Neeley AI Forward Competition Showcases Student Solutions to Business Challenges
From identifying financial risks and streamlining supply chain operations to improving academic advising and career preparation, Texas Christian University students put artificial intelligence to work on business and campus challenges during the AI Innovation Competition hosted Neeley AI Forward.
Held Oct. 16-18 at the TCU Neeley School of Business, the three-day competition brought together 73 students across 18 teams to develop AI-powered solutions to five cases. Students worked alongside 15 industry mentors, five technology experts and five TCU faculty, applying emerging AI tools to problems involving finance, pharmaceuticals, supply chain management and student services.
Neeley AI Forward brings together students, faculty and industry partners to advance AI literacy and its practical application in business. Through coursework, workshops, industry engagement and experiential learning, the initiative helps students develop the technical skills and judgment to use AI effectively. Led by Zain Ali, associate professor of professional practice in information systems and supply chain management, the AI Innovation Competition builds on that approach by challenging students to apply emerging technologies to real business problems.
The competition featured advanced and emerging tracks for students with different levels of AI experience. Participants received hands-on training through workshops featuring AI tools and platforms including Replit, Claude and Gemini, along with guidance from industry mentors representing organizations such as Dell, Salesforce, Accenture, PwC and Dallas AI.
Teams presented their projects to a panel of nine judges, demonstrating how AI could
address operational challenges, improve decision-making and create more efficient
processes.
Among the advanced-track winners, Pharmer Research, developed by students Mame Diarra Niang, Ben Gregory, Kanta Endo and Benjamin Kabondo, earned first place in the pharmaceutical case. The challenge asked students to look beyond headline financial results to identify potential risks and developments affecting pharmaceutical companies, including drug pricing, patent expirations and regulatory changes.
In the academic advising case, Graduation Blueprint, created by students Wyatt Haggard, Tyler Formolo, Liam O'Cain and Aidan Falcon, took first place. The challenge focused on developing an AI-powered academic planning system that could help Neeley students navigate degree requirements, course offerings and individual interests to make informed decisions about graduation.
The emerging track highlighted additional applications across business and student services. TriFrog Consulting earned first place in finance, where teams examined how AI could help identify unusual financial transactions. Call Ready won the supply chain case, which focused on improving prospect research for freight brokerage sales teams. Remy took first place in the TCU recruitment case, which challenged students to address the time-consuming process of finding relevant job opportunities and tailoring application materials.
First-place and runner-up teams across the advanced and emerging tracks received more than $10,000 in prizes.
The competition brought together expertise from across TCU and the business community, with support from Dallas AI and Neeley’s Center for Supply Chain Innovation and Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Industry mentors, faculty and Neeley AI Forward advisory board members contributed guidance and feedback throughout the weekend.
“What stood out was how quickly students moved from learning AI to understanding the business challenge and developing AI solutions that they could actually demonstrate,” Ali said.
“They had to think critically about the problem, determine how AI could add value and build something that addressed a real business case developed in collaboration with the Neeley AI Forward board of advisors and fellows. That's the kind of experience and community partnership that prepares students for the new AI era.”