Ethan Saul is a current MBA student finishing his first year in the Strategy, Innovation, and Leadership program. He is also a Senior Customer Development Analyst at Kenvue, a consumer health company headquartered in Summit, NJ.
As part of his Summer coursework in the “Management Practicum: New Product Development” class, Ethan was tasked with developing a solution to a Mindsumo challenge. Mindsumo is a non-profit crowdsourcing platform designed to facilitate innovative solutions to business problems in a fun, competitive setting. Ethan decided to address the challenge prompt: “What will be the hottest travel destination over the next 2-3 years?” Out of over 200 participant’s, Ethan’s submission was ranked among the top 5% of solutions, earning him a Top Prize for the challenge!
Reflecting on his win, Ethan shared the following insights: “As someone who likes adventurous activities, I leaned into the idea that extreme destinations, while daunting, can unlock some of the most meaningful and unique travel experiences. I approached [the challenge] like one of the many case studies I examined throughout the MBA program thus far. I tried to understand what makes people want something even when the barriers are high. It connected directly to my coursework on Innovation and Strategy that taught me bold ideas can gain traction when they’re grounded in real emotional pull.”
Once he wraps up his Summer courses, Ethan will be jetting off on his own adventure and doing some backpacking in Thailand.