Beloit College recently hosted the 48 Hour Innovation Challenge (Season 2), an intensive weekend event organized by the Marketing Club in collaboration with the School of Business, with support from the Center for Entrepreneurship (CELEB). The challenge brought together students from across campus to tackle a real-world business problem through collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.
Held from Friday, November 21 to Sunday, November 23, the event began with a kickoff in the School of Business Computer Lab and concluded with final presentations in the Science Center 150 Auditorium. Over the course of 48 hours, six student teams developed comprehensive proposals for a new entrepreneurship and business conference to be hosted by Beloit College in the spring.
The challenge was based on a real initiative from the School of Business to create a signature conference inspired by Pensacola’s EntreCon. Teams were tasked with designing a complete strategy, including conference branding, marketing and promotion, programming, logistics, and execution. The primary goals of the competition were brand building and community development, with a strong emphasis on tailoring the event to Beloit College.
“This challenge gave us a chance to work on something that felt real and impactful,” said Palash Mamtaney ’28. “Knowing that our ideas could actually be implemented made the experience much more motivating.”
Students worked in teams of up to four, supported by peer mentors from the Marketing Club who provided guidance throughout the weekend. A Saturday check-in allowed teams to refine their ideas before delivering final presentations to a panel of professional judges with expertise in innovation, marketing, and design thinking.
“Receiving feedback from industry professionals was incredibly valuable,” said Anika Singh ’29. “It helped us understand how our ideas would be viewed outside of the classroom.”
At the conclusion of the event, Team Blizzard — Abdullah Jawwad Yousafi, Murtaza Kadir Khan, and Noor Amir Siddique — earned first place, receiving a $500 cash prize, School of Business sweatshirts, and the opportunity to work with the Marketing Club and School of Business to implement their proposal next semester. Second place went to Team Business As Usual — Dhriti Nair, Hitali Kothari, MukhammadAli Shavkatov, and Sandhya Pise — who received a $250 cash prize and School of Business sweatshirts.
Beyond the awards, the 48 Hour Innovation Challenge emphasized experiential learning and career readiness, helping students build skills in teamwork, pitching, problem-solving, and working effectively under pressure. Marketing Club hopes to continue the challenge as a recurring tradition, providing students with meaningful opportunities to engage with real-world projects and make a lasting impact on campus initiatives.
December 26, 2025
