograph or playing games in the arcade of Facebook’s headquarters while thinking about creative ways to connect people across the globe, it’s these unique environments that this trip gives you exposure to that helps you find your passion.”

QUEST students love the “QUEST2” trips. The adventure is unlike any other and getting to see different parts of the world while better understanding design is unmatched by any other trip. For more photos of the trip, click here! 

QUESTees at IDEO!

Branding Yourself with QUEST: Current Students Reflect on their QUEST Experience

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By: Caitlin Thompson (Q28)

When asked about the QUEST program, current students are quick to describe the curriculum’s focus on process improvement, systems design, and quality management. While this description matches on paper, some may further describe QUEST as a program where multidisciplinary teams work on projects, while others focus on the application of technical skills.

As a program that provides students with a variety of real world experiences, each student can share personal stories of his/her time in QUEST. These unique aspects can be reflected on students’ resumes and used to differentiate themselves during job interviews.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with three current QUEST students at different points in the program about their own QUEST experiences. They discussed how they have benefitted from the QUEST program and shared how they branded themselves at each step of the three-course sequence.

190H: Introduction to Design and Quality

First, I discussed the 190H experience with Adam Sarsony (Finance, Q29). Adam recently completed 190H, the first course in the QUEST sequence. He discussed his experience analyzing problems, working on multidisciplinary teams, and using new skills including fishbone and process flow diagrams.

“In 190H, I learned how to work on a high-performing team using agile development or scrum, and we practiced using Gantt charts and other project management tools common to teams using agile or scrum. Having an experience with these processes as a sophomore is something that I can speak to that helps me stand out from other students my age.”

Furthermore, Adam’s biggest lesson learned in 190H was “how to manage a professional relationship with a client. It isn’t something that you can put on a resume, but it is something that you can speak about in an interview and something that comes through in the way that QUEST students talk with employers and other professionals. It’s a soft skill that you can’t build without these professional experiences.”

390H: Systems Thinking for Managerial Decision Making

Savannah Shaul (Chemical Engineering and Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, Q28) also shared some insight about her QUEST experience moving from 190H through 390H. She mentioned how QUEST has given her the confidence to take risks and question the way systems work.

In regards to how she brands herself with QUEST, she first discussed the professionalism skills she learned during 190H including “PowerPoint design, technical design, and presentation and time management skills. I found that all of these skills have helped me excel in various aspects of my life, even outside of school and my career.”

While these skills continue to be useful today, she expanded her knowledge of systems design in 390H, the second course in the QUEST sequence, and learned to think outside of the box.

“390H was definitely the class where I was challenged to think in new ways and to ‘break the system.’ As a student, we are constantly being told what to do and how to do it, but with this class, we basically were able to define ourselves and question everything around us. As young professionals who will emerge into the work force within the next few years, this is such an amazing skill to have because it will allow us to make drastic, but efficient and important, changes to whatever we end up working on. This is such an incredible skill that I definitely try to brand myself, and QUEST, with and hope to utilize in 490H.”

490H: QUEST Consulting and Innovation Practicum

Kevin Dragonette (Chemical Engineering, Q26) added to this conversation by reflecting on what he has learned throughout 490H, the QUEST capstone course. By working with an outside client, he learned about the importance of the voice of the customer when designing a solution.

Kevin Dragonette with his fellow 490 teammates and client

“In QUEST, and in particular 490H, I learned how to develop a solution to a problem that addresses the perspective of all stakeholders involved. Solutions that are well-designed to address a specific problem often do not consider obstacles of implementation such as resistance from stakeholders who the solution does not directly benefit, but requires for successful implementation. I brand myself with the ability to design a practical, adaptable solution with a high chance of implementation rather than the ability to design a solution that is only successful on paper.”

Overall, QUEST provides each of us with a variety of useful skills that are applicable to numerous career fields. As our skills evolve throughout the program, we can reflect on our own experiences to continue to grow personally and professionally. Although these may differ, we all benefit from being members of the QUEST community and will apply lessons from our experiences throughout our careers.

Introducing Our New Cohorts!

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QUEST Community, say hello to Cohorts 31 and 32! Cohorts 31 and 32, welcome to QUEST. It was just a couple days ago that the Quality Guild released the names of the ninety students admitted to our diverse, innovative, and challenging program, and we’re excited to introduce them to the rest of the community. I’ve reached out to four of our new members to learn more about what made them interested in QUEST, how they feel QUEST will impact their with future goals, and what other things they are involved with on campus.

When I asked about why the students were attracted to QUEST, one thing everyone had in common was that they were fascinated with the interdisciplinary aspect of the program and that they wished to expand their mindsets beyond those of their current majors. Amy Odenthal, a Clark student in Cohort 32, mentioned that she believes “working with students from three different schools will allow [her] to develop a more well-rounded perspective towards problem solving.” Uday Warier, a computer science major in Cohort 31, shared a similar standpoint and said that he “wants a way to work with people of different majors and skillsets.”

“Working with students from three different schools will allow me to develop a more well-rounded perspective towards problem solving.” -Amy Odenthal (Q32)

Many of the new students in Cohorts 31 and 32 have a strong presence on campus through various clubs and organizations, which is great since QUEST has such a strong focus on community. Involvement with the program outside of a classroom setting is a large part of what makes a QUEST student successful, so it’s great that our new additions are familiar with making a contribution to a community! Jeremy Rosenblatt from Cohort 31 is an engineer who represents the freshman class for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and manages consulting projects for TAMID, an organization that introduces students to consulting and then gives them opportunities to consult for Israeli start-ups. Jeremy says that managing the time he invests is “certainly a challenge, but [he finds] it really rewarding.” Dillyn Payne, an engineer in Cohort 32, stays busy by participating in Engineers Without Borders and Catholic Terps, doing financial planning for TerpThon, and interning at an electrical engineering company. Dillyn believes it is crucial for students to be involved in various activities since it “provides various opportunities for students to become better leaders and gain experience with how the world works outside of school.”

“[Involvement in extracurriculars] provides various opportunities for students to become better leaders and gain experience with how the world works outside of school.” -Dillyn Payne (Q32)

QUEST gives students the chance to engage with people from different backgrounds, provides opportunities for community involvement, and helps students navigate team dynamics and how the world around us works. But how does this help students in the real world after they graduate? Uday Warier says that “by becoming familiar with people from a variety of different backgrounds, it will be easier for [him] to create things that change the world and help the community through [his] career.” Jeremy Rosenblatt wishes to work in the biopharmaceutical industry and believes that “the interdisciplinary teamwork experience QUEST provides will be invaluable to [his] career” because “the industry is inherently interdisciplinary and runs entirely on scientific progress.” Amy Odenthal hopes to combine both technical and business concepts in her career and believes that QUEST will help her “learn more about the interdependence of the two fields.” Dillyn Payne wants to work for an organization that “challenges its employees to create innovative solutions to problems that may have many restrictions” and believes that QUEST will help her “become a better leader, critical thinker, and innovator,” all of which are necessary to succeed as an engineer!

“The interdisciplinary teamwork experience QUEST provides will be invaluable to my career.” -Jeremy Rosenblatt (Q31)

It was definitely refreshing to hear about the aspirations and goals these students have for their futures and how they believe QUEST will help them achieve them! Ambition is something that all QUEST students have in common, and the program’s goal is to help our ambitions become realities. My advice for the fellow cohorts is that it’s never too early to get involved. Make the most of your new community by getting swipe access for the lab, exploring our different student organizations, and staying up-to-date with our newsletters! You can have an impact even before you take your first QUEST class, so get on out there and make the rest of us proud.

Congrats to all of the new members of Cohorts 31 and 32!

Doctor, Doctor Give Me The News

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When I pitched the idea for this story, I really had no idea what it was going to turn into. The QUESTPress team had been toying with the idea of expanding our coverage to things outside of QUEST for a while, but we still hadn’t worked out the details. So when Andrew tried to give me February off I figured why not and jumped into something I care a lot about: science and scientific advancement.

Now obviously there’re a lot of fields that fall under the label “science,” but I decided to focus on one of the weirdest: medical science. Human bodies are incredibly complex, which is what makes modern medicine so amazing, but they’re also, in my opinion, pretty strange. This makes reading articles about medical advancements a fun combo of “that’s so cool” and “they did what now?!” So without further ado, here are some of my recent favorites:

  1. Blood testing for concussions

Concussions have come under the spotlight in recent years – becoming an increasing concern in sports and the military as we learn more about the lasting impacts of traumatic brain injuries. Despite this, diagnosing concussions remains difficult, with computerized tomography scans, or CT scans, being one of the most common ways to check for brain anomalies. CT scans are expensive, and many patients suspected of having concussions do not exhibit signs of it when scanned. This is what makes the new blood test from Banyan Biomarkers, just approved by the FDA, so exciting. The test measures the levels of various proteins that are linked to brain injury in the patient’s blood and can predict which patients are likely to show damage on a CT scan, enabling doctors better prescribe the expensive procedure.

More information can be found here:

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6378/848.full

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fda-okays-first-concussion-blood-test-but-some-experts-are-wary/

  1. Experimental Surgery for Spinal Bifida

I caught this story back in October, browsing through the New York Times between classes. It’s engrossing, and I remember turning to one of my good friends – actually working on her homework like a responsible student – and going, “I’m so grateful, but also weirded out, by medicine.” Spinal bifida is a birth defect where the tissue surrounding the spinal column does not close properly during fetal development – leading to a host of further health problems. Doctors found that operating prenatally to close the gap in the spinal tissue decreased these effects, but the standard surgery involves cutting open the mother’s abdomen and uterus which can lead to other complications. However, the new surgery eliminates some of these side effects by operating through small slits in the uterus guided by a fetoscope. If you’re squeamish this might not be the story for you, but otherwise I encourage you to check it out here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/health/fetal-surgery-spina-bifida.html

Follow up story: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/15/health/baby-spina-bifida-surgery.html

  1. Potential CRISPR Upgrade

One of my roommates is a biology major, so CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing has come up a time or two in conversation. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, or CRISPR, is the basis for CRISPR-Cas9, which allows researchers to make specific modifications to DNA. But what does that even mean? In essence, DNA is like your body’s instruction manual – telling cells what they should be doing – and is made up of genes (ie: instructions on what proteins to make). By modifying DNA, scientists can turn on and off certain genes, changing how cells behave. However, CRISPR-Cas9 does have limitations and is only useful in some parts of the genome; new advances could change that fact. David Liu and his colleagues have altered the Cas9 enzyme to work at a wider range of sites – potentially opening the door for more precise gene editing and further applications.

More info here:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02540-x

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/upgrade-makes-genome-editor-crispr-more-muscular-precise

 

QUEST Students Tackle The Unilever Case Competition

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In mid-February, Unilever came to campus with a radical idea for a case competition: analyze the current Unilever product portfolio and create a new product line for the company that encompasses the Unilever values and connects with their Sustainable Living Plan.

Multiple teams competed, and it’s no surprise that each finalist in the case competition had at least one QUEST student on the team. I was able to speak to the members of the top three teams to get their opinion on the case competition and what they believe contributed to their success.

Derek Xiao is a junior and member of Q28, Sameera Polavarapu is a junior and member of Q27, and Jeff Zhao is a junior and member of Q28.

Jeff Zhao and his teammates (also QUEST students): Mingkai Xu (Q27), Joyce Zhou (Q29), and Megha Reddy (Q27).

1. Did you think the subject matter of this case competition was different from those you have done in the past? If yes, then how so?

Derek Xiao

I think this case competition was completely different than case comps I have done in the past because the prompt was a blank canvas that allowed for a lot of creativity. The prompt the teams were given was to analyze Unilever’s current product portfolio and introduce a new product that connected with their Sustainable Living Plan (SLP).

Sameera Polavarapu
My team is grateful to have been in the finals of this competition last year as well and the structure and content of the case was definitely similar. Both years, Unilever did a great job of using the case competition to teach company values to students.

Jeff Zhao

Definitely! In hindsight, this case competition’s focus was definitely focused on brand management and creativity of idea as opposed to the nitty-gritty details of the business plan and execution. Unilever as a company also has a huge focus on corporate social responsibility with its established “Unilever Sustainable Living Plan” and Bright Future platform. This added a unique “non-profit” twist on the case.

2. How did your team approach the problem you were given?

Derek Xiao

We approached the problem by diving into their 2016 annual report. This gave us a great understanding of Unilever’s segment performance, which brands they were expanding, and the mission of SLP. While one team member parsed through the 10-k, the other two members were gathering external market data about consumer trends in packaged goods. Ultimately, we leveraged this information during our ideation phase to capitalize on the current direction of the market.

Sameera Polavarapu

The prompt we were given asked us to design a new, purpose-driven brand for the Unilever portfolio, specifically one that followed Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan. Our team’s approach was to first find a gap in the portfolio, which we were able to do by creating a brand map. Next, we identified market trends within that gap and tried to align them with current issues we are passionate about. This allowed us to build a current, cohesive brand with a core purpose. The result was GLOW, a premium skincare line that supports the women’s rights movement by sourcing from solely female-owned, sustainable companies.

Jeff Zhao

The prompt was to introduce a purpose-driven brand to add to Unilever’s product portfolio. Instead of the traditional problem dissolution, we focused on the issues and social problems that our team members were passionate about and then focused on a product around that cause.

3. Were you able to leverage any knowledge from QUEST when working through the case?

Derek Xiao

I think my experience in QUEST had the most pay-off when designing our slide deck and preparing our presentation. At some point during our ideation phase, all the parts fell together, and we realized we had a winning product. However, having a great idea and communicating your idea are two separate beasts altogether. Thankfully, we were able to pull from our design and presentation experiences from QUEST successfully communicate our product and business model to the judges.

Sameera Polavarapu

Our team decided to enter our submission pretty last minute, so rather than spending the last moments fine tuning, we were rapidly working to craft a smart, well-thought-out brand.

I think that QUEST has really taught us to stay level headed at any moment, even when things seem stressful. The endurance and experience that QUEST has given us, whether that be from working in teams or designing slide decks, was at the core of our success.

Jeff Zhao

Of course. My favorite QUEST workshop was “How to Present 101.” Being able to build an aesthetically pleasing presentation and present a convincing argument are arguably even more important skills than coming up with the solution itself.

4. What do you think made your team so successful?

Derek Xiao

Our team was successful because we were passionate about our product. We had found a product that the market clearly needed, and we pushed each other to continue thinking outside the box when building the business model.

Sameera Polavarapu

My teammate, Didac Hormiga (Q28), and I both have relevant experience regarding case comps and marketing that was really valuable to our team in this competition. My internships have all been brand strategy based, and Didac is an entrepreneur. Using our collective knowledge, I think we were able to come up with an idea that is really primed for the market we were given to tackle.

Jeff Zhao

Not taking the case or ourselves too serious. Every meeting we were joking around and throwing around crazy ideas. This led to our team feeling extremely comfortable around each other and helped us end up with a pretty cool presentation and idea.

5. What advice to you have to other students in QUEST about approaching case comps?

Derek Xiao

I don’t know if this applies for all cases, but for prompts around introducing or changing a product, it is vitally important to understand the prompt before jumping into ideation. We spent a full 4-6 hours just reading through research before even beginning to throw out ideas. This way you will have an understanding of the customer needs and can build around them. Once you have your idea, storyboard out your deck, and write down the main point for each slide. It’s an investment that will pay off 10x moving forward in helping to build a cohesive story.

Sameera Polavarapu

My advice would be to find a great team, don’t be too afraid of the results, make it fun, and just jump in! QUEST teaches us so much about working efficiently in teams, working under pressure, and thinking strategically—all skills that have prepared us really well for opportunities like case competitions.

Jeff Zhao

Be thorough and diligent with every single aspect of the case: budget, financials, go-to-market strategy, pricing, etc. Always generate ideas in 5 and take the top 3. Design is important. Telling a convincing story is just as important. Anticipate the questions and reflect that in your appendix. Ask yourself, “What can I do in 5 minutes to take this presentation to the next level?” at the end of every work session.

 

 

QUEST’s Favorite Films of 2017

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For anyone who loves cinema, now is the best time to take a trip to the movie theater. From November through the end of the year, studios release their best films of the year in anticipation of cold weather, the holiday season, and The Oscars. This year, some of my favorite films were Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Call Me By Your Name, and The Post. However, I wanted to hear what QUEST alumni and staff thought were the best films they saw this year. Additionally, I offer a few challenges this year for the ultimate movie buffs.

Rachel George (Q21): Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Frances McDormand blew me away in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Her character is at the same time one of the harshest and fiercely caring people I’ve seen with a strong internal compass that she trusts to guide her decisions (even if we don’t always trust it). Over the course of the movie, she shows that you can care for a town and the people in it, even while you hold them accountable to justice.

Nicole Blahut (Q20): The Shape of Water

Because of my recent investment in Movie Pass, a subscription based theater service, I decided to go see The Shape of Water, a film I might not have otherwise seen. The film, which went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture, managed to simultaneously feel familiar and new by placing a unique spin on a whimsical fairy-tale. I highly recommend seeing the movie even if you might not be initially interested in seeing a love story between a woman and a sea monster.

Jessica Macklin (Quality Guild): I, Tonya 

The cinematography of I, Tonya was super impressive, and Allison Janney is an incredible actress (as always). It was also interesting to learn about such a crazy scandal that actually took place when I was very young, but I knew nothing about.

Russell Ottalini (Quality Guild): Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour was one of my top films from 2017. I really enjoyed Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Churchill and the film’s excellent artistic direction. The atmosphere of suspense was also expertly crafted, especially since its audience presumably knows the conclusion to the story.

Meenu Singh (Q19): Get Out

Get out is an entrancing, complex film that defies so many of the tired tropes in the horror genre. My friends and I stayed up into the wee hours of the night discussing the movie after watching. I also love how many “Easter eggs” Jordan Peele wove in!

Danny Laurence (Q19): Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi

The original trilogy of Star Wars was just about my favorite series of movies growing up. The universe has this high fantasy vibe shrouded in sci-fi, and I think the latest entry brought out a side of the universe that hasn’t been explored on screen – the idea that good and bad aren’t black and white, that power is power, and how we choose to use it defines us. It’s definitely a departure from previous movies, and while some of the criticisms are valid, it was definitely one of my favorites from the year.

Jason Ho (Q24): Arrival

I watched the movie Arrival and must say it was not what I expected. Having watched the trailer beforehand, I thought it was going to be a movie that led to some epic showdown between aliens and humans. Not saying that it doesn’t happen (no spoilers here) but the movie artfully combined an underlying commentary with awesome scenery and a very fitting ominous soundtrack. It’s worth a watch if you appreciate deep analytical movies.

 

I was a fan of all the movies listed above and want to offer a few challenges for those really trying to embrace the cinema of 2017.

  1. The Stuhlbarg Challenge

Michael Stewart Stuhlbarg is a tour de force in 2017 with major roles in The Post (Abe Rosenthal), The Shape of Water (Dr. Robert Hoffstetler), and Call Me by Your Name (Mr. Perlman). He is the sixth actor to appear in three Best Picture nominees in the same year! See if you can watch all three films and join the Stulbandwagon™.

  1. The Great Moment in History Challenge

The Battle of Dunkirk was a pivotal moment in World War II. This year, two Best Picture nominees cover the film from the sea, sky, and bunker— Darkest Hour and Dunkirk. Watch both films in an evening and take a deep dive into the history books.

  1. The Future is Female Challenge

Women account for 13% of directors in Hollywood, which is why when any female director is nominated for an Oscar it requires particular note (5 nominated in 90 years). Greta Gerwig was nominated this year for Ladybird. Additionally, watch one of these other three films with powerful female leads—Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Post, Wonder Woman.

Special thanks to all the QUEST alumni and faculty who participated in this article. I hope this piece was helpful when deciding which films to see this weekend. Enjoy the movie magic!